Tying off flies

[Rory McMahon]

Im just curious, but who here uses head cement for there flies. Also, who has a whip finish tool. I dont use head cement.I think a normal whip finish knot is good enough. And i dont see why people use a whip finish tool, it works just as well with your hands, ithink it is just a waist of money.

[Longs for Cutts]

Whip finishes are tighter when using the tool, and some (including myself, and I've been tying professionally for five years) find that they are easier to put where we want them using the tool.

Head cement is necessary on flies that you expect to use a while. One tick against a rock or a few sharp teeth and the head of an uncemented fly will unravel. If you expect to fish your flies until they're destroyed, that's not a big problem. If you expect to fish the same fly all day long (steelheading, streamer fishing for trout) it is.

[rainbow]

I'm old school and dont use whip finisher. I only started to use cement a few years ago. The cement Is a must have now. And I will always tie my own knots.

[John Hicks]

Trout,
The lack of head cement is exactly why I tie all my own flies now. I have had many bought flies come unravelled after a toothy fish or two. Head cement is an integral part of my tying. Just my 2 cents

John Hicks

[Mike Wade]

I tied flies for 34 years without a whip finishing tool. Finally got one and now I wouldn't be without it.Much tighter and easier to place the thread where you want it.Also, I consider head cement a necessity to keep flies from unravelling.Cement is also handy for hairwing flies.

[Daryle Holmstrom]

I have both tools, one I have figured out, the one with the tensioner hav't figured out yet. All else fails I'll do the hand whip finish. Use to use head cement but not anymore. By the time I catch up to five trout I usually retire the fly for a new one. Except for the chiros, the ones I tie are coated with the hard as nails polish. They'll probably last the season unless I break one off from setting the hook too hard. Lately I've been using invisible mending thread from the local ladys fabric store. It works great and with my shaky hands I can't even break it if I try. LOL, If I do a fly that calls for a certain color I'll use that. And back to using head cement, with flys using soft hackle such as parthrige (sic) or mallard or soft hen hackle I was always afraid of it leeching into the feathers. Daryle

[Chris Allen]

I've used both the whip finish and the double hitch to tie flies for a little over ten years now and I find the whip finish to come unravelled too easily. Trout, if you're going sans head cement, I'd highly recommend learning the double hitch. However as others have said, head cement is a must if you expect to catch more than a few fish with one fly. Its really not that expensive.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I used to hand whip finish until the arthritis in my hands got bad enough I couldn't. Now I use the tool and am kicking myself for not getting one sooner. As stated by others, cement is necessary of you expect flies to last for more than a few fish.

[John Hicks]

I used to hand whip finish until the arthritis in my hands got bad enough I couldn't. Now I use the tool and am kicking myself for not getting one sooner. As stated by others, cement is necessary of you expect flies to last for more than a few fish.
As stated by a master.

[kodiaksalmon]

As everyone else has said above, I use cement, if not epoxy on flies that will take it. As far as the whip finish tool, I don't believe it's a waste of time at all. For as fast as a practiced tier can whip a head with their fingers, a practiced tier can do it faster, tighter and cleaner with a tool.

Jeff

[ceviche]

Instead of thread cement, I often like to use clear nail polish. It doesn't seem to need a second coat to glue the threads into place.

[rainbow]

Diddo, My girls have to hide there stuff from me.

[Don Johnson]

I have tried the tool and find that doing it by hand is faster (already have the tool to hand!) and I can more-easily and quickly place the whip finish anywhere on the shank of the hook than I can with the tool. It's all pretty personal though and the one time I can think of where the tool really is handy is when my fingers are calloused, dry or rough which causes the thread to fray badly doing the finish by hand.

As for strength of the knot, I am curious to hear how one would gauge strength of a hand-tied whip finish vs. a tool-tied one; what's the scientific logic and supporting evidence behind that hypothesis?

My heads are always cemented, sometimes with numerous coats.

[Hywel]

I don't use a whip-finishing tool, per se. Nor do I whip finish 'by hand'. The method I use is more of a 'rod wrap' and is facilitatated with a bit of fine tippet material.

I always use head cement, usually Veniard's Cellire and never fewer than three applications.

Hywel

[Smalma]

The longer that I tie the more I have simpliefied my tying. Have always finished my flies with a double whip finish done by hand. Never have a problem with the head coming undone. About 15 years ago I dispensed with the head cement (prior to that point used clear finger nail polish as well).

Without head cement I have seen no shorting of the life of my flies - in fact I have caught as many as 37 bull trout on a single streamer - the 38th broke my leader (I was testing a new brand). I think the double whip (usually 5 or 6turns each) provides all the durability that I needed.

I realize that the above is contra to what most do but it works for me and I have been tying for nearly 50 years.

Tight lines
Curt

[jbrodie]

I use both. I have used one of those small plastic bottles with the "hypo type needle" that you squeeze and fine drops of cement drop out for years. It is fast and neat, Jim.

[mr trout]

Well, I have a method I use that hasn't really failed me yet. I use a whip finisher because it is much quicker and easier for me. But instead of one big whip finish, I will do two, with 3-4 wraps per time. That way, if the first layer gets nicked, There is still another layer of knots holding the fly together. I also use a half hitch from time to time when I get to the head of the fly so even if it unravels, it can stiull be used in an ugly, albeit functional form...
I just never have taken a liking to using head cement.... I dont think I have seen the benefit/effort ratio get high enough... but whatever, to each his own.:thumb: