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#1
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Bad Hare Day
I've found the method I normally use for determining the the amount of hair to use on say a Humpy body or calftail wing, (eye of hook diameter size clumps) just isn't precise enough anymore. Anyone know a quick way to count the deer hair fibres to be used over the back of a humpy? I've found that the natural hairs tend to vary in diameter along their length, (don't get me started on the oval cross- section stuff ...sheesh), this can present problems when calibrating an automatic counting system. Just where do you use the micrometer to measure the diameter? At the approximate tie-in point? I looked this up in the "Benchside Reference" and couldn't find any info on it. I wonder why. Anyway, after the count is complete (I manually add/remove hairs to get the right number) a sub-sonic vibration system separates the hairs into coarse goupings: long, middling and short. Generally the short hairs are unuseably short and are disposed of so the count has to be done again. Finally when this (re-)iterative counting process is done, the hairs (largely long and middling) are again vibrated to even the tips. After this they are ready for use. (Calf-tail presents its own engineering problems. Because of the kinky fibres they are less prone to sit flat for the counter, or separate using the vibration techniques. The fibres with a high KTL ratio are both difficult to count, and measure (length and/or diameter).) Given the difficulties working with the natural product, I'm seriously considering ditching all the damn hair I have and buying uniform cross- section, non-tapering synthetics. I will be avoiding Hi-Viz, Kinky Fibre and Streamer Hair for wing materials. Is there a synthetic with all the "good" properties of deer hair? Calf-tail? Do they make it with colour coded butts to indicate material thickness, and useable length? No? Good. Steve (Kink To Length) |
#2
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Bad Hare Day
"Stephen Welsh" wrote in message
. 1.4... I've found the method I normally use for determining the the amount of hair to use on say a Humpy body or calftail wing, (eye of hook diameter size clumps) just isn't precise enough anymore. Anyone know a quick way to count the deer hair fibres to be used over the back of a humpy? I've found that the natural hairs tend to vary in diameter along their length, (don't get me started on the oval cross- section stuff ...sheesh), this can present problems when calibrating an automatic counting system. Just where do you use the micrometer to measure the diameter? At the approximate tie-in point? I looked this up in the "Benchside Reference" and couldn't find any info on it. I wonder why. Anyway, after the count is complete (I manually add/remove hairs to get the right number) a sub-sonic vibration system separates the hairs into coarse goupings: long, middling and short. Generally the short hairs are unuseably short and are disposed of so the count has to be done again. Finally when this (re-)iterative counting process is done, the hairs (largely long and middling) are again vibrated to even the tips. After this they are ready for use. (Calf-tail presents its own engineering problems. Because of the kinky fibres they are less prone to sit flat for the counter, or separate using the vibration techniques. The fibres with a high KTL ratio are both difficult to count, and measure (length and/or diameter).) Given the difficulties working with the natural product, I'm seriously considering ditching all the damn hair I have and buying uniform cross- section, non-tapering synthetics. I will be avoiding Hi-Viz, Kinky Fibre and Streamer Hair for wing materials. Is there a synthetic with all the "good" properties of deer hair? Calf-tail? Do they make it with colour coded butts to indicate material thickness, and useable length? No? Good. Sounds to me as if you're wasting a lot of time and effort tying your flies. Vibrating the hairs to sort them? No way. I don't waste no time sorting out hairs. I guess at how much I'll need, cut off a clump based on the size I guessed, and tie them in. Of course sometimes I cut a bit too much, but then I'll just thin out the clump a little until I get to the desired size. As far as tying calf-tail, I pretty much gave up on trying to even the tips. I'll put it in the hair stacker and give it a few taps for ****s and grins (some of it may even actually even out) and then tie it in. Of course, when cutting the hair, I pull it out at a 90° angle to the tail and then cut it. This will help even the hair. I don't think flies have to look like they were tied to exact, specified ISO-9000 specifications. The fish are not going to notice one or two hairs that are a little too long. (of course if they are that noticeable, I pull them out of the clump after the hair stacker ordeal.) Fly tying shouldn't be a pain, it should be fun. Otherwise it would be a four letter word like "work." |
#3
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Bad Hare Day
"Stephen Welsh" wrote in message
. 1.4... I've found the method I normally use for determining the the amount of hair to use on say a Humpy body or calftail wing, (eye of hook diameter size clumps) just isn't precise enough anymore. Anyone know a quick way to count the deer hair fibres to be used over the back of a humpy? I've found that the natural hairs tend to vary in diameter along their length, (don't get me started on the oval cross- section stuff ...sheesh), this can present problems when calibrating an automatic counting system. Just where do you use the micrometer to measure the diameter? At the approximate tie-in point? I looked this up in the "Benchside Reference" and couldn't find any info on it. I wonder why. Anyway, after the count is complete (I manually add/remove hairs to get the right number) a sub-sonic vibration system separates the hairs into coarse goupings: long, middling and short. Generally the short hairs are unuseably short and are disposed of so the count has to be done again. Finally when this (re-)iterative counting process is done, the hairs (largely long and middling) are again vibrated to even the tips. After this they are ready for use. (Calf-tail presents its own engineering problems. Because of the kinky fibres they are less prone to sit flat for the counter, or separate using the vibration techniques. The fibres with a high KTL ratio are both difficult to count, and measure (length and/or diameter).) Given the difficulties working with the natural product, I'm seriously considering ditching all the damn hair I have and buying uniform cross- section, non-tapering synthetics. I will be avoiding Hi-Viz, Kinky Fibre and Streamer Hair for wing materials. Is there a synthetic with all the "good" properties of deer hair? Calf-tail? Do they make it with colour coded butts to indicate material thickness, and useable length? No? Good. Sounds to me as if you're wasting a lot of time and effort tying your flies. Vibrating the hairs to sort them? No way. I don't waste no time sorting out hairs. I guess at how much I'll need, cut off a clump based on the size I guessed, and tie them in. Of course sometimes I cut a bit too much, but then I'll just thin out the clump a little until I get to the desired size. As far as tying calf-tail, I pretty much gave up on trying to even the tips. I'll put it in the hair stacker and give it a few taps for ****s and grins (some of it may even actually even out) and then tie it in. Of course, when cutting the hair, I pull it out at a 90° angle to the tail and then cut it. This will help even the hair. I don't think flies have to look like they were tied to exact, specified ISO-9000 specifications. The fish are not going to notice one or two hairs that are a little too long. (of course if they are that noticeable, I pull them out of the clump after the hair stacker ordeal.) Fly tying shouldn't be a pain, it should be fun. Otherwise it would be a four letter word like "work." |
#4
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Bad Hare Day
Given the difficulties working with the natural product, I'm seriously
considering ditching all the damn hair I have and buying uniform cross- section, non-tapering synthetics. I will be avoiding Hi-Viz, Kinky Fibre and Streamer Hair for wing materials. Is there a synthetic with all the "good" properties of deer hair? Calf-tail? Do they make it with colour coded butts to indicate material thickness, and useable length? Perhaps it's irreverent, But I use foam for the "hump" and Needloft "plastic canvas" yarn for the wings. vince |
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Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Snowshoe Hare | Stephen Welsh | Fly Fishing Tying | 21 | May 11th, 2004 06:38 AM |