Heads on Wets

[FIREMAN]

What do you guys use for the heads on wet flies, classic streamers. Im talking about the nice black glossy finish. Ive been tying some classic streamers to fish this season like the Ballou, Mickey's, Gray Ghosts, and Joes Smelt. I know the fish wont care but the fisherman does.

Thanks,
Seege

[harleybob87]

sally hanson's hard as nails

[William Fitzgerald]

I use SH black or red and clear for shine. BILL

[126barnes]

just use clear...........thead is used for color of head..............be a shame to ruin a fly by getting colored nail polish on that collar or throat hackle since they are for the fisherman eye as stated.

[kengore]

I get good results using 2-3 coats of Loon Hard Head (black). It will require several coats, works best if the prvious coat dries overnight.

[flyfshr]

It's hard to know exactly what all the different brands of head cement goops really are as noone is required to list their ingredients. I think that traditionally nitrocellulose lacquer was used to make the old style glossy heads. I really liked using a product called cellaire for making traditional heads. It was just the right consistency where the first coat was absorbed nicely into the thread wraps and the second coat finished the fly with a beautiful smooth glossy head. I am of the opinion that a head of clear finish over thread looks alot better than a head finished with tinted product but there are alot of ways to skin a cat. I haven't been able to find cellaire in the US lately so, thinking it is nitrocellulose lacquer, I went to the hardware store and bought the smallest can of brushing lacquer I could get. This works nicely for glossy vintage style heads but it is a bit thin and three coats are needed. A single pint can contains multiple fly tying lifetimes supply. Unfortunately, in my experiance, lacquer loses its capacity to properly harden after two or three years on the shelf. I think nail polish is also some kind of lacquer (nitrocellulose or acrylic).

[Normand]

per don bastian, wet fly guru

nice shiny heads start with a good thread foundation. spin your bobbin the opposite way you wrap thread to untwist the thread into a flat ribbon and whip finish. this should give you a nice flat wraps of thread. then.....

1 coat of grifs thin

2 coats of a clear laquer (e.hille if you can find it)

1 coat of black prolac

nice shiny black head

but i cheat a little

1 coat of grifs thin

2 coats of blackduck traditional head cement

1 coat of black laquer

nice shiny black head

for fishing flies i dont go through that much effort but if youre tying presentation flies take the time and do it right.

[Bamboozle]

Based on Don's recommendation I also use this process:

• 2 coats of Griffs Thin

• 1-2 coats of a thick head cement; I use E. Hille

• 1 coat of black Prolac

They come out like glass!

[Jayatwork]

I used to use Angler's Corner head cement. It produced nice glossy heads, usually in one coat. It did thicken up rather quickly though. Now I use several coats of Sally's.

Another tip for smooth heads is to burnish them after tying. Rub them something hard and smooth. The ball on the end of a whip finisher works. This works best for larger streamer heads.

[Ray Kunz]

Try Testor's Pla model paint from a hobby shop. It comes in tiny bottles and dries quickly. I apply this over the original Sally Hansen's. It has the advantage of hiding irregularities in the actual thread wraps.