I’ve been tying for almost 8 years and have always used head cement. I usually use some type of super glue or zap-a-gap and and apply it to the thread, make three turns, then whip finish. This works well for me and I’m not sure I will stop unless there’s a good reason. I’m just curious about those tiers who do not use head cement. I’ve read several times that if you “tie off your fly correctly” there is no need for head cement. I use a whip finisher and make at least 3 wraps with it. I guess I’m asking what is the “correct way” when not using a head cement. If I don’t have to use head cement, and if the fly will not fall apart, then I see this as a step that can be dropped. For those who do not use head cement, are your flies as durable as those who do use cement.
Using a whip finisher like the Matarelli, I’ll make 3 or 4 turns. Have never had a fly come apart at the head. No head cement on dry flies and only when I want a glossy head do I use cement on wets. Of course a right hander must wrap the whip knot from left to right. Otherwise all you have is a bunch of half hitches.
I rarely use head cement. After making the head of a fly I just apply a whip finish with 5 wraps. Sometimes before finishing off with a whip finish I’ll do a half-hitch. I have yet to have a fly come unraveled. I think the secret is to make sure you apply a good tug to the thread while holding it perpendicular to the hook shaft to cinch down the knot.
One thing you can do is the same thing I do with my jigs. I don’t want a “hard” spot where my chenille meets the head so I thin my head cement a good bit and when I use a small drop there you can not feel it at all.
I also whip finish 4-5 turns and still use it on that too. I also use Flexament sometimes so it stays flexible and not hard to the touch as I do other products like that and the flexament can also be thinned.
Also for cost you can buy a Qt. of Lacquer and thin the heck out of it and have a life time supply of head cement.
However with all that said if you don’t have any trouble with it why change?
I use spur varnish on the head of my dry flies, it is a real old pratice and work better then any other cement because of how it penetrates. For wets, streamers, and nymphs I use lacquer.
Joe Fox
Never use head cement–three to four whips with the Materilli. For looks on streamers and such I will use red or black “Hard As Nails” with a clear coat. Bill
Don’t mean to argumentative but, when used on the head of a fly, ‘Hard As Nails’ is a ‘Head Cement’. The phrase ‘Head Cement’ simply means some sort of chemical used to protect or enhance the head(wraps) of the finished fly. It is a generic term that includes all brands. There’s got to be dozens or a few hundred of chemical and natural products that can be included under the ‘head cement’ banner: Flex Coat, Fleximent, any of the Goop products(thinned out), any of the nail polishes(including HAN), polyurathanes, varnishes, plastic model paint, any brand of crazy glue, shellac, epoxy, etc.
I’ve used head cement for years. In the old days, it helped hold my flies together since I finished each fly with three or four half hitches. BTW, I don’t think I ever had a fly come apart with three good half hitches and a good application of George Herter’s fly head cement. I now finish my flies with a whip finish and a coat of Fly Tite. I really don’t see any reason not to use it. Fish don’t seem put off by the alcohol solvent (including brim). Fisherman have never refused an offered flies. I just think the cement helps to protect the thread wraps and keep them in place against prying teeth and hemostats. Just my 2% of a dollar. I’m sure others will disagree. 8T :lol:
I use it on some flies and not on others.
All my boa yarn flies get zap-a-gap on the thread wraps. Makes them more durable.
I find that using some head cement helps on my bead head flies. Maybe because I don’t tie them well enough with just thread wraps.
There is no right or wrong way to do it.
Learn tot whip finish by hand, Makes things alot easier.
DEEZEL–Picky Picky Picky You didn’t burst my bubble,never use head cement. Occasionally after tying over 75 years I’ll add a little color to the heads------BILL
I like using a head cement on all my flies. I use a Matarelli whip finisher, cinch the knot down tight as mentioned in a thread above, and put the head cement on as a final touch. I’m with 8T in that the fish don’t seem to mind a glossy head, and I have yet to have a head unravel unless I totally screw it up with a very poor hemostat removal. Anyway my <.02c LOL
Bob
Back when I was taught fly tying, we finished off the head with half hitches and applied clear finger nail polish as the head cement. Recently I broke down and started using a whip finisher, but I also still use the clear fingernail polish. When tying off behind a bead or a post, I do what you do, add the fingernail polish to the thread then make my half hitches. For my saltwater flies, I use Hard As Hull.
I am not a pro-fly tyer so the Time Equals Money thing does not apply to me. I believe most pro tyers do not use head cement except where absolutely necessary.
Sometime I cement the heads, sometimes I don’t
More often, I’ll use a little nail polish or Crazy Glue during the assembly of the fly to make it tougher
Almost all my flies are tied without anything put on the heads. I do 2 triple turn whip finishes. I’m old enough to have learned you never say never…but I don’t ever remember having a problem with the heads of any of them.
I don’t use head cement unless the head on the fly I am tieing is large (by design), or expossed to toothy fish, or if I am using dumbell or beadchain eyes. If I whipfinish correctly, I have never had a head unravel. When I say whip correctly, I mean that you actually wrap the thread over itself and pull it tight. If you fail to do either one the head will unravel with minimal abuse. I have learned how to whipfinish with my hand and not a tool, and it has greatly improved the accuracy of my wraps. Also sped up my tieing because I am never looking for the tool in my work area. I highly recommend learning this skill.
Wow … thanks for all the feedback! I’ll probably continue using some type of head cement on the bigger flies and nymphs. However, from the feedback to this thread I believe I would be ok if I didn’t cement the heads of smaller flies. I do use a whip finisher. I’ve tried half-hitches using my fingers but that’s so time consuming because my fingers are short and broad. I posted this thread out of curiosity more than anything else. I tied up a dozen soft hackles today and didn’t use head cement. I feel more confident using them as a result of the responses you’ve given. Thanks.
Short, broad fingers ?? Wow, Mine are merely huge and rough. Way back when, I was taught to finish off heads on all my flies with a few half hitches. For years and years, I used clear fingernail polish on every head. About five years ago, I took another tying class just to get up to speed on the newer stuff, and I started using Flexament. However, I went back to fingernail polish about a year ago… I just like it better. I did upgrade though… to Sally hansens “Hard as Nails” I use mostly clear, but also black on streamers and such. I also use lots of colors of it on little foam and cork head poppers. I still have Flexament on my tying table all the time, and use it on larger flies and stuff I think might need the extra strength in construction.
I’ve tried using a whip finisher a few times, but it seems like a lot of trouble, and I’ve not had a fly come apart yet. I use a half hitch tool I made years ago from aluminum on a lathe. I started out using an old half a ball point pen the same way. I have had lot’s of flies get tore up pretty good after catching several fish, but not from coming apart, just from fish teeth. Funny thing is they seem to keep on catching fish even when they’re pretty shredded. There. That’s my take on it :lol: …ModocDan
I’ve had a few fly heads come unraveled over the years and I’m a head cement user. I personally think in my case; it has more to do with misguided nippers or hemos than bad whip finishing or lousy cement. I will continue applying head cement to all of my flies except the super small flies.
For me, except for that dozen flies I always seem to be tying at 2:00 am for an upcoming trip; fly tying is something I do to relax. I can tie faster than many NON professionals so the few seconds I save not applying head cement isn’t important to me.
It is a step I learned way back when and something my pea brain still considers a necessary part of the process; despite the fact I KNOW it probably doesn’t matter except when tying show flies.
Besides; if I didn’t use head cement that little pin thingy on my nippers would go to waste!
Tying now, for 30+ years, I’ve always used a head cement, (I make my own), just because “I LIKE to” and I like the look it gives to a finished fly. I also have noticed that about 90% of the top water insects fish seem to enjoy eating, have “very shiny heads” and not “dull, flat colored ones”. Again, I doubt the fish take time to “compare head gloss” on what they’re about to devour and especially in fast moving water where they have 1/10th of a second to make their choice.
But, that’s “just me” and “my flies”!! I, don’t use cement, on anything smalled that an #18 though, (dries), because of weight added.
Cement was very first used, of course because earlier threads were not as “hi-tech” as today’s are and they’d absorb water, easily, making dries float poorly after a few fish and dunkings.
