How do you spin deer hair?

[xisintheend]

I have looked at many tuts to help me understand how to spin deer hair and it just isn't working. Are there any tools or tuts out there that you prefer for beginners that want to learn this technique?

Marko

[dixieangler]

This help?
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/intermediate/part30.html:a1994]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/intermediate/part30.html[/url:a1994]

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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"

[gerri]

Hi X,
There are two excellent videos available that will talk and walk you through the process. One is by Chris Helm the guru of deer hair flies and another is by Jimmy Nix.
Both videos are not that expensive and can probably be rented from your local fly shop or through the library.

"Tying Bass Flies With Jimmy Nix"...2hrs.
"Spinning Deer Hair With Chris Helm"...60min.

[Newfoundlander]

The easiest way to learn to spin hair, is to:

Place the hair not on the top of the hook shank but at an angle on the side of the shank on the same side as the tyer, so that the hook and the hair are angled to form what looks like an X. Make 2 soft wraps around the hair and then pull tight

To see what I mean just hold out your pointer finger on your left hand as if your finger was a hook shank.
Now take your right hand pointer finger and cross your left hand finger to form an X so that your right hand finger is pointed at about the 11 0' oclock position.

I'm not the best at explanation, but i hope this helps.

later
Mike

[xisintheend]

Well I read your advice and I finally got it to work. The part that I was struggling with was how to get that long chain of hair like in that fly of the week. So I thought why not just spin more hair after the first spin to extend the body? Foolish mistake by me.

Thank You
Marko

[cctyer]

All of the above is great advice, but I have found that making myself tie and stack and compress with a brassie or fingers over and over is the only way to learn. The trimming can be the most frustrating but I'm some what a perfectionist and I need to quit when it looks good and not keep cutting.
I still come up with ideas all the time. That's whats so great about this obsession of ours it's an never ending learning process. Good luck, Chad

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You can't catch fish with your fly in the air!

xisintheend,

Okay, I can spin deer hair but I'll be dipped if I know what a "tut" is?

Allan

[xisintheend]

I'm sorry, a tut is short for tutorial.

Marko

[billknepp]

Video.....by any good tyer,A.K.Best does some spinning on his terrestial tape,But briefly,,,You might try chris Helms...I hear he's quite good...Hav'nt seen any of his tapes though...

When you do get good viewable info and spin and get a "Feel" for it...You'll be asking yourself what was the whole prob in the first place it really is simple...except the stacking...thats the only reason I still need to get Chris's video.....

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

Everyone wants to excel in this sport but at the same time we let traditionalists place restrictions on our tactics, methods, and ideas. Fly fishers often refer to Fox Statler as "out of the box." The truth is that I never got in the proverbial "box." I always assumed that fly fishing was a sport that allowed imagination, creation, adaptation, investigation, dedication, education, revelation? : Fox Statler, On Spinners (Not the dainty Dry Fly kind) "Spinner'd Minner Fly"

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill

[DBenner]

Hi there,
Newfoundlander has hit the nail on the head. Couple of other points:
1. Check the deer hair, make sure there is not any "underfur", if there is, try cleaning it out and spinning again, if nothing, turf it, some deer hair just does not spin well.
2. If you are using dyed deer hair, sometimes it does not spin well due to the dying process, you need to be a little more careful when spinning with it.
3. Quantity, the amount you are trying to apply should be no larger than a Bic pen, maybe even smaller.
4. Depending on the deer hair, it spins easier if the tips are clipped. Sometimes they are a little long and get caught up in the spinning part.
5. When you are applying the wraps, go around once, twice and then pull with even force straight down toward the table/desk. I place the deer hair on the top of the shank and it spins well. If you pull toward yourself or away from yourself I have found it does not spin well.

There are alot of factors to consider when spinning deer hair "anythings" and it does take some practice to get into the groove. Just keep working on it, you can produce some beautiful flies.

Dwight