finishing fly heads

[flyline64 0]

Someone posted that according to a chemist super glue is not waterproof.

 

I can only say that I've never had a fly I tied or glued using super glue come undone--even when they have been fished extensively.

[Harold Ray 0]

A whip finnish and call it good. No need for a glued head on a fishable.I the fish gets it before the rocks I'm happy.

 

I'll tell you, Brent, I like the way you think. I'm not good enough to tie the fancy ones yet, but I'll get there. On my fishing flies, I just try to have fun and no sweat or worries, and it has worked out pretty good. I do use Sally Hansen's just to give the wraps more strength, but I'll guarantee you my fly heads sure aren't fancy and thus far, not too well finished. I do keep picking up new friends down here (Texas where I can actually go see and tie with them) who are more than happy to help me learn more, and that's a wonderful part of the flyfishing/flytying experience for me. Less than a year into both these sports and I've learn a ton, plus I've had a ton of fun, and really an uncounted and very large number of new friends.

 

I'm on http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com for kayaking and conventional fishing, http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com for kayaking, flyfishing, salt and freshwater totally fishing related flytying and flies, FTF for regular an advanced course in flies, Classic Salmon Flies, which I have totally fallen for, and all of the intricacies of all types of flytying. I check out other sites as well between clients at the clinic and at home at night. On the three sites above, though, there are approximatley 18,000 to 21,000 members, not all of whom post of course, but still that large a number of readers. That number floods all of us with new ideas or new perspectives on old ideas and theories daily. How lucky can we get!

 

Ray

[J. R. Caddick 0]

Veniard's 'Cellire' - No. 1 Clear

 

3-4 thin coats allowing 24 hours between coats.

 

Hywel

 

Another vote for Veniards Cellire No. 1 Extra Fine Clear, it is what i use on all of my wet salmon flies. For everything else it is Clear Pro Lak.

 

The main thing is to let each coat dry thoroughly before putting on the next one.

[flytyingscotsman 0]

 

My vote goes for whip finish twice and skip the cement ...

 

But, if you have to get that 'mirror' finish for something special

like a salmon fly or traditional wet, here is the secret :-

 

Use a decent cement for the first pass (Rumpf etc), let dry.

 

Steal your wife's/girlfriend's bottle of 'Sally Hansen Hard as Nails'

clear nail polish and apply one or more coats - you have to see

the final results to believe it (and there's zero skill involved).

 

Fly-Tying Scotsman

 

[seriesofseven 0]

If the problem is not the brand of head cement you are using then you might want to consider the temperature at which you are applying the cement in. Head cement will not cure fast enough to cure clear too far below room temperature. Also, if you are using a fan to speed the drying you'll often get a hazy shell around the head. Give it a good day to cure in normal room temperature or if you're tying the night before you fish I'd suggest super glue of some sort- though it won't bond to wax, rather it forms a shell around your head.

[steelerfanhw 0]

I use Dav's Flexament from Umpqua and apply 2 coats for a really professional glossy finish.