How often do you use Glue?

[RickZieger 0]

I use it on any beadhead fly. I think it helps prevent the thread from breaking.

Also use it on some other flies to make sure materials don't come loose.

Boa yarn and eyelash yarn for example.

 

Rick

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Since I'm a saltwater tyer - much of what I do simply doesn't apply to freshwater tying - unless you really must make sure your bugs are durable...

 

I rarely ever use Sally Hansen's - but always used it for bonefish patterns that were going to shops.... A commercial tyer can't afford to have orders that don't look their best.... Instead, what I do use - on almost every fly I come up with is thin super glue (Krazy Glue in the hard plastic tube...). I use as little of it as possible to begin with (and always made a point of having my students squeeze out just the beginning of a drop before touching the thread with the tip of the tube....), but I'm getting ahead of myself....

 

These two pics show a bit more than just the Krazy Glue...

Here's the style I use - note the base I keep it in - it's just one of the plastic ends you find on the axles with new bicycles when they're in the carton... the poppers shown are called Speedbugs - the heads are soft foam secured onto the hooks with - you guessed it - that same super glue...

 

This pic shows the glue being used as a sealer - in lieu of head cement (and for other purposes as well..).

At any rate, shortly after the first materials are tied onto the hook with any pattern a very tiny drop of super glue locks those materials and the thread into place permanently (and you're going to need a razor if you need to re-tie that fly...). After the remainder of the fly is completed - I usually end with super glue instead of head cement - and use the tip of the tube like a paint brush, lightly coating every bit of the thread - except the where the thread touches the collar or wing...

Super glue has a pronounced wicking effect and will be drawn up into nearby materials if you get too much of it on the thread.... ruining the fly... The super glue not only hardens the head and locks everything into place (pretty important if, like me, you're also going to be using wire weedguards on your bugs....), but also seals the thread completely once dry... That's very handy if you're going to be painting eyes onto those same heads that are only built up tying thread....

 

This last pic shows the completed tarpon fly (the Sand Devil...) with the eyes painted into place and finished with a rodcrafter's finish called FlexCoat... This wouldn't be possible without sealing the thread first with super glue (the paint gets drawn into un-treated thread and just doesn't look very good at all....).

 

Hope this helps - like I said - much of what we do for saltwater doesn't translate very well for folks doing patterns for freshwater (particularly insect patterns...).

[Guest]

Would hate to be without'em....

[salmobytes 0]

Always.

 

Head Cement never. I don't even have it anymore so I couldn't use it even if I wanted to

 

Thin ZapCA on the first thread wraps around the shank, to make a bullet proof foundation.

 

Occassionally ZapAGap but not often

 

Occassionally various UV glues as a handier substitute for ZapAGap

 

Water based fabric cement a lot. Aleene's Flexible Stretchable is the most best. Fabric cement is a game changer. The Aleene's stuff is like a not smelly non-toxic version of Flexament. You can thin it with water, which I do occassionally. Mostly I use it as is. As it comes out of the bottle

 

https://montana-riverboats.com/Uploads/2015-10-02_Aleenes-flexy-glue.jpg

[Bruce Derington 0]

Almost never use cement on the head. A double-whip is stronger and neater. Sometimes I use it under the body- especially if lead(-free) wire is used. But I always use head cement when tying with slippery hair like woodchuck, skunk, fox,...

I'm with rockworm on this one

[BobHRAH 0]

I hate glue, especially Super Glue. Probably, because I have a difficult time with it: messy, goes where I don't want it to, some dry out before used up; spill hazard. Will sometimes use UV to over-coat stick on eyes, Sally H on wet fly and streamer heads for appearance, and Super Glue to help secure dumbell eyes, but that's about it.

 

 

Thanks, Bob H

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Funny thing... in my world I very specifically never use Krazy glue (or any CA glue) on lead eye thread wraps... I found if you lock the eyes into place and your fly hits anything (we're fishing heavy mangrove jungle shorelines in daytiime and dock pilings or bridge pilings at night.. any impact with structure may simply snap off one or both of the lead eyes... Instead, I figure eight them into place - then do three or four turns of thread (flat waxed nylon usually - much heavier that the 6/0 most use in freshwater...) and that's it. After any impact I have my angler reach back with the fly so I can check it out - and simply re-align the lead (or beadchain) eyes and we're back in business...

 

What really clued me in was an order I sent to a shop (back when I was tying for as many as three shops at a time although still only part time...) and got complaints that I needed to use a better grade of lead eyes since they were breaking off the bug in use... Every one of them had been carefully super glued (to really lock them in place, of course...) so I learned...

 

Over the years I've only used Wapsi's lead eyes (in almost every size they've offered them) and actually buy them by the 1000 per size. I really like their presentation model... Here's a pic or two of what I do with them....

 

This bonefish clouser on a #4 Mustad 34007 is done the way Lefty Kreh advocated with all the materials on one side.... Note the outrigger style weedguard.

 

More of the same in two sizes, #4 and #6... Note the shorter and more sparse wing on the smaller version.

 

I have developed a means of painting the eyes in bulk then baking them to harden the paint - all before adding them to a pattern production style.

[DarrellP 0]

Captain Lemay, you should write a book. Seriously. Your flies are so clear and consistent. I learn a lot from your posts.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Thanks, I do have a book or two that I'd do - but only if I'm forced to leave the water.... I used to write the occasional article - but these days magazines are hard pressed just to keep their noses above water so I post on-line instead... I actually used to teach fly tying years ago at a local junior college (night classes for fun) and did the lesson plans, etc. so I've had some practice...

 

Can't remember all the folks that helped me along the way.... Very little of what I do is original - all of us owe quite a debt to those that came before - so I pass a long a thing or two as well. All of the knowledge in our sport resides in the small tackle shops (both fly and general) scattered around the world. As each one disappears with the rise of big box stores and internet sales we lose some of our heritage. Hopefully sites like this will carry us forward....

[Moshup 0]

Here is an Orvis endorsed tyer who endorses the liberal use of glues.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=78KyOslhaz4&fbclid=IwAR0zfCrGdvOBTM_0Pt4Q8GSp5Yejq75aypd2X-9dRKws-yuIoIGqUIQDVBU

[CasualAngler 0]

A drop or 2 of Sally's on the whip finish to seal it, or a touch of Loc-Tite on the bare shank for the wire underwrap of a Killer Bug.

 

[vicente 0]

I hate glue, especially Super Glue. Probably, because I have a difficult time with it: messy, goes where I don't want it to, some dry out before used up; spill hazard. Will sometimes use UV to over-coat stick on eyes, Sally H on wet fly and streamer heads for appearance, and Super Glue to help secure dumbell eyes, but that's about it.

 

 

Thanks, Bob H

give the lock tight stuff a try the bottle is super easy to work with

[DFoster 0]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum but have been tying for a while. I gave up head cement in favor of bees wax and haven't looked back. I'll usually lose the fly before the wraps come loose-

[mikechell 0]

Welcome to the site, DFoster.