Prism Dubbing

**Troutastic** · 11-24-2009, 04:20 PM

Is there a trick to getting this stuff to stay on your thread? I was messing around with it last night, and can't seem to get it to stay on. Usually when I'm using dubbing I just lick my fingers and twist it on that way, but it doesn't seem to stay on very well. The consistency of this stuff is a little different than normal dubbing, and I was wondering if anyone uses anything special to keep it on, like wax or glue.

**Silver Creek** · 11-24-2009, 05:40 PM

I suppose you could touch dub it or a dubbing loop or split thread technique. However, first I would try the following technique.

Take the dubbing and then spin it around the thread using the standard finger roll between the thumb and index finger pads. Then slide the dubbing up the thread to the tie in point.

Take two thread wraps which traps the top of the dubbing under the thread. Now the dubbing can no longer spin freely around the thread because the top is trapped.

Now do the finger roll to tighten up the dubbing to the amount you want and without releasing the bottom of the dubbing, wrap it around the hook.

**Walshmiko** · 11-24-2009, 08:34 PM

Try using less material, you may be trying to put to much on in one shot..

**Davyfly** · 11-24-2009, 09:00 PM

I would have to watch you to see what the problem.

You will find as a rule that natural material such as rabbit will dub easy as it is a compressible fiber.
100% synthetics are very different and much has to do with the nature of the material as they will differ.
When l was developing the SLF products l spent hours working with combinations of different fiber so as it became more easy to handle and dub,created good effect and transmission quality, without the use of wax or any other product, which l hasten to add l never use, with the exception of touch dub, which is a very different matter as by and large with this you will wish for the thread used also to be exposed or visible or just a very small amount of the material used visible.

Using dubbing wax will often as not destroy the visible effects you are after as it tends to clog the material to the thread.
If you do understand and know how to work with the various dubbing materials it really is not needed, believe me.

You can take for example the same material and use one of the many techniques of dubbing, each one will give a very different effect to the fly body.

The choice of thread you use can also be the issue.
Personally l dislike Uni for many reasons, l use either Danvilles FM 6/0 or Wapsi 70 Ultra.

How you tension the thread during the process also matters, in fact you should be able to dub any material on copper wire as you would for a thread core.

iI

**Davyfly** · 11-24-2009, 09:19 PM

Had to take a call.

OK, seriously Prism is not a difficult material to work with as it is a compressible fiber.

Here are a few tips.
I assume you have the Prism single packs and not the 30 section box,

This trick will apply to any dubbing you obtain in the pack.
Cut at one lower corner about a 1/4 to 3/8 cross cut section. Now start to tease out the dubbing from this corner, when you do this you will pull the fiber into a length wise direction, this is important.
If you take them from the pack as most do, they are often jumbled in cross section, if they are more so in length wise direction it is way easier to cause them to twist around the thread core, if other wise you have to tease the material down the thread base in order to obtain a good dubbed noodle.

Hard for me to explain all this but l am sure you will figure it out.
It is also a neat way to keep your packs tidy and ready to use, avoiding having to open and shut the zip lock packs.

If there is any common mistake it is using way to much material, way better to build up in stages than have to drag it off.

As a matter of interest l use my left hand to dub and do so in a anti clockwise direction, that is my thumb rotates left to right over my finger going left to right, this allows for me to maintain during the process perfect tension and control with my thread, without ever having to let it go or have to change hands which results in loss of thread tension as often here given what l am looking for for visible effects l twist the bobbin during the dubbing process.

At the end of the day l would argue that dubbing is one of the most difficult techniques that the fly tyer has to master.

It take practice, no doubt of that to deal with the many options of materials available.

Come to think of it Aaron we can include this for TPO when we do the clips with me.

DW

**LopatNympher** · 11-25-2009, 01:55 AM

[quote author=Silver Creek link=topic=3805.msg29391#msg29391 date=1259098836]
I suppose you could touch dub it or a dubbing loop or split thread technique. However, first I would try the following technique.

Take the dubbing and then spin it around the thread using the standard finger roll between the thumb and index finger pads. Then slide the dubbing up the thread to the tie in point.

Take two thread wraps which traps the top of the dubbing under the thread. Now the dubbing can no longer spin freely around the thread because the top is trapped.

Now do the finger roll to tighten up the dubbing to the amount you want and without releasing the bottom of the dubbing, wrap it around the hook.
[/quote]
Thatis exactly how I do it.