Clear Cure Goo

[FishnDave]

I bought some Clear Cure Goo, and have tied a few flies with it. I have to say...I really like this stuff. I don't own a drying wheel, but was considering one. With this stuff, I may not ever need one. 3-5 seconds with the UV light is all it takes to cure the stuff...except the flexible CCG, which takes 10-12 seconds with the light.
I got the CCG Thick, which is nice for building heads fast. I got the CCG Thin, which is better for coating the heads of fur/hair flies, since it penetrates the fibers better. I got the brush-on CCG, which is extremely handy, and is what I used most on the mylar-minnow patterns. And I got the CCG Flexible, which cures to the feel and pliability of a medium-soft rubber. I used the Flexible CCG on the underside of the Craft Fur minnow pattern, to help keep the hair from getting tangled on the hook during casting.

There's other patterns I'd like to try with it, like scud/sowbug patterns, possibly some sort of crayfish pattern, etc. But here's some stuff I've tried it with so far. Keep in mind, I tied these to fish with, not for artful showpieces (that my disclaimer, which means...I'm a hack tyer.)

This is the Craft Fur minnow with the Flexible CCG "belly", and I used the Thin formula for the head.


The one below, I used the Thick formula for the head of the fly.


This one I also used the thick. Could have built up a better head, but basically I just wanted to fix the conehead weight into a position that would guarantee the hook would ride under the fly (I angled the conehead so more than 50% of the cones' weight is on the point-size of the hook shank). Once I added the thick CCG, I zapped it with the UV light for 5 seconds, and it was done.


For the patterns below, I used the brush-on CCG.




Same with these last two. I used fingernail polish to paint the backs black, and the bellies white (yellow in the top one), and gills in the bottom one. I let that dry for a couple minutes before coating it with the CCG and curing it with the UV light.




As mentioned on their website, the CCG (other than the Flexible formula) cures hard, but has sort of a tacky feel to it. As per their recommendation, I brushed a quick thin layer of clear Sally Hansen's over the cured CCG.

Everything above used just a single application of CCG. I could add another layer of CCG to make some of these minnow bodies/heads even more smooth and pretty...but I think I'll just fish with 'em as is.

[popperfly]

They look good FishnDave, nice job !!!

[FishnDave]

That's being extremely generous, and thanks! )

[Wes]

excellent stuff dave.

[kelkay]

those are some nice flies alright, good job!

[FishnDave]

I'll have whatever you fellas are drinkin'. You're cracking me up!

[mahanvey]

Those are great fishin' flies Dave... keep up the good work! Those are the kind of flies I make too...

[FishnDave]

Here's some more I did over the holiday weekend:

These are easy flies created by sliding glass beads onto the hook, tying on a rabbit fur tail, and then covering with the CCG. Eyes optional:




Below are more minnow patterns using Mylar tubing, on #6 Streamer hooks (3xl).
This first one I wrapped the mylar around the hook shank...back and forth a couple times,then tied down additional mylar tubing in odd ways, trying to get the body shape I wanted. It really used a lot of material, and wasn't a good solution. But it'll catch fish.


So, the next one I started off the same way (wrapping the mylar tubing around the hook shank), and then put a band of tubing over the top and bottom. Simpler, less material...I left a gap near the bottom (since I wanted a deeper body), which was filled in with the CCG.


Our neighbor and her daughter were visiting, so I showed them those two flies. The Mom thought I should do a PINK one for her. So I did. Even easier still, with tubing just over the top and bottom:


I figured I may as well do one for her daughter. She wanted blue.


Who wouldn't want a chartreuse one (this one is on a #4 streamer hook)??


At this point, they are starting to look similar to Cypert's Minnow, without the weighted eyes.

[pittendrigh]

Nobody has mentioned this so far. So I thought I'd put it on the table.
UV glue is great stuff. I use it for multiple chores.

But it is brittle. Even more so than two-part epoxy mixes.
So if you do bounce your fly off a rock or a hard stump, gabust it will probably be.

The ideal goo for making shaped heads would (I think) be soft
and flexible. Soft means not brittle. So soft-headed flies would
look much the same (if a clear flexible goo did indeed exist) but they would not
so easily shatter.

Soft is also good because fish like what they bite down on, if and only if
they feel a soft squishy thing in their mouths after biting.

It is theoretically possible to work with clear, un-dyed bass fisherman's worm molding resin.
But worm resin is not really practical--not for fly tiers--because worm resin
has to be heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to work.

A few tiers have experimented with semi-clear silicone seal caulking.
But that stuff is smelly and sticky and awful to work with.
Someday clear soft, shape-able, flexible goo will be available.

Heavenly father.
Please. Clear soft goo, before I die, for me and my brothers, the fly tiers.
Light in the world.
Heyonah hey ney oh way.

[ducksterman]

pittendrigh

What about Plasti Dip which I'm told is what Softex actually is?