Spinning Deer Hair

[jacob]

Happy Tuesday!

I just started spinning deer hair, and after a few mice- I've got a pretty good handle on it.

I wanted to reach out for any suggestions / other techniques to spin hair consistently and predictably. I learned by watching Kelly Galloup tie up a zoo cougar, FYI (youtube galloup tying zoo cougar, I am sure it'll come up). Basically, it's a wrap to seat the hair, a second wrap to tighten down a bit, a half wrap to start the spin, then a wrench down to spin it around once before moving forward...

Anyway, it makes sense to me to do it this way, but was wondering if there were any other techniques that might be worth checking out? It seemed odd to feel like I had everything under my belt after a couple of tries (fly fishing!), or maybe spinning deer hair was just one of those things I've been over-thinking.

Thanks!

 

[JeffK]

Don't over think it - you seem to be doing fine with the spinning technique.

I would make suggestions on other fronts. Learn how to select deer hair for spinning. Starting with good body hair is essential. Thin, crinkly hair that doesn't spin can be a nightmare to work with.

Learn to pack hair and figure out when you need to pack tight or loose. For example, many people like a muddler head to be loosely packed for less flotation and theoretically for sound of water passing through the head. Bass poppers on the other hand need to be densely packed so they float like a cork and hold up for years.

Finally, learn to trim with old fashioned safety razor blades. Trimming with scissors is a mess and leaves a rough finish (which some days you may want - some caddis fly heads are rough). Using a razor blade is quicker and leaves a smoother finish. For example, to get a smooth head on a Dahlberg Diver it really helps to use a razor blade.

 

[nomad_archer]

I agree with Jeff. I find selecting the hair and trimming to be more difficult than the actual spinning. The hardest part for me is driving all the way to the fly shop only to find that the hair is terrible.

 

[Muskyman]

One important tip is to spin deer hair on the bare hook shank. In Kelly's video on the zoo cougar, he covers the head of the fly with thread. I am sure he knows what he is doing, great tying videos, but to me, the bare hook shank, makes it much easier.
You can also stack hair without spinning, this can solve some tying problems particularly when the shank is covered with thread or materials.

 

[jacob]

Funny you mentioned the dahlberg diver- I tied one up but am having difficulty posting a picture (actually the night of the original post). I'll keep trying to share it

 

[jacob]

Got it to work...