Spinning hair question

[jklett 0]

I've been spinning deer hair for a while now for saltwater patterns. I recently bought some lighter wire freshwater bass hooks and am having trouble. When I pull the thread to spin and flare, the hook keeps bending. I tried less pressure, but I can't seem to get the hair to flare without using enough pressure to bend the hook. Same with when I pack it for the next bunch. What's the trick to this? I've got to be missing something because like I said before, I have no problems when I use the heavier saltwater hooks. Can anyone give me some ideas on how to solve this bending issue?

[Hairstacker 0]

Curious, what model freshwater bass hook are you trying to use?

 

Assuming you're right-handed, do you hold on to the hook just above the bend with your left hand when you spin the hair? That's what I do for both spinning and packing. Even then, with some of the lighter bass hooks, you have to be careful you don't tweak 'em when you apply maximum pressure to pack the hair.

 

As far as ease of spinning, you could try making your hair bunches slightly bigger and making your first two loose wraps just a tad looser to enable the hair to spin with less effort. It shouldn't take all that much pressure to get deer hair to spin around a hook. Of course, it goes without saying you should be spinning on a bare shank.

 

The only other thing I can think of is you may be spinning by applying two loose wraps and them pulling straight down to make the hair spin? As an alternative, instead of pulling straight down, pull a bit but then chase the spinning bundle around the hook with additional thread wraps until the bundle is fully spun and secure. For some, this may achieve the same result with less hook-bending effort.

 

-- Mike

[Harold Ray 0]

Sounds like you need heavier duty hooks; some of those smaller, lighter hooks are very thin and pretty weak. Deer hair flies, like the bass bug poppers, are pretty large and contain a lot of deer hair that is compacted and tied very tightly with loads of pressure. Many are fairly large, but even if small, they contain a large amount of compacted, air-filled, floatable deer hair.

 

The majority of the winter coat is kinky to wavey in appearance, and is described as "hollow". This is not a completely accurate description of the winter hair as it is not hollow like a drink straw, but rather each hair is filled with hundreds of tiny air pockets which serve as the insulation for the deer in cold climatic conditions. This "hollow" quality is also the reason the hair floats.

 

http://globalflyfisher.com/staff/helm/selecting/

 

Flies like this are generally going to float, so I don't believe you have to go to a light weight hook just because you move from heavier weight bay or ocean species to freshwater species. Use a smaller size, in some cases, but still sturdy, stronger, heavier (able to take the pressure of the work) hook.

 

Ray

[jklett 0]

Hairstacker, they're Mustad 37187's. I didn't even think about holding the hook. I'm so used to heavier hooks like 3407's that I never needed to. I got the smallest ones they had(10's) thinking that I could use my 5wt instead of the 9wt so I can feel the fight a little more. I also want to tie some bombers and muddlers and I know it's possible to do with light hooks but didn't realize what I was doing wrong. Thanks guys for the tips, I'll try again tomorrow and see how I do and let you know.

[bowfin47 0]

Get Billy Munn's DVD.

[flytyingscotsman 0]

 

Try hair advertised for spinning purposes, which will flare much easier

as the hairs are more hollow.

 

I'm spinning hair on size 12 3665A streamer hooks without bending them

- these are pretty wimpy strength wise compared to the hooks you're

using.

 

 

 

 

 

[Harold Ray 0]

Get Billy Munn's DVD

 

That's the best idea, but I don't know if he sells them anywehre but in person. I bought one in Mountain Home at the Conclave, and I saw him at Cabela's Saturday doing a demonstration. He had some there. If there's a website or if they're on sale online, grab one. I looked previously just to see but never found a site.

 

Billy is a great gentleman and a great deer hair tyer who has taught or influenced many of the younger, well known, deer hair tyers of today.

 

Ray

[jklett 0]

Thanks guys, you've helped fix my problem. I tried holding the back of the hook while spinning and that solved that bending problem, but I was still bending it when I'd start packing. After getting frustrated with my ham-handed tying techniques, I finally decided to change where the vice clamped onto the hook and that's now fixed as well. I was clamping the hooks too far from the shank along the bend and the leverage was too much I guess. That coupled with the fact that I have to learn to be a little gentler with things. The deer is already dead, I don't have to strangle it with the thread. I will try and find the Billy Munn DVD. Thanks again.

[Harold Ray 0]

Here's a link:

 

Billy Munn Bass Bug Fly Tying Video (DVD)

 

I don't believe Billy has done but one CD/DVD, whatever these danged things are, so I think this is the correct copy. I have told him to do more; he's got a wealth of knowledge but don't know if/when he will.

 

Ray

[ashbourn 0]

Why let the deer hair spin it self when you can do it for it?

When I have to tie small spun bodies on trout hooks there are few hooks that can handle the heavy hand needed for traditional spinning. So take a small clump of deer hair, take a loose wrap moving the hair around the shank yourself, then add a little pressure and work the thread into the shank. Pack the hair or stroke back and continue. It take a little pratice but given time you can do it with 8/0 thread on a size 20 hook.

Joe