I’ve just recently started tying large streamer and sculpin patterns w/ deer hair heads. The only problem I’m having is that I cannot get a good collar on these flies. The hair always flairs out and doesn’t lay flat against the body of the streamer. Any tips to keep this from happening?
I may be totally wrong on this so I hope some people that use deer hair a lot chime in, but I think it’s the type of hair you are using. I think if the hair is more hollow it will flair out when you tighten the thread. check out this link:
What deer hair are you using? I use the hair from the top of a bucktail. This hair at the top is not as hollow as the hair at the bottom of the tail or deer body hair. This hair at the top of the bucktail will not flair as much. Then I use deer body hair for the head.
I use deer body hair on some Atlantic Salmon patterns precisely for the reason that the hair flares around the hook shank when correctly placed . I would think the hair you need is hair from bucktail or other hair that is not as hollow as body hair .
Packed tightly, the hair does not make much difference. Keep the front end of the body tapered and small, so plenty of hair will be held back against the body. Then pack the head good and tight and you will have a good tight head and a good looking veiling of hair over the wing.
Fat bodies ending in squared-off lines at the front is the main cause for most folks’ troubles with that step, IME.
art
I’m confused. If you are tying a muddler style head, the hair is supposed to flair and form the collar. are you alking about a wing?
Youtube Kelly Galloup tying his zoo cougar:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWq95R0vv24
He uses the same deer body hair for the whole head. For the collar he uses a big bunch, stacks it, and then trims it and ties it in at the trimmed end to form only the collar. None of that first bunch is used in the head. It’s hard to put into words, but when you watch the video you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Hi vargoje3,
You’ve gotten some good information already, especially take note of the hyperlink that takes you to information from Charlie Craven. I’ll not cover again what Charlie did so well in the hyperlink. Let me just add: The hair collar that flares more than you want can be brought back under control (besides the type of hair selected/used) by pressing the spun clumps of hair placed in front of the collar back against it. In so doing the flared-collar fibers are pressed back AND closer to the body. Then when you trim the head, make certain to not cut off the fibers at the back of the head (the ones pressing back on the collar) too short so they can continue to press back on the collar AND also serve as the back part of the head (in other words, shape them gently). Take care & …
Tight Lines - Al Beatty
www.btsflyfishing.com
Wow. Thanks for the replies. I have some info to pour through while at work tonight.