wrapping mylar

[Horseshoes 0]

I always have a hard time wrapping my mylar around the hook and have it lay flat. Is it my angle? I change it up and for some reason, it just won't lay right? Yes I know it probably is simple but for me I just am missing an important step. Could someone put a sbs or a link to how to properly wrap the mylar so it will always lay flat as it goes up the shank? Hit and miss it is for me. Yes...I am still googling... Any help would be appreciated. I did better when I first started, now I seem to have a bad habit?

 

Someone on this forum knows the knack, the secret.

 

Thanks.

[Bugsy 0]

Smooth underbody. Flatten your thread and take nice, adjacent wraps to produce a clean base layer. Extend the butts of your tailing material and the tag end of any ribbing the full length of the body. If your underbody has a case of the bumps, the tinsel body will look so-so at best.

 

Tie in tinsel at forward termination of body with two or three adjacent thread wraps. Don't "stack" thread wraps. Wrap tinsel to rear of body. Keep turns adjacent, with edges butting up against one another; don't let one turn wrap partially over its neighbor. Now, overwrap back to front. At this point, before tying off your tinsel, you may unwrap the thread wraps used to secure the tinsel originally. This will reduce the size of any bump you have at the front of the body, which can affect the attitude of some winging materials tied in here.

 

In my experience, your first three turns of tinsel will tell if the body will come out as desired. If the tinsel is raised at the first turn due to an error in angle, it will show itself immediately. Unwrap the initial turns, re-do tinsel tie-in if necessary, and begin again with better angle. If the first wraps produce a clean start, and providing there is that smooth underbody, the finished body should be at least 99% satisfactory. Also, wrapping tinsel with consistent, even tension is best for a body that is both smooth and durable.

 

See: http://globalflyfish...tter/tinsel.htm

[flytire 0]

for a tinsel body, i tie in behind the hook eye and wrap the tinsel on the bare hook to the bend and then back to the eye in touching turns. no bumps in the tinsel body.

 

tutorial

 

http://www.flyfishersrepublic.com/tying/tinsel-body/

[Piker20 0]

I agree with the even thread body. Make sure tail or rib materials don't finish short and promote bumps. I used to tie my tinsel at a slight down direction so first wrap followed but now I prefer tying along hook side and bend back on itself and over hook for first wrap. Seems to lie ok for me.

[Horseshoes 0]

Thanks I now see where I lost my way. I just did a bunch and had to put acrylic over the Mylar to ensure its longevity. I had done and redone each one so many times I was amazed at my persistence. At least they were fishing flies.

 

I have no idea how or when I lost my ability for the Mylar but it seems true "use it or loose it" once again thanks.

[Phish 0]

I use the narrowest tinsel thread especially Sulky. for thin bodies i start it behind the hook eye and wrap it back as faras i need it and thenback up.

[lykos33 0]

Have to agree with the other's posts...a smooth underbody and then tie in at the eye,wrap to bend and back to the eye...gives a nice smooth tinsel body...and the larger / wider tinsel is harder to wrap smoothly

Murray

[Curtis Fry 0]

Ditto and also, don't be afraid to yank on it hard (TWSS ), as it will help iron out kinks as you wrap.

[Flytyer14 0]

Smooth underbody. Flatten your thread and take nice, adjacent wraps to produce a clean base layer. Extend the butts of your tailing material and the tag end of any ribbing the full length of the body. If your underbody has a case of the bumps, the tinsel body will look so-so at best.

 

Tie in tinsel at forward termination of body with two or three adjacent thread wraps. Don't "stack" thread wraps. Wrap tinsel to rear of body. Keep turns adjacent, with edges butting up against one another; don't let one turn wrap partially over its neighbor. Now, overwrap back to front. At this point, before tying off your tinsel, you may unwrap the thread wraps used to secure the tinsel originally. This will reduce the size of any bump you have at the front of the body, which can affect the attitude of some winging materials tied in here.

 

In my experience, your first three turns of tinsel will tell if the body will come out as desired. If the tinsel is raised at the first turn due to an error in angle, it will show itself immediately. Unwrap the initial turns, re-do tinsel tie-in if necessary, and begin again with better angle. If the first wraps produce a clean start, and providing there is that smooth underbody, the finished body should be at least 99% satisfactory. Also, wrapping tinsel with consistent, even tension is best for a body that is both smooth and durable.

 

See: http://globalflyfish...tter/tinsel.htm

 

I can't agree more with this.. this is the perfect solution. ;P

[T_Bone 0]

Thanks for asking this question. I would have thought I was the only one having this problem, but as it turns out I guess I'm not.

 

The description and link really iron out any questions that I had. I was formerly wrapping at an angle with lots of tension to try and get it to lay flat I was overlapping every turn and starting at the eye going down and coming back. They never looked great, but were "fishable" I suppose.

[Horseshoes 0]

The links given are very valuable. I bookmarked them. The last bunch I put out were fishable but I really wanted to get it right for the 'not' fishables.

When I first started I got it right, then I forgot. And to makes things worse I had come to find out I was only wrapping once now.

I am glad that we have this forum so it easy to communicate and be reminded of or shown how to solve some problems in fly tying.

I try to make my topic heading clear for anyone else to search for the same answers.

Thanks everyone.

[Bruce Derington 0]

Great thread, Bugsy and all others are right on, No matter what, smooth foundation is the key, even one overwrap turn of thread (under the tinsel/mylar ) will show as a bump.

[Horseshoes 0]

good to hear from you Bruce. cheers!