Streamer heads

[paflyfisher16]

Ive tried flexement and Sally hansens hard as nails and still cannot get the look I want on my streamer heads. The streamers Ive seen in stores have very think glassy looking heads, what should I use?
THnaks
Doug

[cctyer]

You probably want to use epoxy to get a glassy look. You can achieve that look with sally hansens but it takes a few coats. If you use epoxy get a wheel to turn the flies with, so they don't sag or turn one at a time in your vise till they set up. There are other substances that work also, like household goop thinned down. Even if you use epoxy or others it still can take more than one coat to get the result you discribe.
Have fun and good luck. Chad

[RonMT]

I use Epoxy and have for years. It works well and one coat is all that is needed in most cases. Ron

[flymaker2]

I switched from Epoxy to Loon UV Knot Sense and then one thin coat of Sally's over that (or over epoxy if you use that) for extra luster.

But if want to master the epoxy style, consider the method outlined in this re-post from an older thread I responded to-

" There are also water based head cements and head "coverings; namely Loon Products Head Finish and Hard Head. These two can be used in place of solvent based cement and in some applications the epoxy coatings.

Also, Here is how I utilize the coatings.

To lock threads; maybe even just a knot, I use Larva Lace Flexloc cement (the older solvent based version). It dries very fast and penetrates the thread. at a minimum, the finished flies get the Flexloc-sometimes up to three coats.

Most flies I tie also get an epoxy coating; especially all of the Saltwater and larger flies. The Epoxy I use is a two part 5 minute epoxy system called Z-Poxy. I usually over-coat the flexloc'ed thread and sometime apply the eyes to the gelling epoxy and even add a second coat of 5 minute to bury the eyes in the head. Then I always use The Sally Hansons Hard As Nails for a UV barrier on most all of the flies. Sometimes it is a bit thick to apply to small midges, but you can spot it on using a needle(bodkin) in very small amounts if required.

So my bulletproof system is 1) Flexloc, Z-Poxy, Sally Hanson's. It can be a labor of love."

but now I use UV Cure urethanes...

Rich


[This message has been edited by flymaker2 (edited 04 October 2005).]

[Buddy Sanders]

Doug,

You can get that thick, glossy look with Lacquer head cement. I actaully use lacquer, the stuff sold in paint stores, not 'head cement'. A quart will last for years and it works very well. Hsansens' or any clear nail lacquer works as well, the regular lacquer is just a lot less expensive and easier to work with.

It just takes multiple coats.

For me, about four or five BEFORE I paint the eye, then three over that.

Nice thing about Lacquer (or Hansens), it dries quickly.

I can put a coat on two dozen streamer heads in about five minutes or less. It takes about ten to be sure the coat is set. As long as you're not in a hurry, you can tie the streamers, then apply a coat every fifteen mintues. In an hour you can paint on the first color of the eye and let that set overnight. Next morning, you can paint the pupil. The next evening you can put on a few more coats of lacquer, next day they are done and ready to fish.

Epoxy does it with a single overcoat, but you need a drying wheel to do it properly in any quantity (I have one, but prefer the lacquer for most applications as it just looks better with less build up). If you want to paint on eyes, you will still need two coats of epoxy, plus time for eyes to dry. That's at least three days (one for the eyes, plus one epoxy under and one over...). So, for the same 'effect' epoxy actually takes longer, but requires less 'hands on' time.

All of it works. Mostly it takes patience.

Good Luck!

Buddy

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[Royal Wulff]

paly, RW here
Everybody is talking about the finish on the head, but you also mentioned thin. How about the thread?
If you want a thinner head easily, you might consider switching to 8/0 thread instead of 6/0 or thicker. Just because a recipe for a fly calls for a particular size thread doesn't mean you can't think outside the box if your heads are turning out fatter than you want them to.

Later, RW

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[Feenom]

Hi paff16......thick or thin....the way to get a nice smooth finish on your head is to get the thread wraps smooth first. If you use the Danville thread, just spin it counterclockwise til it flattens out like floss to make the final wraps and the whip finish. 2 coats of Griff's Thick head cement and thats it.
Hope this helps.....Jason

[Leo C]

Doug,

I have to agree with Jason, a smooth wrapping of the thread first. I use SH
and also epoxy. With SH I find 3 to 4 coats does it. When I paint on eyes I coat once with SH then paint the eyes and then a thin coat of epoxy. I do find however that when coating with epoxy the SH is better as an undercoat than the lacquer head cement. Epoxy over lacquer head cement yellows fast for me. I don't get the yellowing when I coat epoxy over SH.

Leo C

[MR.JML]

I use wet & wild nail polish. It gives my heads a nice glassy coat !!!!!