Tying more durable flies

[afishinado]

Tips on tying flies that will last longer >

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/5-tips-help-your-flies-last-longer/7715233

 

[drakeking412]

Good read and happy to know I already do most of these things. I do get pretty lazy with the UV and sacrifice nymphs more than I'd like though. Hard to believe that size small wire gets shredded so easily!

 

[PennKev]

Good tips for the most part but I think a couple of the ideas presented miss the mark. The advice on the amount of hackle used is one of those. That should be a function/presentation decision. Also, the notion that modern hackle is more "expensive" than when the author's grandfather was tying is backwards. The cost per fly has almost certainly gone down with modern hackle as capes and saddles are so loaded with many long useable feathers. Indian hackle capes were a money pit in comparison.

Also, it should be noted that the way materials absorb UV resin really depends on the thickness of the resin and the material it is applied to. Thinner resins will definitely soak into some materials, and more importantly can become difficult to cure completely when this happens. A good example is resin soaked dubbing.

The tips regarding super glue are particularly good though.

 

[dryflyguy]

Interesting.
I'll have to give the GSP thread a try.

As for overhackling though, I don't understand how cramming more turns in there would make it last longer.
You still have to tie it down the same way at the end point anyway - whether you have 4 turns or 12.

FWIW - I tie all my flies sparse.
I'm convinced they work better.
I rarely do more than 4-5 turns, counting 1 behind the wing.

 

[nfrechet]

"Resin doesn’t allow for the free movement of material either, but it differs from superglue — or any other head cement — in a crucial way: it doesn’t soak into and through fly tying materials."

the thinner the resin the more it soaks in

 

[troutbert]

I no longer use any glues, varnishes, etc.

If you whip finish the fly, that will hold.

I've always disliked the smell of those chemicals, so finally decided just not to use them. They are not necessary.