I was wondering if it is ok for me to use nail polish as a replacement to head cement when finishing the head of a fly? The nail polish is clear, and I ran out of head cement, so I am trying to improvise with something…luckily for me there is a lady in the house with some clear nail polish. Is this ok to use or will the smell spook the fish? I am tying great lakes steelhead paterns for the erie tribs so I am mostly tying sucker spawns and small nymphs. Also can anyone tell me why my glo bugs look like junk? I follow the instructions, and all they do after they are cut is flair out and look very flimsy.
Smallie…
Short answer YES
And if you want more info just do a search on FAOL with “Sally Hanson”
Yes, when the glue dries it doesnt smell. Just so you dont feel bad, I use model airplane cement all the time. It is cheap, comes in a cool felt tip pen which makes it very easy to use, and cannot ever spill!
I cant help you with glo bugs. I have tried so many times to tie them, and have never gotten good consistency. SOme were OK, other were crap. In the last 10 years, I have only purchased one kind of fly. Yup, glo bugs.
Have fun, jeff
Smallie; The most important thing in tying Glo Bugs is you MUST have SHARP scissors.
Once you have tied the yarn in position. Gather it together and stretch it up and away from the hook.
NOW ONE clean cut with sharp scissors at the correct point, and the yarn will flare into a neat ball.
If you hack through the yarn in two or three cuts. You will get anything but a neat ball.
If you would like info on a little gadget to help with holding the hook in the vice during the stretching of the yarn. E-Mail me.
I’m a much better Fly fisher when talking fishing, than when I’m Actually Fly fishing!
[This message has been edited by Jax (edited 17 November 2005).]
#1. The best way to tie Glo-bugs is to throw away your egg yarn and replace it with McFly Foam.
#2. Then go to the sponsor’s page on this site and look up Mustad. Go to their flypattern page and follow their instructions to tie egg patterns.
You’ll be pleased with your success.
I agree with RG/AR that you should use McFly Foam it is a million times better. Jax pretty much covered everything else so happy tying and tight lines.
As far as nail polish for head cement…
Just to throw a wrench in the works. The fish might smell it…even if you don’t.
Personally, I don’t think that it will make a difference, I just think that we make assumptions that a fish’s senses mimic our own…and this is not really the case.
I don’t think that nail polish is going to smell any worse (to me…or possibly the fish) than model glue, Dave’s Flexament, Softex, etc., etc. Plus…you’re fishing in the Great Lakes…seems like there may be less residual organic solvent on your fly than in the water itself. 
Cheers,
Chris
Here’s a recipe for a Glo-Bug using McFly Foam.
[url=http://www.steelheading101.com/flies.html:76c15]http://www.steelheading101.com/flies.html[/url:76c15]
Mike
There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.
Patrick McManus
Smallie 14, RW here,
I’ve used nothing but Sally Hanson’s Hard as Nails exclusively for years. This thread comes up every so often and it is surprising (or maybe not so surprising) how many folks use Sallys.
Later, RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
Smallie14;
Sally Hanson’s, Wet & Wild, etc work.
Many months ago there was a Thread/Article on using a Ball Point pen body to do Yarn eggs. You pull the yarn through the tip of the pen body (Take 2 men and a boy!!) When you cut it off it forms half of and egg, tie that to the hook and pull out twice what you want and cut again. Wala nice round egg. Also, for about a buck 50 you can by yarn Pom-poms" in different colors and sizes at a craft shop.
I just sent off my flys for a Swap, 1 egg and one Caddis style Steel Head fly’s.
Send me an e-mail and I’ll send you some photos and patterns.
One of the most successful flies used on still waters here is a chronomid pupa imitation completely covered in Hard as Nails. If it does smell it is a smell the fish like!
Regards
Alan.
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”