For those of you that aren’t using the whip finisher because you can’t master it…go to the web…there are good videos and just put in a very little time…saved me a trip to the local fly shop to have them show me…I use it more and more but I think that’s because the hand finish came naturally to me and because I had to work at it I like to use it… :lol: :lol:
I am very much like Warrenp on this except that I whip finish by hand. I have had a couple of flies fail at the head, but they were so chewed up by bluegill and red-bellies that I’m not worried about it. I’ve got a not-so-Royal Coachman remnant that has the whole body unravelling and one wing chewed off. The hook and the tail are still good and can be reused.
Ed
i just use a 4-6 wrap whip finish and a dab of head cement, wish i had some super glue, but as david knows, i dont, and i dont even have a dollar to spend on anything right now, i already need to re-pay my mom for my paintball gun, so i basically have $-200 right now to spend on supplies
You boyz need to tie-up a 10000 mosquitos and sell them by the dozen on E Bay!
Rich
i wish i had the materials to do that!!! i have 1.5 grizzly hackle feathers left, and only 1 size 12 hook, and 1 size 14 hook, and a couple size 8 and 6 hooks. other wise i would definetly do that, by the time we did that we would be able to make one in like 15 seconds!!!
Guys,
I’ve always used a whip finish. It is a far stronger knot and far less likely to come apart. In fact, I’ve never had one come apart at the eye. Now,I guess I am an old dog in my ways and have almost never used head cement over a whipped finish dry fly. However, I recently read an article by A.K. Best. While I disagree with some of the things he wrote, one thing in it was an eye openner. He says that whipped finished heads, even on trout flies, should be cemented. Not necessarily because the cement adds security to the thread but because barethread allows water to penetrate the fly and wick into the underbody. This can cause rust and weaken the structure of the fly without your knowledge. I don’t know if this is true because a well tied tight head with waxedthread should be waterproof but, like I said, the concept gave me pause to think.
What are your opinion(s) about that idea?
Oh, and by-the-way, for a right handed fly tyer, a whip finish must be applied starting from the left and winding toward the eye(right).
Allan
I’m with Ron and others on this one. Even if you don’t tie professionally, the whip finish is still the stronger knot. There is a real nice tutorial here on FAOL by Al Campbell, and if you spend 1/2 hr just tying these on a nice size hook for practice you will have it, and it really comes second hand after a few flies. I had to learn it left handed to boot, and it still was well under an hour to get proficient. The cost of the tool is peanuts in the scheme of things, how much do you blow on other stuff every week, and the tool with last a lifetime, even the knockoffs.
Anyway, as always use what you a comfortable with, and if your flies are not falling apart you have to be doing something right. That said, think about putting the whip finish in your arsenal, you won’t regret it.
Tyeflies, this is one of the reasons that I like Mustad hooks. They are solid bronze and should be immune to rusting. Although I suppose that they might turn green some day…
EdD - I think you may be wrong about those Mustad hooks, try picking one up with a magnet, if you do, they are not bronze.
I don’t think anyone has made bronze fish hooks for at least two thousand years.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Some of mine cannot be picked up, or cleaned up, with a magnet. Perhaps Dr. Fish can weigh in here, but I think that red (or phospor) bronze is used to make some of them. Of course, I suppose that the section of carpet where this experiment was performed might have had an even great affinity for the hooks. I’m sure that this is an old story for many of you. BTW, enough size 20 hooks can make a mess of/in a vacuum cleaner.
I knew phosphor bronze was used for boat props but I did not know about fish hooks. Perhaps someone should start a new string about this and hope Dr. Fish sees it.