# Fly tying



## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

Is there a special section for tying flies on here? Or do we just post in the fly fishing forum?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Post here, got a question or wanting to share pics?


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## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

I'm ashamed to say that I'm trying to find a household object to use as a hair evener. I'm tying elk hair caddis for this weekend and realized that I don't have the tool and don't feel like going to buy one.

Shame on me


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

You mean like a hair stacker? It wouldn't be perfect, but you might be able to use something like a small pill bottle if it is small enough to keep the hair upright. Put the hair in tips-down, tap it on a surface and it should even the tips. The trick would be getting it out without unevening it. 

With bucktail for streamers and other flies, I even it quickly by hand now instead of using a stacker, but that is longer hair and easier to do by hand than maybe a small bundle of elk hair.


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## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

I'm actually using bleached deer fur for the wings on the Caddis. I was talking to Brian Fleschig at MRO about it and he suggested deer would have a more appropriate buoyancy for Ohio than Elk. Therefore it is a small pinch since I'm tying on a size 14.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Go to Michael's and see if any of the beads designed to go on leather band bracelets and necklaces. The holes might be 1/8" or 1/4 inch or something. Craft stores have all kinds of crapola useful to fly tyers.


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## fredg53 (Sep 17, 2010)

sbreech said:


> Go to Michael's and see if any of the beads designed to go on leather band bracelets and necklaces. The holes might be 1/8" or 1/4 inch or something. Craft stores have all kinds of crapola useful to fly tyers.


Plus a 1000. Cheap and they work 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

benjaminrogers said:


> I'm actually using bleached deer fur for the wings on the Caddis. I was talking to Brian Fleschig at MRO about it and he suggested deer would have a more appropriate buoyancy for Ohio than Elk. Therefore it is a small pinch since I'm tying on a size 14.


 I use Deer fur as well. It has done very well for me. Granted I've never run it for Trout. But I've got some HUGE Gills and Crappie on Deer Hair Caddis


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## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

You use a bead as a hair stacker?



sbreech said:


> Go to Michael's and see if any of the beads designed to go on leather band bracelets and necklaces. The holes might be 1/8" or 1/4 inch or something. Craft stores have all kinds of crapola useful to fly tyers.


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## striperrams (Aug 26, 2010)

Ben, you don't use beads as hair stackers. You would use them on the fly for flash and weight. If you don't want to buy a hair stacker, you could use an empty bullet shell casing for one. A .22 caliber works ok for fine deer hair and a .45 or so for elk. Deer hair stackers are not too expensive so down the road you might want to purchase one. One thing you want to do before you stack your deer hair is comb out all of the underfur. You can use your fingers if you want, but look at the area of the deer hair that you cut off the hide and you will see fine underfur. This is what you want to rid the hair of because it will become waterlogged and make the fly sink. If you wnt your fly to sink...leave it there.


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## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

I didn't think so but I was confused a little bit. I actually have a small tupperware thingy ma jig that I'm using to stack the hair for now. Probably pick up a stacker next payday. Thanks for the clarification!



striperrams said:


> Ben, you don't use beads as hair stackers. You would use them on the fly for flash and weight. If you don't want to buy a hair stacker, you could use an empty bullet shell casing for one. A .22 caliber works ok for fine deer hair and a .45 or so for elk. Deer hair stackers are not too expensive so down the road you might want to purchase one. One thing you want to do before you stack your deer hair is comb out all of the underfur. You can use your fingers if you want, but look at the area of the deer hair that you cut off the hide and you will see fine underfur. This is what you want to rid the hair of because it will become waterlogged and make the fly sink. If you wnt your fly to sink...leave it there.


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## wabi (Jun 14, 2008)

I have read of making a hair stacker from a chapstick tube. 
Never tried it, but it should work!


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## Chuck42 (Jul 26, 2010)

a metal lipstick tube cap works ..plastic has more static..it will work but makes it harder to get the hair out


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## copperdon (Jun 3, 2011)

I lost my real hair stacker a year ago - I've been using the cap off of a sharpie marker, LOL, seems to work just fine.

Although I like Striper's recommendation of using shell casings.


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