Years ago I saw an OPST video on tying composite loops and ever since then I use them a lot in my patterns. This particular fly is a great one for trout Spey in the 2” version in a multitude of colors. Thanks for the video.
I haven't tied in about 6 years, and that was to tie just a few flies as a wedding present. After watching this video, I think it's about time to spend some time at the vise! Thanks and Blessings, and of course Tight Lines!!!
Great video and very nice flies. I love the way they turned out. As always, you make it look easy! First time that I've seen a Dai Riki 1000 pack in one of your videos :-)
Go with Whiting half capes. Probably High and Dry grade or Bronze grade. The Whiting capes are very available and are sold at nearly every fly shop and fly tying website. They also offer a HUGE range of colors, and the High and Dry half capes are fairly reasonably priced between $20-$30 a piece. The best thing to get, if you can find it, is a 4 half cape starter pack. This usually will include the 4 most common colors for a total of 2 full capes at a discounted price. The primary colors are White/Cream, Dun (medium, light or dark), Black, Grizzly and Brown. Those 5 are the most commonly used. I have several High and Dry and Bronze half capes and I can attest you get abundant feathers for size 16 - 6 or even bigger than 6. You will get some acceptable feathers in size 18, and maybe a few in size 20 but very, very few at best. If you require those specific sizes, a Whiting's 100's pack is the best option or a similar product like a Cape top, also from Whiting. The half capes also have incredible value for Woolly Buggers if you like your bugger hackle to be stiff, which I do. There are abundant size 10-6 feathers on any given cape and they are just about the best feathers for fly tying money can buy. Whiting capes are fairly high cost up front but they're likely to last you years and years unless you tie flies commercially. Other good brands are Keough and Metz, but they don't over nearly the same variety that Whiting has to offer. Remember this, Whiting is a company that specifically breeds chickens and roosters for fly tying and they've been doing it for decades. Their product quality is nearly unmatched, and i'm not even a spokesman for the damn company lol. I just really love their products and I stand by them as much as they do.
Daniel Clarke Seel although whiting is good, go with Metz half capes. They are larger capes than whiting. They are very stiff barbs on the hackles too. Metz also has better spade hackles on the necks for tying tails
Really nice video as usual. The only thing I would take exception with is the use of dubbing wax as it serves no purpose other than possibly making a gooey mess of things.
Actually, the sticky dubbing wax (you don't need so much that you create a "gooey mess") holds the dubbing material in place while you close down the loop and start spinning it. The wax offers a little extra insurance that all the carefully placed materials don't fall out of the loop and into a heap on your tying bench. I've tried several times without wax and it did not go well. But whatever works for you.
Great video Tim. I am going to tie some for Bass fishing. Was wondering if I should use some clear mono or Brassie size wire for a rib and brush the dubbing over top of it. Just for durability. What do think?
So it looks like the advantage of this style of dubbing loop is that you can stack multiple materials on top of each other in the loop. Any other reasons why this technique is preferential? Also, could a person just mix the rabbit and synthetic in a coffee blender and do a traditional dub loop? Thanks for the video, I always enjoy when you post a new one.
Hi Pat, I have used dubbing loops forever but am fairly new to composite loops. With composite loops, using materials with different properties you can build the form and action into the fly. If you google "OPSP" and "Jerry French" there are lots of videos that go into the details. Cheers! Hank
Pat, to me the advantage is as you said the ability to stack materials on top of each other. With composite loops I think you have far greater control of the final look than a traditional dubbing loop. As you can see in the OPST videos, you can also include and space a wide range of materials including feather fibers, herls and even rubber legs that would otherwise be very difficult to incorporate. There is really so much more to composite loops than I was able to include in this video.
![NLE Choppa - Or What ft. 41 (Orchestra Mix) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/biOFASEgSOM/mqdefault.jpg)
Two thumbs WAY WAY up on every level, excellent pattern, great tie !! L 👍👍🎣
Excellent video, both content and production. I learn so much from you. Thank you!
Years ago I saw an OPST video on tying composite loops and ever since then I use them a lot in my patterns. This particular fly is a great one for trout Spey in the 2” version in a multitude of colors. Thanks for the video.
Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge. Your delivery and hints are really good. Thank you.
I haven't tied in about 6 years, and that was to tie just a few flies as a wedding present. After watching this video, I think it's about time to spend some time at the vise! Thanks and Blessings, and of course Tight Lines!!!
Fantastic zonker! Thanks for the demo.
nice video!
Great video Tim, beautiful zonker. Alfalfa style, lol, didn't he have a cow lick too? Tim you're awesome, thanks.
Great technique thanks
LOL. "Alfafa Style". Awesome video!
Great video and very nice flies. I love the way they turned out. As always, you make it look easy! First time that I've seen a Dai Riki 1000 pack in one of your videos :-)
What is the purpose of the mono loop?
I was wondering the same. Maybe to provide structure to the back end of the fly...beyond the hook.
Hi. Would rabbit zonker work just as well ?? I don't have squirrel zonker.
Are you the same guy that voices "How it's made"? Sounds exactly the same!
Trying to get into dry fly tying. What cape/ saddle should I get?
Go with Whiting half capes. Probably High and Dry grade or Bronze grade. The Whiting capes are very available and are sold at nearly every fly shop and fly tying website. They also offer a HUGE range of colors, and the High and Dry half capes are fairly reasonably priced between $20-$30 a piece. The best thing to get, if you can find it, is a 4 half cape starter pack. This usually will include the 4 most common colors for a total of 2 full capes at a discounted price. The primary colors are White/Cream, Dun (medium, light or dark), Black, Grizzly and Brown. Those 5 are the most commonly used. I have several High and Dry and Bronze half capes and I can attest you get abundant feathers for size 16 - 6 or even bigger than 6. You will get some acceptable feathers in size 18, and maybe a few in size 20 but very, very few at best. If you require those specific sizes, a Whiting's 100's pack is the best option or a similar product like a Cape top, also from Whiting. The half capes also have incredible value for Woolly Buggers if you like your bugger hackle to be stiff, which I do. There are abundant size 10-6 feathers on any given cape and they are just about the best feathers for fly tying money can buy.
Whiting capes are fairly high cost up front but they're likely to last you years and years unless you tie flies commercially. Other good brands are Keough and Metz, but they don't over nearly the same variety that Whiting has to offer. Remember this, Whiting is a company that specifically breeds chickens and roosters for fly tying and they've been doing it for decades. Their product quality is nearly unmatched, and i'm not even a spokesman for the damn company lol. I just really love their products and I stand by them as much as they do.
Daniel Clarke Seel although whiting is good, go with Metz half capes. They are larger capes than whiting. They are very stiff barbs on the hackles too. Metz also has better spade hackles on the necks for tying tails
Very good.
Great video! Have you tried tying simi seal leeches?
Really nice video as usual. The only thing I would take exception with is the use of dubbing wax as it serves no purpose other than possibly making a gooey mess of things.
Actually, the sticky dubbing wax (you don't need so much that you create a "gooey mess") holds the dubbing material in place while you close down the loop and start spinning it. The wax offers a little extra insurance that all the carefully placed materials don't fall out of the loop and into a heap on your tying bench. I've tried several times without wax and it did not go well. But whatever works for you.
how big could you go size 6 is kinda small for toothy criters like eyes musky, pick, and pike so how much bigger could I go
Redneck Hippie depends on which material is used for the composite loop and you can replace the squirrel with rabbit.
Great video Tim. I am going to tie some for Bass fishing. Was wondering if I should use some clear mono or Brassie size wire for a rib and brush the dubbing over top of it. Just for durability. What do think?
Fly Fishing Eastern Sierras i gpt a some 3\0 and some 1/0s they should work i wpuld guess
That tag looks like the same tag as plateau fly shop
Awesome fly just need to make it articulated
My personal opinion- with the way the pine squirrel tail moves on this fly, an articulation is unnecessary and would simply add time and expense.
Anthony morabito that's what I was thinking
Fly Fishing Eastern Sierras
Where did you get the 1000 pack of hooks
Andreas Moland probably hagens
where did you get that elastic spool ring?
It's called a Sharkstooth from Maxima. If I had 50 of them it still wouldn't be enough.
So it looks like the advantage of this style of dubbing loop is that you can stack multiple materials on top of each other in the loop. Any other reasons why this technique is preferential? Also, could a person just mix the rabbit and synthetic in a coffee blender and do a traditional dub loop? Thanks for the video, I always enjoy when you post a new one.
Hi Pat, I have used dubbing loops forever but am fairly new to composite loops. With composite loops, using materials with different properties you can build the form and action into the fly. If you google "OPSP" and "Jerry French" there are lots of videos that go into the details. Cheers! Hank
Pat, to me the advantage is as you said the ability to stack materials on top of each other. With composite loops I think you have far greater control of the final look than a traditional dubbing loop. As you can see in the OPST videos, you can also include and space a wide range of materials including feather fibers, herls and even rubber legs that would otherwise be very difficult to incorporate. There is really so much more to composite loops than I was able to include in this video.