BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FLY TYING
| What You Need | Tools | Materials | |||||
| How to | Tails | Dubbing | Palmering | Ribbing | Wings | Tying Flies |
DUBBING
Adding a material to the thread and winding it down the hook to form a body.
| Many threads are pre-waxed, but if
not apply a little beeswax to help hold the dubbing material to the
thread.
Don't overdo it, or you'll end up with lumpy bits of wax along the thread. |
 |
| Having chosen the dubbing material-such as a
seal's fur substitute-hold some between finger and thumb and take it to
the thread.
Now begin to rub your finger and thumb gently together so the material is worked into a rope. You can also buy ready-made dubbing ropes that make simple bodies. |
 |
| If your 'rope' looks lumpy and uneven like this
you've done it wrong, so try again.
It will take a little practice to get right |
 |
| This is what it should look like.
The dubbing material is twisted evenly along the thread and you are ready to create the fly's body or maybe a thorax.
|
 |
| You can now begin to wind the rope onto the
hook.
Do this in a clockwise direction. As each turn of thread goes around it secures all the fibrous material to the hook. |
 |
| Here I've made only a few turns to create a
small thorax for a nymph.
However I could easily have dubbed the whole body area as I did when showing you how to palmer and rib. If you finish with excess material just pinch it off. |
 |