fantasticflies 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 I have been tying for about 5 years now and still cannot manage to spin deer hair and get it packed tight. And when I think I have it good I cut it and it looks really thin. Any tips or tricks would be helpful. I would love to know how. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
defranksflies 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 Put a quick half hitch knot after each clump of deer hair, then pack it tight with a hair packer (fingers just dont get it as tight)and repeat process until the area you wish to cover is as full as can be. The more hair you can compact in a given area the better the final product. Practice just spinning and compacting and make sure you are using the butt ends of the dear hair not any of the finer tips. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atroutbum2 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 dont spin the hair, learn how to stack it. buy a dvd by chris helm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Johny Utah 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 Only pack small clumps. Large clumps are more difficult to get tight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skidoosh 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 First, make sure you have the right hair- get some deer belly hair. Go to a shop and look at the hair patches, you are looking for larger diameter hair, hard to describe but a patch should have some "squish" to it. Second, use more- try using 2-3 pencils worth at a time. Third, practice The Chris Helm DVD's really help a lot, call Chris and he can help you get the hair you need. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowfin47 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 Buy a box of 100 hooks and a quarter of a northern deer hide... I. Tie up 100 bugs (you don't need to tie on the tails)... Use your razor to trim 100 bugs... Cut all the air off those 100 hooks... Repeat... Do this four or five times and you'll be amazed at how much you'll learn. II. Purchase Billy Munn's DVD... Chris Helm's is a fantastic tyer (and a great guy!) and his DVD is great - a wise investment, but for over 20 years, I attended/tyed at Southern Council Conclave and sat across from or next to Billy Munn at virtually every one of those conclaves. Billy is THE Master of Deer Hair, and his wonderful DVD was shot by a tyer. It is like sitting down with Billy. His DVD is still my favorite tying DVD of all time... You will not regret purchasing a copy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fantasticflies 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 Thanks for quick help.and the tips will get practicing. Ps where do u get that video at Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stippled Popper 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2011 Thanks for quick help.and the tips will get practicing. Ps where do u get that video at Here is one place. Tying Hair Bugs With Billy Munn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSzymczyk 0 Report post Posted July 7, 2011 The two biggest pieces of advice I can give for spinning hair are: 1. Use good hair. All deer hair is not the same. 2. Use GSP thread, 100 denier for most spinning/stacking/packing, or 200 denier for really big stuff. I was tying "good" spun deer hair flies for many years. When I switched to GSP thread, my quality improved instantly, and also made it much more enjoyable. Please understand my two pieces of advice ASSume a tyer has the basic understanding of tying with deer hair. The Chris Helm DVDs will teach you what you need to know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrequentTyer 0 Report post Posted July 7, 2011 I learned a lot watching Dave Whitlock's appearance on "Fly Tying: The Anglers Art." You can watch this (Season two, episode 214) here: http://www.kwsu.org/Offers/FlyTying.aspx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
