How often do you use Glue?

[DarrellP 0]

Do you use Glue under your body wrap, over shell backs on nymphs, over your initial knot? I seem to only use it on the heads or for dumbell and bead chain eyes or poppers. I don't use it at all on bluegill nymphs, since the Wilson's say big bream are sensitive to the smell. I just double whip finish those.

 

I would like to hear your thoughts.

[mikechell 0]

Glue or Head Cement?

 

Superglue: I'll use this on initial thread wraps, if I think I'll need to torque down on later wraps. I'll also use it on more complex flies, about halfway through the pattern, to "lock in" everything previously tie on.

 

Head Cement: I use fingernail polish as Head Cement. I use it on every fly I tie. Started out doing that, when I was less sure of my whip finishing skills. Never got out of the habit. All I fish for are Sunfish species 95% of the time, and I've never noticed them avoiding flies because of any scents. OTOH, I've never notice MORE interest because of added scents.

 

Large Mouth Bass, also, don't seem to be affected by the use of fingernail polish on flies.

[wr1nkles 0]

I've just used head cement on the finishing wraps, but I'm not tying anything too complicated either.

 

I've heard Phil Rowley talk about this in a podcast recently and he said the smell is really only there as it dries, kind of like when you paint a wall. You're house doesn't smell like paint for years afterwards. I thought that made sense and cleared it up for me so I thought I'd share.

 

On the other hand, I am one of those guys who likes to rub my flies in the dirt and weeds of the pond or beach before I start. It's become more of a ritual than anything else.

[Poopdeck 0]

I will use Sally Hanson on the thread wraps and shell backs to finish a fly. I've rarely glued the body wraps. When I tie large saltwater bucktails I like to coat each bunch of bucktails in SH at the tie in point just to add durability. For little flies for little fish I generally do not bother with glue at all.

 

I do not know who the wilsons are but a lot of time I get aggravated with the sunnies attacking my flies before Having a chance to get down to the SMB. Glue smell is overthinking it.

[rockworm 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,...

[utyer 0]

I use dollar store nail polish, and I use quite a bit. I have some bait fish patterns that the whole body is coated with glitter nail polish. I also glue my bead chain eyes in place and coat the under side of the body of all my Clouser minnows. Not much need for any cement on my fresh water flies. Two whip finishes and the fly lasts long enough to lose it.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I use Loctite super glue quite a bit when tying floating deer hair poppers and sliders for bass. I don't like the deer hair bodies to spin around the hook shank, so I liberally coat the undersides (where the hair is trimmed flat and as close as possible to the hook shank) with brush-on Loctite. It is quite thin and I find that it soaks through the hair and is absorbed by the thread wraps underneath. This--along with a couple of half-hitches after tying in each bunch of hair-- keeps the bodies from wanting to spin for quite a while, even hooking many fish. I also use the brush-on Loctite to secure dumbbell eyes on streamers.

 

I use Loctite gel superglue for attaching stick-on eyes to poppers, sliders, and streamers. With the superglue underneath and UV resin (Solarez) over the top, I don't lose nearly as many eyes.

 

I also use Liquid Fusion to coat my cork and foam bass popper heads. It gives them a very nice sheen and makes them a lot more durable.

[flytire 0]

i always tell myself to use a glue when tying tinsel bodies but find that i rarely do

 

i rarely use sally hansens but i will use it to coat cured tacky uv resin heads etc

[Piker20 0]

Sometimes lots then not at all and haven't noticed any real difference in durability.

[xvigauge 0]

I never use glue; even when tying the Copper John nymph as the pattern calls for epoxy glue to finish the head and thorax. I just use a big glob of head cement.

Joe

[Flicted 0]

Agree with the slippery hair comment. I usually use it on bucktail streamers. I also use it on flies I tie for show or if requested.

[j8000 0]

I usually use polish on the heads in the winter time, but during season, "need it now" tying, I usually skip the polish. I don't ever really recall a head coming unraveled, but my flies generally don't have a long lifespan as sooner or later a high tree or a deep lake snag will eat them up permanently.

 

Jeff

[chugbug27 0]

I guess I use a lot...

 

-shhn or hard as hull (blue) for thread heads

-uv thick and thin for many things (and sometimes flow for thread heads)

- superglue for biot and quill bodies, and sometimes on the thread before whip finishing and on a parachute post.

 

 

This said, I've never been convinced that head cement does anything much beyond making the head shiny, I don't think thick uv coats make a fly more fishable (though I do think it makes them sink faster), and I don't think superglue makes thread wraps stick to each other (it just makes them crusty) -- but I use them anyway.

 

I have some flexible fabric mender I'm gonna try out once I get my house sold and get my tying stuff out of boxes... It's now seeming that will take forever.

[Abel M. 0]

On heads n some when using squirrel tail.

Sally Hansen it is.

[DarrellP 0]

Thanks for the replies. The Wilson's wrote a book about fly fishing for Bluegill and think glue repels bigger BG. However, all of my poppers are glued on foam or cork. So.... I haven't tried UV acrylics, but love liquid fushion, superglue and Griffin's head cement. Most of the salt tyers I have met use SuperGlue or epoxy at nearly every step. I have not been around saltwater tyers since the UV stuff got so popular.