Getting into dubbing...

[TheRadiant 0]

Still being relatively new to fly tying, (three years), I have dabbled ever slightly into dubbing bodies. Recently, I began using plumage from the base of marabou feathers to dub bodies and such. This technique works fine, I guess, but lacked the attraction I like in bluegill flies. I use chenille 90% of the time, but my recent foray into dubbing has been fun as hell, to say the least. I ordered some Master-Bright from Cascade Crest as I liked the flash attraction of this particular dubbing. I still need practice building the proper thorax sizes and such, but I feel these examples aren't so bad. Please leave some input.

[FlaFly 0]

I'm no expert on dubbing.... have only dubbed one trial fly, but those look good enough to eat (if you're a bluegill). Have you fished them yet? Probably a tad cool right now.

[utyer 0]

I would suggest much thinner bodies. The center fly is alright, but the other two are too thick for my taste. You are loosing some hook gap with a body that thick at the back end.

[TheRadiant 0]

Thanks for the advice, Utyer...I try to keep it thin near the gap, but I still need practice. Fla....its freezing over here in Bama right now....I guess its freezing everywhere. If we could just a little warming spell..I would give it a go. I've never had much luck catching any kind of fish in Feb...saltwater or freshwater for that matter.

[Crackaig 0]

Those are a good start. As Utyer said the middle on is by far the best.

 

Using too much dubbing is often a problem that is stated. I think the problem is better stated if we said using dubbing too quickly. What I mean is that is you should tease the dubbing out more before making it into a noodle. There is no rule that says you must put enough dubbing on the thread to complete the body in one noodle. Take it slowly, tease the dubbing apart so there is 4 or 5 times the amount of space than fibres. Apply that to the thread and wind it to form the start of the body. It may only form 1/8th of the body, so what, do it again, and again until you have the body how you want it. Speed will come later once you have control.

 

It is also worth trying an experiment. No need to tie a fly for this, just start the thread and see how little dubbing you can dub with. I mean just try to get the most minute amount of dubbing possible to form a noodle around the thread. The dubbing you used on those flies is quite long in the fibre, with a little practice you will be able to dub a single fibre with those dubbings. This is the control you need to learn.

 

Dubbing is the one technique I have had to spend most time explaining. The kind of dubbing you have done there is a dubbing noodle, this general advice applies to dubbing noodles. There are other dubbing techniques to which it doesn't apply. To bring those up as a contradiction only serves to confuse the student at this stage. lets stick to this way of using dubbing.

 

The first great myth of dubbing - Dubbing sticks to the thread. That is rubbish! Dubbing does not stick to the tying thread. It sticks to itself around the tying thread. Dubbing is related to felting. In making felt the object is to get the fibres to tangle together. That is what we do when we make a dubbing noodle. You can do this around the thread or separate from it.

 

A hundred years ago it was common tying practice to form a dubbing noodle by teasing apart the dubbing and placing it on your trouser leg. Put your hand on top of it and roll it back and forth. The fibres will mat together making a dubbing noodle. This was then tied in at the rear of the fly and wound forward like floss or chenille, tying it off at the head. The rib wound over it added the strength. It isn't a commonly used technique today, but try it.It really does work, and will blow the idea that dubbing has to stick to the thread out of the water.

 

Wax helps with dubbing. Myth number two. Wax was not introduced into fly tying for this purpose. There are dubbing techniques where wax does help. Remember we are talking about forming a dubbing noodle here, not those techniques. Using wax is an attempt to stick the dubbing to the thread. We have just learned that a dubbing noodle doesn't stick to the thread so how can trying to stick it to the thread possibly help?

 

What does help with dubbing is teasing the dubbing apart more and lots, and lots, of pressure. Soon you'll be able to dub pure Ice Dub to copper wire if you learn the technique properly. Then you can move on to the other dubbing techniques, but if I go there now this post will become an entire book. I hope for now this is of some help.

 

Cheers,

C.

[elderbarry 0]

C., thanks for the info on dubbing as I will soon have some material to learn "dubbing" with. Down here I have not had the need to use dubbing, but it's time to learn! :-)

[crazy4oldcars 0]

When I get ready to noodle dub, I'll lick my fingers and rub it over the thread just as if I were twisting on dubbing. It may just be that it helps my fingers grip the dubbing because of the moisture. I just know it works for me.

If you want a thick dubbed body, don't put anymore dubbing on the thread than you would for a thin body, just go over it more times and build up the body. This is also the way to build a tapered body.

It will build a fly that is less likely to unravel.

 

Kirk