On Davie McPhail’s great U-Tube videos he uses "pre knotted’ pheasant tail fibers for hopper legs and fine “adhesive backed lead foil” for weighting nymphs. Is there a domestic source for these? I have never seen either of them listed in catalogs. Thanks.
Ive seen them in packages in the fly fishing joints. Priced like colored gold. I never bought any. Dont know about the lead??? No idea what it would have to be adhesive backed??
Michaels, hobby lobby & some times but not often walmart for the adhesive backed lead foil… as for the pre knotted pheasant tail fibers i have no clue…
The lead foil is very popular on the UK fly sites. I don’t want to pay shipping from the UK, though. It really is high.
ray
do a little homework at the bear lodge angler, a sponsor on this website and you will find exactly what you need
Pre-knotted pheasant is available at the local Sportsman’s Warehouse, but so is a knotting tool. The tool just happens to be the same one we use for Shorb loops on furled leaders.
In the good old days wine bottles were sealed with thin sheet lead, though not adhesive backed. I miss that lead… Or the wine it sealed, not sure which!
For the legs:
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc-582-303-hopper-legs-on-a-stick.aspx
Rainy’s also has them listed on their site.
For the lead, googling lead tape came up with lots of sources. Used to see it in the Cabela’s/Basspro catalogs for custom weighting crankbaits and other lures so most of the tackle craft places should stock it if your normal fly only places don’t. Looks like tennis players use it to alter the balance of their raquets too.
Its really not that tough to knot your own legs. 2 fibers knotted about half way though and trim one of the tag ends off. A little practice and you can do them fairly easily, every time. I do a bunch at once and then just grab them to tie them in. Rubber is more durable though and just about as good. You can tie them the same way
You beat me to it Joe. ‘Legs on a stick’ are available from many fly tying catalogs.
http://www.kaufmannsstreamborn.com/wa/search?q=Legs+on+a+Stick&x=5&y=7
http://www.kaufmannsstreamborn.com/Catalog/Fly-Tying-Supplies/Materials/Wings-Legs-Tails/SRILGSTC/
http://www.bearlodgeangler.com/flyfeathers.htm
As for the adhesive lead tape, look for ‘Zonker tape’, also available in most tying catalogs. The adhesive lets you fold a piece over the hook and it sticks to itself. Then you trim to desire shape and you have a perfect under body for zonkers. Without the adhesive, you have to glue it on the hook and to itself. At least for Zonkers.
http://www.umpqua.com/pc-1124-49-lead-zonker-tape.aspx
http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fly-tying-eyes/053526209013.aspx
I have found the lead in golf pro shops. Golfer use it to balance their clubs. Relatively inexpensive.
Golfsmith has several types…of lead tape
http://www.golfsmith.com/browse.php?Ntt=lead+tape&N=0&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchall&Ntk=All&lcode=expps
Most of the golf stick on weights are 1/8" thick or so and weigh around a 1/4 oz for a 1/2"x 2" strip. Other than making lead-scallopini out them first, I don’t see these being much good for fly tying. Zonker tape is about as thick as heavy duty aluminum foil.
Saw those when they first showed up in my fly shop. Littly pricey so I bought a Rainy’s Leg knotting tool and I make my own. Takes a little practice but it’s way cheaper than buying the pre-knotted and you can also use it to put leg knots in rubber legging material.
Fatman
In case anyone is wondering, here’s the tool we’re talking about. Or A version of it anyway.
http://www.flyshack.com/DisplayItem.aspx?ItemID=23421&src=froogle
I use one of these to tie knots in hackle legs on frog patterns.
go to your local big box craft shop and get a “knit picker” for $1.75
Ray, there’s a little bit of a trick that Hans Weilenmann showed me. Instead of doing what’s intuitive, put the wider “butt” end of the fiber in your right hand, make a loop and stick the wide end through the loop. It’s even easier with two fibers, if they’re joined at the butts (torn off the stem). I know this works because I just did some easily here, and haven’t knotted any in a couple of years.
Eric
Am a huge Mcphail fan too. That man can lay down material with the best of them. While I don’t tie a lot of hoppers I have to try that flat adhesive backed lead.
A sewing tool called a seam ripper is very cheap, and can be used to make legs from pheasant tails.
I have a knit picker like Norm posted and also a leg knot tool from a fly shop. They are the same principle (that being a latch hook), but the leg knot tool is twice as long an the latch hook on it is a little bigger. For knotting a couple of PT fibers the knit picker should work, for much more than that, like knotting a couple of hackle quills (like I do for legs on some frog patterns), the larger latch hook is needed. Any latch hook type tool will work, it’s just finding the right size for the job.
Kell, do you use a seam ripper at the bench?
This is the same adhesive lead foil used in many UK based patterns imported and sold in the US
http://www.flytyingspecialties.com/product_info.php?cPath=19&products_id=48