Hi,
I tried a Norvise about 15 years ago. It is a great device, but just wasn’t for me. Guess I’m too stuck in my ways. Anyway, I always wished I could “spin” dubbing as he does when tying an extended body fly.
Today, I tried my first extended body using a variable speed drill and a needle (and a bit of dubbing wax).
Now, don’t let the finished fly deter you. It worked great, but I just don’t tie many extended body flies.
I think I should have applied more pressure to get the dubbing on tighter as the needle was spinning. The point is, the procedure worked very well - just this particular tier’s first attempt wasn’t too good:
I think others will enjoy doing this.
Nice, Byron. Have two questions: (1) What dubbing did you choose? Appears to be poly. (2) Norm instructs to apply water-based cement to the body extension; did you apply anything other than the wax (which I assume was dabbed on the bare needle)?
I don’t want to hijack your thread, but I’d be curious if others who have utilized this “spinning needle” technique have found importance in applying cement.
Take the thread anywhere you wish. The dubbing was Hareline microfine. I would have tried head cement, but couldn’t locate mine. Also thought of a drop of Zap-a-Gap, but didn’t.
There’s no need to motorise this procedure, in fact if you just do it on a dubbing needle and turn it in your fingers you have more control. If you want to make your own tool then place a small needle alongside the base of the main needle and there is no need then to use the wax. Simply trap the dubbing between the two needles and wind it on. You can use thinned down PVA glue (add 50% water) to make the whole thing rigid.
C&F Make a tool for this. Though, like most C&F stuff, it is expensive. Here’s a link to a tutorial for using it. Here it is used in a vice. My preference is to do it “in hand”.
Cheers,
A.
Jesse,
You really don’t need one. If you have the drill standing up, you dress the needle with wax or other substance; lay the fibetts in place; then with one hand, operate the speed of the drill on the trigger and, with the other, hold the dubbing material near the spinning needle…Really doesn’t require two free hands.
Interesting approach to extended body flies, which are a mainstay for my dry fly fishing.
Wondering how much “body” the extended body has ?? Is it stiff, or relatively flexible. If flexible, does it return to the original shape after it has been flexed ?? Any idea how flies made with this technique will stand up to being eaten by the fishies ??
I think Norm Norlander of Norvise puts a drop of head cement on the extended bodies he spins on his vise. He says that the flies are durable and maintain their shape. I think that a drop of crazy glue or zap a gap would work well.
Some type of support at the very tip may help but I think that the watery CA glues or ZAG would ‘bleed’ into the body(?). Not saying that’s a bad thing, just that it may happen.
I am curious, if anyone on the BB has actual experience with a fly with this kind of extended body, how stiff or flexible it it.
Having used extended body flies extensively the past few years, I’ve developed a sense that the texture of the extended body and some flexibility to it are real advantages. An overly stiff and hard extended body would not offer the same advantages.
No doubt that Norm’s technique produces an extended body that is a neater, more realistic profile than I can achieve the way I’ve been doing extended bodies ( with furled antron ). And I would be inclined to give his method, and the one you described with the variable speed drill, a go if someone here can speak to the texture / flexibility aspects based on real experience fishing these flies.
John,
It only takes a minute to make one with a drill. Just put a needle in the drill chuck; wax it up good with dubbing wax; Lay the fibetts or other tailing material on the greased needle with the length you want extending beyond the needle point; then, holding a small amount of dubbing material next to the needle, start the drill and allow the dubbing to spread up to the point of the needle. The tailing material will extend beyond the tip of the needle. You can allow the dubbing to spin on heavier near the base of the body extension. Turn the drill off. Then, gently slide the entire extended body off the needle and tie on your hook.
Give it a try. It’s actually fun to see the dubbing spin onto the needle and fibetts.
