video - Split Thread Technique

Fly Patterns
1

A short tutorial where I show the basic split thread technique - a must-have for any flytier’s arsenal of techniques, with a wide variety of uses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0R5BMlKZ7I

Please view in high resolution - if able.

Cheers,
Hans W

2

Hans,

First time I tried split thread was with Uni 8/0; as you stated, it “was hardly worth the effort”. Very nice video; thanks for posting.

Regards,
Scott

3

I have been using your split thread technique ever since I first saw it here some time ago. I really like it much better then a loop dubbed body. Thanks so much for sharing…

4

That’s a technique I should apply more often. This is especially pertinent during the colder months when my finger tips tend to crack and become rough making dubbing difficult. Thank you for sharing this with us Hans. :cool:

5

This is a technique I first came across in the 90’s in a Fly Fishing and Fly Tying article by Davie Wooton. That’s a great demo Hans and will help a lot of people (though I find the people who need it most will not bother to view it).

There is an additional tip if you find it difficult to split fine threads. Place your index finger behind the thread pointing toward you and run your finger nail up and down the thread. This will cause the thread to spread and give you a bigger target area to aim at with your needle.

You’ll notice if you watch carefully that Hans is using a bodkin made from a sewing machine needle (it looks like a Petitjean one to me). Sewing machine needles are designed to go through threads without damaging them. They make the best tool for this job, and it is easy, and inexpensive, to make your own.

Cheers,
A.

6

Indeed - 1994. The first ‘formal’ reference I have found on this technique. I remain amazed how recent this technique appears to be.

I would welcome literature (books or magazine articles) on the technique pre-dating 1994.

There is an additional tip if you find it difficult to split fine threads. Place your index finger behind the thread pointing toward you and run your finger nail up and down the thread. This will cause the thread to spread and give you a bigger target area to aim at with your needle.

Which is exactly what I do on the video.

You’ll notice if you watch carefully that Hans is using a bodkin made from a sewing machine needle (it looks like a Petitjean one to me). Sewing machine needles are designed to go through threads without damaging them. They make the best tool for this job, and it is easy, and inexpensive, to make your own.

Not quite, Alan - it is in fact a C+F dubbing needle - but indeed, sewing machine needles are also very suitable.

7

Here is a reference which slightly predates Wotton:

											Who can be sure of the first person to apply the split-thread technique? I know of several for whom I havedemonstrated it that indicate they have seen it before. Gary Kaplin sent me some written material from aclass Steve Gobin taught in San Francisco in 1992. In it Gobin tells how he uses a bodkin to split thethread, then "wax lightly and rub your dubbing down to lightly dust the thread with fur. Close the loop andtwist counter-clockwise." The technique is bound to have been around for some time, though I am surprisedthat I have not seen it before. Split-thread dubbing was first brought to my attention by Davy Wotton ofWales when I visited
				with him in May, 1994.
8

Thanks Byron. This was taken from something published, or? If yes, where/when?

Cheers,
Hans

9

Hans,
Here is the link:

http://www.fresnoflyfishers.com/files/Download/Split_thread_dubbing.pdf

10

Thanks Byron,

I will reach out to Wayne and take it from there.

Cheers,
Hans W

11

Hans,
You mention in the video that you can also make a smooth body using the technique. How would you do that? Roll the dubbing in between your fingers after you spin the thread? What would be the advantage over a “regular” dubbing noodle?
Joe

12

Hi Joe,

Good question. Perhaps my phrasing has left room for interpretation. What I meant to convey is that the choice of the dubbing, and the amount of twist, allows the tier a measure of control over the final look&feel. The full gamut from very coarse looking result to tight, segmented, bodies.

Another consideration is how short staple dubbing is handled. Some tiers struggle to twist short staple dubbing, for example mole, around the thread into a tight noodle. Using split thread this material handles very easily. Similar with very short staple synthetics.

Cheers,
Hans W