I am a big fan of Dave Hughes. I have some of his fur flies which came as part of a special edition of one of his books.
Just happened to watch his video on tying the “Anchor Wet Fly” the other day and watched him form a dubbing loop by simply loosely applying dubbing to the thread, then forming a loop by tying the thread down back to the rear of the fly; then spinning the loop and wrapping it forward.
It’s just that most tiers (even with the split thread technique), form the loop first and then insert the dubbing material.
Easier to see in this video. Starts at approx 3:30.
Don’t know why I haven’t used this method long ago…
It works very well indeed. Since I bought a bunch (like a TON) of Uni thread (ya can’t split it!!) on an online sale when I first began tying, this became my go-to for a “split-thread” (cough, cough) option.
I’ve wished I hadn’t bought so much many times (but it was SUCH a good deal eye roll) as I’d have liked to use Hans’ method of flattening the thread and splitting it to keep bulk down. But since my flies aren’t anything to fall in love with it works well.
I have watched many youtube videos of famous and not-so-famous tiers and this is the first tier I have seen apply the dubbing to the thread before forming a dubbing loop. Every other tier I have watched forms a dubbing loop and then puts the dubbing material between the two strands of thread.
I think you will get slightly different results using the Hughes method, but maybe not…
I was shown the method of forming the loop, after applying the dubbing back around 1979. Although it was for a different effect than what Dave was after.
It was shown to me as a simpler method of achieving a tight, segmented, dubbed body ala Polly Rosborough. You applied the dubbing to the thread tightly as you would for a smooth body, then formed the loop and twisted it tight. When wrapped it gave a segmented effect. You could then rough it up to make it “buggier”, while maintaining the segmentation.
If you form the loop, touch dub, then spin, it comes out a bit more “spikie”. If you dub one side and then form the loop and spin, a bit less so. As Jay mentioned, it’s been a technique used to attain a tighter body with more course dubbing for a while.
Jay,
Did you watch Dave’s video? I thought his body, tied this way, provides a very buggy look and not as tight of a dubbing loop effect as I thought it would. I think it is because Dave put the dubbing on the thread very loosely before completing the loop and then twisting. I, personally don’t like sliding dubbing into a locked loop. Intend to use this method and how it comes out.
I know Dave has used the Hidy et.al. method of making dubbing “noodles” and putting them on cards for later use. Seems like a bit too much effort to me if the results are pretty much the same.
Yes OK, in fact, I sort of expected him to use the touch dubbing technique Gary Lafontaine used, but he didn’t. He actually applied the dubbing by “rubbing” it on the thread. That did surprise me. I expected to see the touch dubbing method since he was subsequently going to twist a dubbing loop.
Interesting. I got out my 1995 copy of Dave’s “Wet Flies” book. In it, he gives directions on the method he proposed using. Basically, he says to wax the thread up pretty good; prepare a “skein” of tapered material and lay it against the greased thread. He says you may slightly twist each end of the fur onto the thread “just enough to fix it”.
So, basically, in his book at least, he is simply laying a tapered “skein” of fur against the pretty heavily waxed thread to have it adhere to the thread and then form a loop with the working thread at the rear of the fly and then twist the formed loop.
Here are instructions for this method of tying a dubbing looped body from his 1995 book. It is basically a way to replicate the old method of using a block to make dubbing ropes and doing it “on the fly” while tying a fly. It could be done sparse or heavy. It is the technique of attaching the material to the single strand of thread before involving the second strand by forming a loop AFTER the fur is played upon the single thread strand.
Out of curiosity, does anyone know where, or if, the old Hidy style dubbing noodle blocks can still be purchased. Please, not interested in how I could easily make one. Wanting to know if they are sold. Not the new wire brush type either.
Thanks
Byron
Am tying some Flymps using Dave Hughes’ dubbing method (at least the one he showed in his video). But, I am using two colors of dubbing in the “loop”. A bit darker for the thorax area.
