Head cement vs wax for small flies

[Stippled Popper 0]

One of the biggest tricks to appling head cement to very small flies is you have to custom make a bodkin to apply it. Most bodkins you buy have way to big of needles in them. The big needles pick up way to much cement on them, the smaller the needle the smaller amount of head cement. Take a dowell or something you can epoxy a sewing needle into it and use it to apply thinned head cement to small flies. Also keep your bodkin clean, the head cement will build up on it. Also use thinned head cement, I use the the Griffin thin for all of my tying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I endorse this point. I don't believe a brush even trimmed is going to provide as much control.

Here are the three needles I use. But I wrapped mine with thread and sealed them with multiple

coats of Loon Hard Head, for the grip just not so much that the surface was slick smooth.

 

[lykos33 0]

blakejd, I went one step further to get the small bodkin for my small flies' heads. I took an "E' string from a guitar (high E, the smallest string) and ran it through a brass 1/8 inch tube,made a loop on one end and fed it back through the tube and filled it with super glue. Now I have a pinpoint bodkin that I can hang on a cup hook on the wall. Talk about "pinpoint accuracy"

Be careful if you do use an "E" string, it can put a hole in your finger in a nanosecond...take it from me... Also the reason my bodkin is so long. I dip it down the neck of my 'Gorilla Super Glue' bottle and use that as a head finish...

Murray

[Wavey1988 0]

I have plenty of off cut 9-11 gauge strings lying around. That's a great idea Lykos

[blakejd 0]

Makes sense. Small flies = small bodkin. I'll give it a shot. Thanks

[flytire 0]

speaking of bodkins, i found this one in a fly shop in colorado 25+ years ago and its still great today

 

 

looks simple enough until you unscrew the top to reveal an even finer needle

 

 

i too will recommend grifs thin instead of the thicker head cements

[Crackaig 0]

If you can find one these days a 35mm film canister filled with fine wire wool is great for keeping your needle clean. Just make a small hole in the lid and slide your needle in when you're not using it. Alternatively if you have a tool block fill the hole that holds your needles with wire wool.

Cheers,

C.

[Scott E. Smith 0]

Great post and info here. Thanks guys.