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The Pinprick!

2K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  blackbird 
#1 ·
This pattern originated as a chironomid addict's emergency! In 2005 a friend of mine from Kamloops was camped at Dragon Lake in the Cariboo region of BC for the start of his two week holiday and there were naturals emerging in hordes all day long and he didn't have a thing in his chronie box to match. He phoned me, described the naturals and said a mutual friend would be up at Tunkwa in two hours to pick them up before joining him at Dragon. Well it turns out the pattern was the solution to the problem and the original Dragon Lake Special was born.

Since that day I've had amazing success with this pattern in all four western provinces but especially in the Parklands of southwestern Manitoba. After an incredible day in June 2011 on Patterson Lake I changed the name to The Pinprick as that was the service it performed that day. I won't quote numbers or sizes but suffice to say I straightened out the hooks on 8 flies. Anyone who has been to the Parklands knows that the fish there are beasts and you need extra strong tippet to coax 'em in.

Very simple pattern, two colours of UTC70 thread (Wood Duck and Rust), silver or brown beadhead and silver wire rib. The posterior gills are not necessary as I've tied them with and without and haven't noticed any difference.
 
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#2 ·
Since I'm completely new to this Chromie thing, how do you guys get such a smooth coat on your flies?

I just have a $15 vise (so it obviously doesn't rotate), and I'm using the brush that comes with the nail polish bottle...

I think someone on a different thread suggested (to someone else) to thin out the SHHN. Should I do that?
 
#3 ·
I think someone on a different thread suggested (to someone else) to thin out the SHHN. Should I do that?
If the bottle of SHHN is fairly new you should not need to thin it. The key is to use multiple thin coats so if you are getting any sagging of extra SHHN you are using too much. The person who I learned to tie this style of fly from uses up to 5-6 thin coats.

Also make sure your thread is flat as you wind the body. Each time you wrap the thread it will start to twist so every few wraps give the bobbin a spin to reverse the twisting to keep the thread flat. The UTC70 is an especially flat thread so makes for a nice thin, flat body.
 
#10 ·
I'm all for trying different things, but I think I'll wait until I "graduate" as a chironomid tyer before I buy that stuff. :p

I wonder what the real difference between that stuff is and SHHN or similar. I'm not questioning your validity of it, just wonder'n...
 
#11 ·
I'm all for trying different things, but I think I'll wait until I "graduate" as a chironomid tyer before I buy that stuff. :p

I wonder what the real difference between that stuff is and SHHN or similar. I'm not questioning your validity of it, just wonder'n...
I have never used SHHN, but the major advantage of CCG is that it dries extremely fast and is very thin. SHHN naturally dries while CCG dries with use of a UV light and it is dry within 5-10 seconds
 
#13 ·
I have tried two different types and I have yet to find one that doesn't dry tacky. I don't want to have to mess with wiping them down with alcohol or something else to remove the tackiness. So I have gone back to Hard as Nails for small flies like Chironomids. If I am doing shellbacks or heads I might consider UV products.

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#19 ·
I have tried two different types and I have yet to find one that doesn't dry tacky. I don't want to have to mess with wiping them down with alcohol or something else to remove the tackiness. So I have gone back to Hard as Nails for small flies like Chironomids. If I am doing shellbacks or heads I might consider UV products.
Mike,
I agree. I tried CCG which claimed to be tack free but it wasn't. Maybe they finally got it right with Hydro.
Board member Silvercreek sells a tack free uv product I've been using for awhile now. It is tack free and his light is way more powerful then my CCG light.
SF
 
#23 ·
UV cure resins can be pretty thick for applying to a chironomid pattern, at least thats the case for what I have used.

So I prefer SHHN for chironomids. Use a new bottle, be sure to drain and wipe excess off the brush and the stem of the brush before applying, then apply liberally, but quickly wick off the excess by touching the underside and letting the excess drain off. The surface tension while its still fluid should pull it into an even coating. You cannot dawdle or apply over and over again for this approach to work.

When using UV cure resins, there are two ways to overcome tackiness. It stays tacky on the surface because oxygen inhibits the curing reaction. So for patterns where it makes sense, like a thorax back, or scud back, you can cover the resin with some clear plastic wrap and then cure it through the plastic, and pull the plastic off. Or you can cure it normally but then take it outside in the sun. The sunlight is so much more intense, it can promote the cure even if the surface is exposed to the air.

Jay
 
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