My buddy Ovi saw a guy from Atlantic Outfitters tying saltwater patterns at a Fishing Expo and curing the heads with a UV light. Ovi told me about it.
All my flies have brown heads. This acrylic head gunk supposedly cures clear. I found a thread from 2006 started by Bob Popovics on Stripers Online, where the master tyer said this:
As far as the cost goes, it probably is more expensive than epoxy but not that much. There is no waste since no mixing is involved. No excess on the mixing paper after the fly has been made. I apply the stuff directly from the syringe onto the fly, when I am satisfied with the shape and coverage, I light it up and in about 8 seconds it’s hardened. No obnoxious smell, no cleaning of my bodkin, no papers etc. The cost comes back positively many times after you use it. The light is the big investment but I could buy ten or more lights if I got rid of so many junk items that I bought in the past. What about an epoxy turner? Don’t need them anymore. How much did they cost? Give it a try first. That is all I suggest.
One of the coolest things about this stuff is seeing it get CLEARER in the sun! When first applied, the stuff has an amber tinge to it. A couple of hours in the sun and its CYRSTAL CLEAR! FOREVER! Great stuff.
BobPop”
Endorsement enough for a hack tyer like me. I made my way to Atlantic and came away with a tube of Loon UV Knot Sense and a blue light. I haven’t tried the flies in the water yet but, man, is it easier to set the head shape. And I didn’t feel like some crazy glue sniffer at the end of the night.
Pete McDonald
That product rules. I also like the idea of coating leader knots with the stuff to avoid hangups in your eyelets. I have that problem all the time fishing my little TFO 3 weight. Never fails, I try to take line from the reel only to have the nail knot stuck in my top eyelet.
Very Nice!
i’m a hack tyer too, and instead of epoxy, i’ve been using Fletch – Tite. Seems to do the trick….but it is stinky and you do have to leave it on the vice while it dries.
I’ve been looking at this system too; you’ve convinced me…
Yeah I saw Josh Stanish use this stuff on the weekly fly and have wanted to buy it since….
… but, I probably ought to use up that giant twin-tubed package of epoxy first…
Watched a Danish chap the other week on Vimeo using the same process. will be looking into this more after reading this article.
Top Post Pete.
Pete, your post inspired me to go pick some up on my lunch break. I came away with the blue light, UV knot sense, and a Lamson reel that I have wanted for too long. haha.
gotta pick me up some of that too. Great photo.
stuff rocks, except it doesn’t set w/out the UVs, so if you don’t hit it long enough it stays tacky and sticks to all your stray fibers.
The technique sounds excellent, but I’m extremely disappointed you won’t be sniffing the good stuff anymore.
Where does Fishing Jones go from here, if you always have a clear head?
Think of your readers, bub.
good stuff….we’ve been tying beach glass minnows w/it and it makes good smooth heads and bodies w/a glassy transluscence….Marsh
You inspired me to buy a tube of this stuff this weekend. Only our local megalomart didn’t have the the UV light. They expected us to use the sun!! I did manage to find a $7 clip light for a hat that says it uses UV LED’s. I’m thinking the stuff woudl be a great replacement for head cement even on smaller flies.
Wonder if it would work whilst rod building?
Chris, Murdock, Mark, Rob, any thoughts after trying?
MG, no worries, I’ll keep a jar of head cement open just for effect.
Can you build me a 7’6″ six-weight?
….Sure….as soon as i build me a 12 weight.
yeah, it is awesome – malleable bullet proof glass – can shape nice heads and it covers up all kinds of sins by a crappy fly tiers. and the extra bonus is that nobody really cares if it’s expensive because you are saving so much cash tying your own flies.
seriously, it is all of the above except the money saver. my impression is that these heads are the least likely to fail of any part of the fly, no matter how you tie and what eats it, but i can’t say for sure because i haven’t fished with them enough to watch my prediction come true. or false.