50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #31

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear

#31  Blue Winged Olive And Thread Body

Hook:  Firehole 419 or choice, sizes 16-20 (size 18 pictured)
Bead:  2.0mm gold tungsten lacquered and colored with indelible pen (Size 20 requires 1.5mm bead.)
Thread: 12/0 Bennechi, olive
Tail:  Olive hare's ear underfur pulled from the cheek area on hare's mask.  Remove guard hairs. Keep tail thin.

Rib:   Hends, gold 0.1mm,
Body:  Thread
Wingcase:  Veevus pearl colored with indelible ink
Thorax:  50/50 mixture of brown and olive hare's ear.  Lean more so on the underfur

Notes:

(1)  I came up with this exact pattern nearly 30-years ago and it remains my favorite BWO nymph! Very effective.
(2)  Copper or olive wire can be used for the rib, but gold appears to be more effective.
(3)  Various shades can be applied to the body, tail and thorax with an indelible ink,
(4)  To get the olive effect on the bead simply apply a very thin coat of head cement and allow to dry. Once completely dry color with indelible ink.  Wait a few minutes for the ink to dry and apply a thin overcoat of head cement.  Complete several in advance to speed up the tying process.
(5)  The wingcase is also colored with indelible ink prior to tying on the shank.  The end result is a deep olive green color

Tier's Tip: Better Heads With Applicator Brushes

I cannot think of anything worse than tying a picture perfect fly only to ruin it by pooching the head and surround area with head cement.  Too much and it soaks in to the fibers behind the head, binds the hackle, covers the eye, dries noticeably (white), etc.  Come on... admit it....  It has happened, right?  Well, multiple the feeling of failure times ten after spending 3 to 4 hours on a single Atlantic salmon fly only to have it happen.  Man's best friend will immediately leave the room and want nothing to do with you until your mood reverts back to normal!

You've probably noticed I rarely specify applying head cement in the step-by-step instructions for trout flies.  Why?  For trout flies it isn't a necessity if you double/triple whip finish or end in a spot the whip finish is buried, e.g., behind a bead unseen.  However, when the need arises for head cement, I apply it to the thread and then whip finish.  This lacks the gloss and luster, but there is no mess and suffices for locking the wraps.

There comes a time when a tier is ready to step up his or her game and strives for small, neat, and professional looking heads.  Streamers, buggers, leeches, traditional wet flies, steelhead, salmon, and of course, display or commercially tied flies instantly fall into this category, but many enjoy the "bling in the fly box, too." How do you accomplish perfection without the expletives when applying head cement?  There's always the old fashion way of thinning the heck out of your head cement and applying it by barely dipping the tip of the bodkin... However, getting a small enough drop on the end of a finely honed bodkin tip can be tough- especially after a few cups of coffee. And doesn't it seem something magically sucks the drop off the tip and the head cement runs to a spot you don't want it to with a bodkin?  All is fine and dandy if you don't care too much, but liquids are automatically drawn to a softer (or absorbing) surface from a hard (non-absorbing surface).  Here is a great hack for getting those perfect glossy heads.

When you first purchased a bottle of head cement with the applicator brush did you think to yourself, "What the heck am I doing to use that brush for?"  Unless you intend to tie really big flies, there is no need for that brush and probably resorted to UV resigns or epoxy to finish the fly.

(New bottle of head cement with applicator.  Note wide brush width.)

With the new brush, simply remove excess head cement with a paper towel, clean thoroughly with thinner, and cut back the bristles on the brush to the main sizes of flies you tie.

(This brush has been trimmed down to five remaining bristles for fine work.  You may trim down even further to just two bristles for extremely fine work).

(Trimmed down brush compared to the original.)

I would recommend saving a few brushes and/or trimming to different sizes as you deplete stock. These can be cleaned in thinner, air dried and stored in zip-locks or half empty bottles of thinner, if desired.

 

For application, dip the tip of the brush into the head cement.  Much like a painter utilizes a paint can, use the side of the bottle to force the excess cement to the tips of the bristles.  Approach the thread with the tips of the bristles extending just past the area you intend to cover.  Then draw the brush towards yourself over the head.  Use the rotary feature of your vise to coat the head 360-degrees. This ensures an even amount of absorption of head cement into the thread.  Allow to completely dry before applying additional coats

It may take three or more coats of head cement to achieve the smooth, glossy look.  I will stress, even though you might have made a mistake or a wild fiber protrudes, allow the head cement to completely dry before applying another coat or fixing anything.  If the head is not thoroughly dry, mistakes are much more noticeable on preceding coats of head cement.  On display flies, I may wait a whole day before applying an additional coat of head cement!

As mentioned above a liquid will be drawn to a soft absorbing surface from a  hard surface. Since the bristles and thread are both absorbing (soft absorbing) entities you control the head cement instead of the inevitable with the bodkin.

(After seven coats of head cement a mirror-like head appears!)

Enjoy!

Tier's Tip - Better Flies With A Clean Bodkin

Much like a butcher utilizing a sharpening steel between cuts of meat or a barber honing a straight edge razor on a leather strap, the fly tier should consider keeping his or her tools in top working order, too.  One such tool of our trade that needs attention every so often is the bodkin.

The bodkin has a myriad of helpful duties, but it's main use is applying head cement.  I also find the tip of the bodkin extremely useful for applying other agents such as lacquer, UV resigns, epoxy and super glue for delicate work or applying/setting eyes.  With regular use these agents, as well as very fine particles of tying material, will collect/build up around the tip and shaft despite the occasional "pinch wipe" between the thumb and finger or swipe across the pant leg.  This build up is magnified more so with the thicker or sticky agents resulting in bigger and uneven drops of head cement on the bodkins' tip.  Now magnify this with the head cement starting to thicken as it eventually does.  How many times have you completed a sharp looking fly only to have head cement travel and gum up materials around the head?  

Keeping your bodkin point clean makes all the difference in the world if you are striving for a professional looking fly, e.g., heads on display or smaller flies.   A small tear drop of head cement (or other agent) on a sharp and clean point significantly aids the tier in precise placement and control. The end result is a great looking fly!   

Here's how to keep your bodkin clean as a whistle:

1)  Grab an old 35mm film canister.   You're probably asking, "Where in the heck do I get one in this digital age?  Any of the big stores that have a photo center!  Yes, places like COSTCO and Walmart still develop film...  They usually have a ton sitting in a box behind the counter and will gladly give you all of them for free!  If you can't locate them there- Ebay.  It will cost a few dollars for a dozen or so, but they have other uses, too!

2)  You'll need three or four SOS pads.  A Dollar Store (or equivalent) usually has small boxes. Ensure all of the cleaning agent has been removed and allow to air dry.  Once completely dry, pack as much of the steel wool in to the canister as you can and place the top on.

3)  With your bodkin, poke a hole directly in the center of the canister's top.  You should noticed a little friction from the canister's top and denseness of the steel wool.  Slightly widen of opening by heating the tip of bodkin with a lighter for a few seconds and reinsert bodkin.

A few quick jabs into the steel wool before and after a tying session (or as needed) will not only keep the bodkin tip clean, but you will soon notice a finer and sharper tip!

Enjoy!

Tier's Tip - Packaged Dubbing

Learning to dub?  Want to speed up your tying? Tired of waste?  Here is a neat little trick I learned many years ago.

With the labeling facing you, right handed tiers can make a small 45-degree cut at the bottom right corner of the dubbing package (bottom left corner for left handed folks) and remove a little dubbing.   Not only does this minimize the amount of dubbing drawn for each fly, but with a little practice, the package can be held in the opposite hand up to the thread and dubbed simultaneous without  ever opening the zip lock! Now, if I had three hands I shoot a picture....  Hopefully, you have the idea.

Small 45-degree cut

A small amount of dubbing has been drawn from the package.

When you are finished with the dubbing, simply tuck the material back in to the package and store.

Enjoy!

Thread Comparison (and Helpful Tips)

The folks at In The Riffle have posted a excellent short video on thread comparison among three major players in the fly tying market.  At just under 10-minutes in length there is a lot of knowledge to gain in just characteristics and attributes.  Definitely worth a few minutes of your time!

Wouldn't be nice if one thread tackled all of our tying?  It would surely alleviate the need for several spools of thread! (Oh... that's part of the fun though!) However, for the beginning tier advancing in tying skills, you'll soon discover how threads differentiate in strength, material to material, to the even quality (eye appeal and strength) of the finished product.  Learning to choose the right thread and using it correctly will elevate your tying skills immensely.    There are many tying techniques of yesteryear still alive and well, but many new techniques call for a different size and/or attributes of thread you might be not acclimated to.  For example, let's take a look at a split thread dubbing loop which has been around for years.  The loop can still be formed with a round thread, but a flat thread makes the task so much easier.  And without squinting too hard! With this technique, UTC thread is an excellent choice for splitting the thread with a dubbing needle due to it's floss-like attribute. Round threads come recommended for stiffer or coarse materials such as metal tinsels, wire, some synthetics, and hackle where a little extra strength is required without too much worry of fraying.   Again, this is just a recommendation. I could write a tome on tying threads and their applications/attributes.  Rather, I'll leave you with a few helpful tips. 1)  Use the smallest diameter thread you can comfortably tie with appropriate to the pattern.   Not only does this help teach thread control, but flies will look more professional overall - especially the head - with practice, of course. 2)  Leave the scissors on the desk!  If you start a fly with a foundation of 6/0 (or smaller) thread along the hook shank leave approximately 6-inches for the tag end.  Instead of grabbing for the scissors simply give the tag end a good tug back towards the eye of the hook and it will break cleanly.   You might only save a few seconds, but add those seconds up over a period of time!   3)  Unless specified in the tying instructions utilize the bare minimum wraps to secure materials. Another time saver.   Additionally, you'll find this practice especially helpful on some Atlantic salmon, steelhead, and a few traditional wet flies. 4)  Make a habit of grabbing a extra spool of two of thread when you visit the fly shop.  We can become so focused on procuring the newest materials to hit the street we often forget the most important- the thread.  There's nothing like getting home and sitting down at the tying desk only to discover the right size or color of thread is missing.  Trust me!  5)  Ever had thread break for no apparent reason?  How did it become weak?  Most tiers automatically assume "it was a bad batch"  This is possible however, you might consider your tying space as a suspect with the offender being direct sunlight.   Direct sunlight punishes just everything on the face of the earth over time and will weaken thread in a heartbeat.  While fancy racks and tool holders look great, keep spools and tools organized, I opt to keep my extra thread in wooden cigar boxes out of the sunlight altogether . A Night Dancer tied on a size 5 Alec Jackson utilizing 10/0 thread.