First honest attempt at spinning deer hair.

[SCOwens 0]

I can tell you my deer hair packer and stacker have helped immensely when spinning deer hair, great job on a first go at Deer Hair

[andre_tb22 0]

A quick note on packing spun deer hair, it is important to note that the extent to which you try to achieve a tight pack should depend on whether or not you are tying a subsurface or surface fly. Surface flies float much better when they are not packed excruciatingly tight to allow air to aide in the buoyancy of the fly. For subsurface patterns a very tight pack will aide in accomplishing the opposite. I spent a while tying a lot of atlantic salmon "bugs" like the green machine, in which tight packing aids the fly to get saturated and sink, but while tying large salmon dries such as the bomber, having a lesser packed body keeps the fly high and dry for longer. Although the end product on the dries may not seem as magazine worthy as others, it truly does help in practice. I was given this tip from a commercial tyer for a Miramichi fly shop, and it has stuck and aided me in tying flies for salmon, bass, pike and trout ever since, and hope it helps you too

[flytire 0]

get a good hair packer

 

heres a very good one that just may be the best out there

 

http://www.bearsden.com/product11396.html

 

i watched pat cohen tie deer hair bug last weekend and thats what he used

[SCOwens 0]

flytire, whats so good about that packer

 

I have a brassie packer that looks a lot like that one and 1/3 the price

[tctrout 0]

Great looking flies! I especially love the pike- and bass-looking ones; they would work real well in a little spot I know in northern Canada for those slimy pike! Plus, you're courageous for trying anything versus only deer hair on the hook; my first attempts were simply spun hair, and then I trimmed them until nearly nothing remained!

 

To continue this thread, I do like the double-edged blades, especially ones that tend to be more flexible, though I tend to use these for only the bottom of the these types of bugs. I have a cheap pair of scissors that I use to complete other fine-tuning of my flies. I have a stacker, but don't use it much; when I am wanting to be able to form a tight body, I will start immediately at the back of the hook and keep very little thread (as a base) on the hook. This allows for less friction, thus helping me to pack the hair tighter. Again, great first patterns, plus I'm waiting to hear what your "Tying Beverage of Choice" tends to be! Here's a fun dry fly with some deer hair I recently tied for YouTube:

 

 

Tim

http://www.youtube.com/tctrout

[Chefben4 0]

Simon that packer is about 10 times the size of a brassie. It gives you more "pushing" power so you can pack it tighter. They are cool, just haven't been able to justify the price yet!

 

 

[flytire 0]

flytire, whats so good about that packer

 

I have a brassie packer that looks a lot like that one and 1/3 the price

 

 

the answer is in the previous post above

 

you might not pack hair with that brassie like pat cohen packs hair with his fugly packer!

 

i never said anybody had to use it. i posted it as an option. if you like the brassie packer so be it

 

http://smallmouthflybox.blogspot.com/2012/10/fugly-hair-packer.html

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=68935

[perchjerker 0]

andre_tb22...

 

In my 40+ years of tying, you are the first to make such a comment on floatability relative to tightness of packing that I have encountered, and I have watched such deer hair tiers as Chris Helm, Dave Whitlock, and Mike George tie.I pack as tightly as I can, and I have absolutely no problems with floatability of my bugs, or their submersibility of my divers.

 

tctrout...

 

All of the deer hair tiers of my acquaintance do it 'in reverse' of what you do; they do the initial shaping (roughing out) with scissors, preferably curved, and do the 'finishing' trimming with the razor blade. Interesting approach!

 

Cheers!

[Bruce Derington 0]

Nice job on the flies and great comments as well

[flytire 0]

flytire, whats so good about that packer

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=68935&do=findComment&comment=532990

[novabass 0]

I agree with a lot of the comments and Perchjerker was right on with his comments as well. I want to get the packer that flytire posted about. I think it is the best packer out there. Just make sure you have a sturdy enough vise that holds the hook well. I know from experience even by pushing with my fingers to pack the hair, it will knock the hook right out of the vise on a cheap vise. (As I am one that needs a better vise before I get the packer.)

[SILKHDH 0]

The key is the thread and fur quality. The only thing to spin and stack with is gel-spun thread. At least for big flies. Not so critical for small trout stuff like muddler heads. Every pro will tell you this. Less thread wraps tighter packs. Ultra GSP and Gudebrod GX2 are the main ones. DO NOT USE KEVLAR!! It will cut the hair when you pull tight. FS Fugly hair packer "The big green one shown already" is the best way to go. Got one, used the smaller ones and they don't compete with the Fugly. Use Zap-a-gap, Pack tight and hold for a few seconds between evey bundle of hair. I repeat....I'm talking about the big flies, bass and pike and so on. Not so critical for smaller trout flies. Thats all I got to say about that.