touch dubbing

how's it done?

mgj

[kgilroy]

Mikey, See if this helps.
Touch dubbing is the technique Gary used on the Sparkle Pupa. It makes dubbing look transparent. In preparing the dubbing, cut the material (LaFontaine suggested a 50-50 mix of fur and Antron) into small pieces, no wider than 1/8?. Wax your tying thread and then touch the dubbing to the thread. The wax holds the dubbing in place. Wrap the dubbing on the hook shank then to form the body of the pupa. When the dubbing is put on correctly you can see the hook shank through it. Got this at [url=http://www.mwfly.com:e5026]www.mwfly.com[/url:e5026] kev


[This message has been edited by kgilroy (edited 01 February 2006).]

thanks kev. that was pretty much my understanding of it.

suppose though that you don't use wax (as I don't), is there an alternative method to obtain the same or similar results.

[Jim Cramer]

Mikey,
What do you have aginst using wax? With wax you can even touch dub on monofilment thread.
The secret is to use a very tacky wax and use very little of it. If you can see the wax on the thread you have used too much. After waxing the thread take a wad of the chopped dubbing and brush it on the thread. Often one pass is enough if you have the proper dubbing.
At this point you now have two options. You can now just go ahead and wrap the dubbed thread on the hook or if you desie a less fuzzy body you can first roll the dubed thread between your fingers. Both ways work, it just depends on the look you want.
Touch dubbed bodies are very durable - it is almost impossible to pick the dubbing off.
As Kgilroy says use a soft mix of material for dubbing. Stiffer synthetics are more difficult to touch dub.

[LWilliams]

mickey:

A split thread dubbing loop with the dubbing applied sparsely works well......

jim,

I guess that what I don't like about wax is that I find it to be a sticky mess and that for most dubbing applications I do better without it. perhaps if I found the *right* wax, I'd change my mind, but it hasn't happened yet.

loren, thanks that's the type of info I'm looking for.

mgj

[biot midge]

mikey,
I don't normally use dubbing wax except when touch dubbing. I use Loon "Swax" high tack dubbing wax for my touch dubbing.
Steve


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"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went"-Will Rogers

[billknepp]

When I use wax...I always use bow string wax..comes in a tube...the push up type...and is not at all messy..or all that tacky...Tried dubbing wax when I first started tying and did not like the sticky fingers thing...

[Ron Mason]

Gary showed me how to do this. Touch dubbing requires a tacky wax, it cannot be done otherwise. BT's is a good wax for the technique. You just comb out and cut up antron yarn into short 1/8 in. or less dubbing. Then just touch it to your waxed up thread and it should stick on there in a very light haze of dubbing. Then wind it on as a body or twist it in w/ peacock as in the twist nymph.

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Ron M

[J]

I am with Biot Midge. Loon Swax is good wax. You can use High Tack or Low Tack Swax for Touch Dubbing but I like the Low Tack best. High Tack works better for larger flies for me. Touch Dubbing is the only time that I use wax. Later, Jim