Working with dubbing

[fishinbub]

First of all, a new tyer may not even know what dubbing is. Dubbing is fur, cut into pieces and wrapped around the hook.

Most dubbing is from rabbit, but it is also made from possum, muskrat, beaver, and synthetic materials.

Some dubbing comes already cut and blended to a specific color. I find it much cheaper, to just buy a few hares masks in the color I need. Hares masks are a very good source for dubbing.

If you are making your own dubbing get some very fine hare and trim it into small pieces.

If your thread has been pre-waxed just take the dubbing in your index finger and thumb, and hold it onto the thread. Rotate your thumb and index finger back and forth rubbing the dubbing onto the thread. Once you get the dubbing attached well, wrap the thread onto the hook, creating a dubbing body.

If your thread is not pre-waxed, pick up some wax from a tying shop. Just rub the wax onto the thread in the area you want to dub.

[b_mason]

Hey fishinbub,

Great post. I like to dub without wax. I use slightly wet index finger and thumb, as little dub as possible to do the job. I will twist the dub in one direction around the thread. Then wrap around the hook. It works well, less mess. I try the wax when I was being taught how to tie. I found that I could dub better without the wax.

[dcarp]

Ditto Fishinbub - Good post. I\'m with b_mason with spit thing, it works just fine for most dry fly materials like rabbit, muskrat, mole or beaver. I only use dubbing wax when working with coarser material (like angora or seal substitutes) or spongy materials (like bear underfur) that are difficult to control. I tie salmon/steelhead patterns so most of the time I\'m making a dubbing loop (or rope). You can usually eliminate the wax then as well because fibers get trapped in the loop and held snug.

Here\'s a couple links to PDF documents I wrote recently regarding dubbing if anyone is interested:

Dubbing Materials

Dubbing Methods


Tight Lines!

Dave

[halcyon]

The word "dubbing" or "dub" is a very interesting word in not only fly tying but in the English language. It has three equally used definitions. Namely "dub" or "dubbing" is the word used to describe chopped or short length fibrous material such as rabbit fur or seal fur or trilobal carpet yarn (i.e., SLF). It is also the word used to describe both the application of the "dub" or "dubbing" material to the thread; and to define the operation of applying a thread containing "dub" or "dubbing" to a hook to form a body or body part of a fly. For a beginner in fly tying "dubbing" can be both confusing as to meaning and difficult as to application.