How to Get Long Lasting Wings on Stimulators and Elk Hair Caddis?

[troutbert]

Any tips on this?

It seems like my elk hair caddis and Stimulators lose their hair wings pretty quickly, more so than with some that I've bought in fly shops.

Does anyone know the causes, and fixes for this?

 

[beeber2]

Sandfly hasn't replied yet, he must be sleeping in or out fishing, LOL.

It sounds to me like you are tying in too much hair at one time. Doing so will not anchor the material very well and it won't last too long. Tie in small bunches at a time and secure them with lots of tension, perhaps even a little head cement. You can stack additional bunches on top of an existing bunch.

Try it you might like it.

 

[shortrod2]

Two causes that I am familiar with:

1. The hairs break when roughly treated.

Fix is to use less brittle hair.


2. The hairs pull out, because you can't get enough tension hold them in place long term. (same problem that beeber described above)

Fix is to cut waste end at a low angle and place your tight tension wraps over the whole span. For the EHC and other flies that leave a tag of hair, I make a series of tension wraps at different levels of the bundle. (similar effect as beeber's suggestion with fewer steps)

 

[beeber2]

Good point shortrod. One more thing - make sure to clean out as much underfur as you can before you tie the hair in.

 

[Dale49]

Some may not like this suggestion because it changes the recipe to those flies but you may want to consider substituting snowshoe or CDC.

I had the same issues and went to those materials for wings and found it easier to lock in the materials and do quite well with those flies tied with snowshoe or CDC wings.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Dwight - Tie in your wing exactly like in this video.

No extra wraps of thread are needed, unless you're gonna cover the butt ends like you would for a stimmie.

The keys are having a tight thread base, and keeping tight tension on the thread until you whip finish.

The butt ends will flare out if proper thread tension is used.

The limiting factor as to the longevity of the fly is usually that the hair gets chewed off by the fish's teeth - not the wing coming undone.

 

[nfrechet]

you could also wax your thread for some extra grip

a drop or two of crazy glue on the butt ends then tie down the hair with tight wraps

 

[sandfly]

working outside adding another parking spot for customers and tilling the gardens. cleaning up there Beeber2 1/2...

the problem has been answered in the above replys.

 

[DGC]

Note Mathews or Helm tying comparadun wings in online videos. Do the same with your EHC or Stimulator wing: i.e., first wrap over whole bunch, then lift butts in successive small parcels and continue until all butt parcels are tied down. Use hair that does not flair too much. If it flairs too much, it is more hollow than you want and will not be durable. It also won't lay down for downwing effect (if that is what you want). Tha amount of hair also plays a part but is difficult to portray in writing--a "you know it when you see it" kind of thing.

 

[BradFromPotter]

All I use is 6/0 uni thread. Make tight wraps & never have problems with hair pulling out. Having a thread layer under your hair helps.

 

[lv2nymph]

^^This^^ & the HW vid.

 

[Cold]

The biggest thing that changed the way I tie in hair wings for this type of fly is a locking wrap. When you are tying in the loose clump of stacked hair, do your first wrap fairly loose around the hair *only*, then take a second loose wrap around the hair (now bound together) and the hook as well, then pull them tight.