In this one, I share some basic tips for working with epoxy, and cover a couple of substitutes.  Epoxy is used for many trout fly patterns like the Copper John, Flashback nymphs, and Clouser Minnows.

I use the 5-minute epoxy that comes in the double-barreled syringe from the hardware store.

• The 5-minute epoxy goes on thicker and is easier to control than the 30 minute variety
• The syringe makes it drop-dead easy to measure the proper mix
• These are available everywhere (grocery store, craft store, drug store, etc.)

Tips

• Tie all your flies first, then add the epoxy in batches.
• Work in small batches, 3-4 flies each for each batch of epoxy.
• Use junk mail catalogs to mix the epoxy, they have a smooth surface and are disposable
• Use toothpicks to mix and apply the epoxy. They are expendable and free (after you finish your Grand-Slam breakfast)
• After the epoxy cures, add a light coat of glossy head cement for a little more sparkle
• If you do use 30 minute epoxy, let your flies cure on a drying wheel. You can make your own for about $20 in materials. Mine is pictured below, which was assembled with a BBQ rotisserie motor, a Styrofoam wheel from the artificial flower section of the craft store, a bolt with threads filed into a square to match the rotisserie, a piece of sheet metal, and a heavy wood base.

Better yet, don’t use epoxy, use a substitute.Tuffleye & Loon Knot Sense are products available at the fly shop. These are a bit more expensive and require a UV light source. However, they are a lot more convenient than epoxy. Your time saved is worth the expense. This stuff is a single part gel, that cures pretty much instantly when exposed to a UV lamp.  The lack of mixing saves a bunch of time and mess, and the instant cure allows you to shape the gel with your bodkin, then zap it in place.

Notes from the podcast:

Tying faster
Production fly tying – not just for pros.
- Faster you tie, more flies in your box, more proficient & efficient
Planning & preparation
- choose simple patterns over complex
- Elk hair caddis, x-caddis over Goddard
- Joe Roope patterns from the FFOTW board.
- Bunny leeches & zonker strips instead of buggers
- Zebra midges, shop-vac, etc instead of copper john
- Plan to tie a bunch of a single pattern
- Clear your tying desk
- only have the tools & materials you will use out on your desk
- clean, uncluttered workspace
- Prep materials
- size and pull hackles off the neck/saddle
- put beads on the hooks
- spare spools of thread pre-threaded on spare bobbins

While tying
- sissors in hand. Get used to it
- mind your wraps.  2 to 4 wraps instead of 10 to 12
- keep a couple of inches of thread out of bobbin
- put each tool down in same place, put each material in same place
- hands are good tools
- Use fingernails to strip hackles, chenille, etc
- hand whip finish
- Don’t skimp on durability, though
- half hitch here, drop of glue there doesn’t add too much time
- learn from experience. I rarely counterwrap palmered hackle now, but always secure peacock

When we tie a fly, we put a twist in the thread with each orbit around the hook shank. After 20-30 revolutions, the thread gets twisted into a tight rope. The twisted thread makes it more difficult to build a smooth base, and makes it really difficult to create a soft loop to tie in materials. The soft loop collapses and twists up on itself. See the thread in the rear is wound tight. (I used uni-stretch for this photo).

Right-handers can unwind the thread by spinning the bobbin counter-clockwise.  Left-handers, like much in life, you are on your own to figure it out (I imagine spin clockwise, but this is left as an exercise for the left-handed reader).  Also, you can just let the bobbin hang for a while, it will unwind on its own.

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