Glue anyone?

All about flies Fly Tying
1

A couple of recent threads brought this to mind again.

I use thin CA glues a lot on my flies to help bond things in place.

I use it along the shank before wrapping bodies like leech patterns, buggers, anything with herl, rubber, any kind of fragile material or anything that I don’t want to come away from the shank if they get ‘cut’.

Doing this has allowed me to eliminate the need for a complete thread base on many patterns. It also speeds up the tying process while still yeilding flies that won’t come apart too soon (If I can get one fish per fly, I’d be perfectly happy…but it’s not fun when they just come apart WITHOUT being chewed on a bit).

Only takes a second to do, and makes the fly a lot tougher.

I use it when I tie a hair wing or tail of any kind…keeps the hair in place, helps keep the amount of thread under control. Especially helpful on really slick hair like squirrel.

Am I the only one doing this as a matter of routine?

Buddy

2

I use CA glue time to time… more often than I used to. I especially like it for glueing hackle bits and stuff to my fingers… and last year I managed to glue my lips together (momentarily, till I yanked them apart and started bleeding)…we won’t go into that again…ModocDan

3

Dont use the stuff------no need to. Its a waist of time. BILL

4

I use it at certain times. I never use it as a base layer like that, but I do use a bit to reinforce the wraps to secure weighted eyes that I usually am tying on with light thread. I also use it on parachute dries because t really works down into thread and calf body hair, and it stiffens up the base of the post for hackle wrapping, as well as making for a more durable fly. I usually apply it right before I start to wrap the hackle (that’s already been tied in) so that I’m tying off the hackle and whip finishing before it dries, effectively cementing the hackle in place along the post. Since I started doing this (and whip finishing my parachutes about the post, under the hackle), its made my parachutes pretty bulletproof, only becoming unusable after many fish.

5

I dont use CA glues as a matter of course, but I do use it as needed for specific patterns or parts. It’s not necessery on simple dry flies, but larger complicated patterns, it’s almost a must in some cases. I buy the thin, medium and thick generic versions of Zap-a-Gap from Hobby lobby for half the price. Also if you use any CA glues at all, you should keep the CA de-bonder on hand. Available in dozens of brands. ($2.99 at Hobby Lobby). The biggest problem with CA glues is that it dries rock hard. I use Flex Seal, Soft Tex and Shoe Goo (same as Goop), where it’s more applicable.

6

I use it when tying foam bodied poppers and flies like the gurgle pop. I also sometimes put a drop on parachute posts to keep them upright. I’ve found for the posts, clear fingernail polish (hard as nails in the box right now) does the trick too. Dip the bodkin in the polish bottle and wipe it on the post and allow to dry for about 30 seconds. Sometimes, if I’m tying a bunch of flies, I’ll do several to the post stage, put the fingernail polish on and by the time I get several done, the first ones are ready to finish tying.

I tried CA glue as head cement once. Not a good idea. :lol:

I’ve found it does have its place but is not good for everything. It is really good at gluing fingers together. I’ve never glued my lips together though. That’s a new one.:smiley:

Jeff

7

If you plan on displaying your flys do not put them in air tight frames. The fumes from CA glue will destroy the fly in time. BILL

8

I’ll use it for some foam flies, but that’s it.

When wet CA turns white - turns me off.

When tying dries, I’ll use some Sally Hansen’s at the base of the tail to keep it spread (A.K. Best trick), or to help support a parachute post a little bit. I’m into the Wonder Wing style of dry fly so I’ll use SH at the base of the wing and run some along the outer edges to try and enhance durability.

9

Naw.
I just use fine threads, 14/0, and tye for strength.
If I feel I need to I’ll carefully apply a touch of head cement to the finished fly with one of my bodkins. But only enough to wet the thread and let it wick into the wraps.
Now in my wood shop… I have 8 ounce bottles of the stuff to use on turnings, and sometimes on tiny moldings. :wink:

10

I use it on foam poppers. Also on my boa yarn flies and the Godlie Jr. Hold the boa yarn better and the Godlie stays together longer with ther zap-a-gap head than with any other things I have used.

Rick

11

I use Crazy Glue on all my saltwater flies
A good example would be a deceiver
… after the tail (Lefty calls it the wing) is mounted, those wraps are glued
… then a thin layer of the glue along the shank before the body material is wrapped
…the base of bucktail collar gets a generous dose as well as the final wraps/head
A solidly built fly like this lasts a good long time

12

I used to put a thin coating of head cement on top of the thread base. If you then wrap your body material on top, it will help keep it all together. I stopped doing it though as I tend to lose them faster than they wear out.

  • Jeff
13

Dudley,

It was a saltwater fly tyer that suggested it to me and got me started using the stuff as a mater of routine.

Bass Bug,

I’m also using the stuff from Hobby Lobby. I like that it comes in three different viscosities. The thin stuff penetrates well, and dries very fast. It’s what I use mostly when assembling a fly. The medium is about the same as regular Zap, but seems to be a bit stronger and quicker setting. The thick stuff is perfect for attaching eyes and filling viods.

As far as flexibility goes, I use the CA glues to bind stuff to the hook, not where it would effect flexibility of the materials. For coating stuff, and I do a lot of that, there are many good flexible products out there.

The combination of thread wraps and penetrating ‘thin’ CA glue makes a rock solid connection that won’t slip or twist, and keeps materials from pulling out from under wraps while the fly is being fished. A thin layer of the glue applied before wrapping things like chenille, herl, long fibered dubbing blends, etc., anchors them firmly while still allowing their inherent natural movements. Plus, it eliminates the ‘problem’ of the materail being cut by the teeth of the fish. If the material is glued onto the hook, if the central stem is cut, it doesn’t matter, because the whole length is tightly bonded in place.

Another place where I find it helpful is as a substitute for a finishing knot on some flies. Especially deer hair bugs and flies where access to the eye is obstructed, or where the tie off point is at the back of the hook. Places where it’s a bit more difficult to whip finish or half hitch. A bit of CA along the thread, wrap it a few times, hold it tight for a couple of seconds, and just cut it.

It’s also the best thing I’ve found for anchoring dumbbell eyes, and glueing foam to a hook.

By the way, not all CA glues turn that ugly white color. The stuff from Hobby Lobby doesn’t do that on my flies. I’ve only seen that on flies where I’ve lost control of the glue and used too much.

The bottom line for me is that the use of these glues both speed up the tying process and produce a stronger, more durable fly. I’m not in a hurry when I tie flies, but I hate to spend time just spending time. Tying eficiently is a big thing for me. Ca glues help me with that. I can eliminate some steps, streamline others, (mostly thread wrapping) and still get strong, durable flies.

I don’t use it much for a head cement, and it’s not something I need for the simple dry flies tied for trout, but when I’m tying streamers or bass flies, I wouldn’t be without it.

It definitly has an important spot on my bench.

Buddy

14

I mainly tie nymphs and dry flies for trout, and don’t use it on any of them. Tight wraps and a whip finish and so far I’ve not had any issues. Like Jeff I will more than likely lose a fly in the bushes before it wears out.

15

Dave Whitlock uses quite a bit of glue, esp on his hoppers (can’t argue with success!).

I generally use CA glues to coat underbodies (lead wire on the sides, etc), gel types for putting eyes on. For most flies I just use lacquer and what-not on the heads, and that just so it looks nice.

The exceptions are flies where the finishing knot isn’t at the hook eye, but tied somewhere in the pattern. For these the cement is pretty much necessary to hold the wraps together over a large area (like on my crayfish pattern).

16

What is CA glue?

I coat my hook shank, and finished heads with Sally Hansen. I also use Zap-A-Gap, and various Super-Glues to hold things in place. But mostly, I use Sally Hansen.

17

Cyanoacrylate = CA = Super Glue

18

I was hoping someone would spell that:rolleyes::rolleyes:.

19

– I tie thousands of foam flies each year and CA glue is simply mandatory. It makes a permanent bond between layers of closed cell foam that is often stronger than the foam itself.
– I also use it as a base when palmering hackle over slick materials like tinsel.
– When putting a rattle in a fly, the hook shank is usually covered with a thread base and the rattle CA glued to the thread. Otherwise it’s a real pain to wrap around.
– I fish fresh and salt water and have never had the “whitening” problem discussed above.
– Practically every day I get CA glue on my fingers. You just have to let it dry without rubbing on anyting and it peels right off. Use a brush-on applicator and you will get a lot less on your hands.

20

Gig, reads the ingredients on your Zap-A-Gap. It should only list cyanoacrylate. Cyanoacrylate is a generic chemical name, Zap-A-Gap is a trademarked brand name. Super Glue, Krazy Glue and a plethora of of other brand names are all made from cyanoacrylate. Don’t know for sure, but I suspect Zap-A-Gap was one of the first to market a CA glue in different viscosities.

On an unrelated (to fly tying) note: Derma-bond (a CA based glue) is what the medical profession uses to seal up cuts and incisions, thats why it’s the best thing to use on paper cuts.