Dubbing loop by hand?

[salty fly 0]

So,I want to learn to do a dubbing loop by hand without a tool. any help or info would be great.

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'Salty fly'

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

So,I want to learn to do a dubbing loop by hand without a tool. any help or info would be great.

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'Salty fly'

 

You make a loop in your thread, basically by hand. Then you put a weighted hook (loop dubbing tool) in to the bottom of the loop and then put materials in the loop. Then spin the weighted hook to twist the thread and capture the materials.

 

I'm not sure I understand, if you want to twist the thread loop by hand, what tool do you want to do without? I make my dubbing loop tool out of a screw eye screwed in to a nylon/plastic toilet seat bolt and weight it with some metal washers held on by the nylon nut that comes with the bolt.

 

Kirk

 

[salty fly 0]

I was trying to do it without the dubbing loop tool,make the loop, twist in my fur-n-feathers.I am trying to tie more by hand,like doing a whip finish by hand with out a tool.

I saw this guy tie up some steelhead tube flys, he did not use any tools,well he did use scissors but not any other tools not even a vice or a bobbin. I really was took back by this, I have not seen anyone do this before, his flies were good looking to. Just thought it might be fun to mess around and see if I can do more with less. Dont get me wrong I really love tools.It is cool seeing somebody doing somthing thats not the norm.Anyway, I dont even Know if you can do it with out a dubbing loop tool,It seems like I would need some extra hands.

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'salty fly'

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Don't see why not. I would incorporate the technique where you pinch the thread/loop just below the dubbing and twist the loop of thread below without dubbing with your thumb and index finger until the twists get tight and start to shorten the hanging loop. Then, grab the bottom end of the twisted thread/loop and pull down at the same time letting go of the loop where you were holding just below the materials. Viola! Dubbing rope.

 

An old guy I used to know would tie without a bobbin; he had a nail in the front of his desk that he would wrap the thread around when he needed to pick up materials to add to the hook.

 

Kirk

[salty fly 0]

I was trying some thing like that, I was haveing a hard time with it.with a little more work i should have it down. mabey it is more of a pain than it is worth,I like trying new stuff.

 

I learn the coolest stuff from"old" guys,the guys that have been around are my fishing heros

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'Salty fly'

[FrequentTyer 0]

The commercial tools always seemed too complicated to me. I have a couple of the, but rarely use them. What I do use is a really simple home made tool which is just a piece of dowel with a cup hook screwed into the top of it. I just spin it to close and form the loop. Not entirely by hand, but simple. I'm sure you can do it with just your fingers, but it might be tough to get a really tight spin if needed.

[Ottersbugs 0]

I have a 3 yr old that likes to "help" me relocate many of my tying tools and I have had to learn how to do without in several instances. Here is what I do:

 

1. Make a loop of 3 to 4 inches and add your material.

2. If needed, clip your hackle pliers (if you can find them) to the bottom of your loop to have a free hand.

3. spin the loop between your thumb and forefinger.

4. Use a velcro dubbing tool to pick out the fibers to make it more "buggy" if needed and wrap your bug.

 

I hope this helps,

 

Austin aka Ottersbugs

[vonbur 0]

I was trying to do it without the dubbing loop tool,make the loop, twist in my fur-n-feathers.I am trying to tie more by hand,like doing a whip finish by hand with out a tool.

I saw this guy tie up some steelhead tube flys, he did not use any tools,well he did use scissors but not any other tools not even a vice or a bobbin. I really was took back by this, I have not seen anyone do this before, his flies were good looking to. Just thought it might be fun to mess around and see if I can do more with less. Dont get me wrong I really love tools.It is cool seeing somebody doing somthing thats not the norm.Anyway, I dont even Know if you can do it with out a dubbing loop tool,It seems like I would need some extra hands.

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'salty fly'

 

Hi Salty. You can do a dubbing loop by hand. That is how we used to tie classic salmon flies. Wind your thread to where you want to start your dubbing on the hook. Pull out the length of thread you will need and wax and dub the single thread, holding the hook between your first finger and thumb, spread your other fingers out wide and loop the thread around the tip of your baby finger and run the thread back up and over the hook and pinch the bite between your first finger and thumb. Next transfer the loop from your baby finger on your hook holding hand to your baby finger on your free hand and twist your loop. I know it's easier said than done, but once you figure it out, it will become very simple.

 

Here are a couple shadow boxes I tied using the method described above for the little bits of dubbing. You often have two or three different tag ends of material between each set of fingers like a material clip, while still holding the iron between your finger and thumb and keeping a tight grip on your last bite. Kind of like patting your head, rubbing your stomach yodeling and chewing gum all at the same time. LOL

 

 

[salty fly 0]

Thanks folks,

All the tips are great. I will keep working on it,Keeps me out of trouble

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'Salty fly'

[vonbur 0]

Thanks folks,

All the tips are great. I will keep working on it,Keeps me out of trouble

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'Salty fly'

 

 

Hang in there and good luck. Oh ya almost forgot. Don't forget to wear your silk Micheal Jackson glove.

[primitivepete 0]

the way I like to do it is this:

 

Make your loop and put a finger in it from your hand that isn't holding the bobbin. wax one side if you need to, and with your free hand put in the dubbing.

 

Now, carefully remove your finger from the loop and pinch it closed so it doesn't come loose. Lick your index finger on your free hand, and put your fingertip behind the thread on the loop and roll your finger back to your hand, twisting the thread. It will start to twist up like if you used a dubbing twister.

 

You can stop now if you like how it looks. But I like a tight dubbing loop...here's a trick. Once you get a good twist going, put your fingertip back into the loop and raise your finger up toward the hook. The loose twists you made will tighten up and some of the slack will disappear. The loop will spin fast as this happens, and get tight.

 

Since I learned this without a tool, that's often how I do it, but I do sometimes use one of those little hooks now to start the loop twisting just because it's faster.

[salty fly 0]

Thanks folks,

All the tips are great. I will keep working on it,Keeps me out of trouble

Keep on chuckin'

Bryan a.k.a. 'Salty fly'

 

 

Hang in there and good luck. Oh ya almost forgot. Don't forget to wear your silk Micheal Jackson glove.

M.J. :hyst: :hyst: :hyst:

Mabey I can use my silk glove as dubbing

[utyer 0]

I first learned to make dubbing loops by hand the way James Leisenring made his.

 

He would pre-make and the dubbing loops, and store them on 3 by 5 cards. The cards were labeled with what the dubbing materila was. They were all natural fur blends.

 

Start with a 8 or 10 inch piece of waxed thread and lay that on your pant leg with about 2/5ths on top and ther rest hanging down. Then spread a tiny amout of dubbing along about 3 inches of thread. Pick p the long end that is hanging off to the side, and lay that over the top . Grasp the ends of the doubled thread, and roll along your pant lege a few times. Always roll in one direction, and lift the loop up, and reposition to do a second roll.

 

The resuls will be about 3" of dubbing twisted between the thread.

 

Next thake a 3 by 5 card and cut about 1/4 inch slits down eacy side, about 1/4 inch apart. Pull the ends of the dubbing loop into the slits to store for later use.

 

This is fully explained in The Art of Tying the Wet Fly & Fishing the Flymph but James E. Leisenring and Vernon S. Hidy.

 

 

[salty fly 0]

Haveing a bunch of pretied and twisted, all ready to go sounds good to me,thats a great tip. I will give that a try.