Head Cement

[Caribe]

Two years ago I was at a fly show and I observed a professional tier tying a dry. Upon finishing the fly she said that she rarely uses head cement. I decided to try an experiment last year and not use head cement on my dries. It did not seem to make a difference. My flies seemed to last just as long with the head cement as without. I must admit that I rarely end up fishing one fly all day and I lose many of them before they can show their "wear a tear" but the flies that I had to replace were not due to the thread becoming unraveled during use. Is head cement overrated?
Caribe

[Rick Z]

I think it depends upon the fly.
I use it on boa yarn flies so they don't fall apart as fast.
Use it on any bead headed fly I tie. I think it makes it more durable.

Rick

[ScottP]

2 half hitches and a little Sally brushed on the head adds maybe 3 seconds to the tie. If I didn't use cement, it might be okay but I'd be thinking about it and I prefer to think as little as possible when I fish.

Regards,
Scott

[johnstoeckel]

I use cement selectively. Never on dry flies unless they are extra large or otherwise seem to require it for some reason. Almost always on nymphs and streamers.

[NJTroutbum]

You may not most of the time. But when one does come undone, the irritation will not be worth the 3 seconds saved.

[Byron haugh]

You have made a great observation! Head cement is over-rated. In the "old days", tying thread was not pre-waxed. Today's waxed threads do not really require head cement at the eye, though most/many tiers still apply.

On certain flies, during the tying, a tiny amount of head cement might be helpful........for example, if you want a little added security at the base of wings, etc. Even then, if you do a good job of tying down with today's thread, it shouldn't be necessary.

My most respected tier, Bob Jacklin of Jacklin's Fly Shop in West Yellowstone, uses a lot of head cement in his tying, but I don't think it is really necessary, myself anyway.

[herefishy]

so, if you don't use head cement, do you use extra whips? I must be in the minority, as a lot of my flies come apart. I have started using a whip finisher instead of my fingers, and use 5 whips. What do you use in lieu of HC?

[Byron haugh]

A 3-4 turn whip finish. The thread must be held taut during the knot.

[tigfly]

I don't use head cement, I do two four turn whips on larger flies, size 12 and larger and one four turn whip on smaller. When I used to use head cement and accidentally glue the eye shut, it would be only when I had a rising fish and I was hurrying to tie on a fly only to find I couldn't thread it and had to clear the eye, then the fish would stop rising. Every time.

[sagefisher]

I use Sally on many of my freshwater flies, both dry and wet. For saltwater I use Hard As Hull head cement. I also started not using cement in the more traditional way of finishing the tie and then applying the nail polish on some flies, depends if I want to or not, no set reason. I will also often apply a little Sally on my thread just before I tie it off, that glues the thread into the knot without coating the head. Again, depends on how I feel. But, for saltwater, I always use head cement, those fish have big teeth and the rocks have barnacles.

Larry ---sagefisher---