Squirmy Worm problems

[DogtaEff 0]

Good afternoon everyone,

I tied up some squirmy worms for the first time recently. Thought that they would be great for panfish up at the cottage. 

Used normal 6/0 thread that I always use. Tied up 6 or so and put them in a fly box. Looked at them the next day and the rubber just snapped in places. 

Then got a tip to use Glo-brite as the tying thread. Could feel the difference right away while tying. This time it took 2 days but they are snapped again. But as an aside, the Glo-brite is great to tie with  

im tying it like a San Juan really. Tie in a tail of desired length and then wrap the hook shank with the rest worm and tie off a head portion of rubber. They break where the wrapped portion of the shank is tied off at either the head or tail.

I don’t think that I wrap it too tight, but tight enough that the body doesn’t look lumpy. But obviously it’s too tight.

any tips?

 

 

[Poopdeck 0]

Sounds like your cutting the rubber with your thread. Put a little dubbing on your thread and don't pull it so tight. 

[niveker 0]

I don't really tie or fish them much, so maybe a dumb question.  Do you use an adhesive at the thread wraps?  Could that be reacting with the squirmy material?

[steve sparkie 0]

hi the other alternative is to thread the squirmy the material onto the hook like you would a worm then glue in place the other suggestion is to dub the thread and use less thread tenstion to follow on from this  cut the squirmy  material in half thread the front end on the hook like a maggot then tie thread to hook put some dubbing on thread and wrap forward then whip finish varnish then thread a suitable size tungsten bead on the push bead to the whipp finish then start the thread on the otherside of the bead then thread the other half of the sqirmey material onto the hook like a maggot slide up to the bead then dub thread wrapforward the whipfinish varnish  or a tougher material  is silicone tubing try and get the soft tubing in a variety  of colours but I think using a suitable size tungsten bead would add to the action of the worm pattern hope this help's

kind regards Steve

[DogtaEff 0]

Oh wow. 

 

Great suggestions all round. 

I will keep you posted!!!

 

Tonight will be spent listening to the Leaf game on the radio and experimenting with the squirmy worm. That’s after fishing for the night of course. Gotta love the cottage. 

[RickZieger 0]

Wrap about 1/8 inch of thread at the front of the hook. Tread the body on the hook. Little super glue on the thread and push the body over that.

 

Rick 

[Philly 0]

Steve beat me to it. I just thread them on the hook like a I would a red wiggler.  A drop of super glue to keep them in place.

[primeflycompany 0]

Glue eats these things. In general its a shitty material but the fly catches fish. I use a tip picked up from Steve Yewchuck on Instagram where I slide it between paracord. Use a wide thread and very little pressure. These flies aren't supposed to be durable- the material doesn't allow it. Tie it, fish it, chuck it (or razor it off). 

[Poopdeck 0]

Yep, super glue melts the crap out of fly tying squirmy material. A little bit of  dubbing on the thread as the worm band. No durability issues either. 

[Guest]

+1 on threading on hook.   Can put glass bead and bobbin threader pull some thru and tiny bit of CA glue.   If you drench them with glue...melts.  When you gotta tie use easy wraps and smidgen of glue.  The squirmy stuff off toys more durable than some of the fly shop stuff...Love/hate

[flytire 0]

i dont personally tie them but i've read that dubbing the thread helps in tying them.

the dubbed thread helps to eliminate the cutting into the wormy material

photo from the internet

[DogtaEff 0]

Thank you all for all the helpful answers

[RickZieger 0]

Another thing to do. Wrap a little thread in the middle of a size 14 hook.

Put he squirmy material on as a wacky worm and a little superglue on the thread to hold it in place.

 

Rick 

[DarrellP 0]

I used the google balls tentacles, and did hot have a problem with Locktite or gorilla glue CA reacting with it.