Split Thread Dubbing LoopFirstly, apologies in advance. Due to the complexities involved in photographing some of the following sequences, some of the pictures are a little lower quality than I would have liked. But, until I can get a couple of extra pairs of arms they are the best I can do. Don?t worry though; they are clear enough to allow you to see everything.
Dubbing loops are the most versatile techniques you can have at your disposal. As you will hopefully see in this and the next three posts, the opportunities are almost endless. We?ll start with the split thread dubbing loop, this is, I think the most useful of the ?loop? techniques. You can employ it to tie everything from large saltwater patterns all the way down to size 32 midges if you want. Its main advantages are that it?s quick and easy to perform, and it adds little if any bulk to the dressing. It doesn?t really have any disadvantages, the only thing you have to be aware of is that because you are splitting the thread it won?t be as strong as the traditional dubbing loop (shown in the next post) but, unless you are try to use coarse dubbing mediums, strength doesn?t really come in to it. Thread is not particularly strong and there is a limit to how much you spin it, it would be impossible for me to demonstrate just how far you can go, but with both the split thread and the traditional dubbing loops you will very quickly learn how much spin you can apply without breaking the thread.
Although the techniques employed to form the split thread and the traditional dubbing loop are different, once formed the techniques employed to apply the dubbing are the exact same for both loops.
Thread choice is important for the split thread dubbing techniques. Basically there are two types of thread, bonded and unbonded. Bonded threads are twisted and stuck together (for want of a better description) Unbonded thread is not stuck together. The bonded thread that springs to mind is UNI Thread, I?m sure there are others too. What this means is that because of the manufacturing process it is very difficult to split the thread. So for the spit thread loop it is best to use an unbonded thread. Typical unbonded threads are UTC, Benecchi, Roman Moser Power Silk, Gudebrod, (Gudebrod no longer make flytying threads, but there are plenty of places which still have stock left) Danville?s and Gordon Griffiths.
All of the above unbonded threads are suitable for the split thread loop. For reference I have used UTC70 in the following sequences.
Because you will need to flatten the thread to split it, it is important to know that all threads with the exception of Pearsall?s silks are spun clockwise. This means that to flatten them you will need to spin them anti-clockwise and when you spin the loop to form the dubbing rope you will need to spin them clockwise.
Below is a picture of bonded (on the left) and unbonded (on the right) threads. You can easily see which one is going to be the easiest to split.
To form a split thread loop wrap a layer of thread to where you want the loop formed, then spin the bobbin anti-clockwise.
If you?re lucky you will have a flat spot where the thread hangs off the hook. When to spot when you have spun the thread enough to take the twist out of it is something you will learn with very little practice. If you don?t get the flat spot next to the hook you can lay the tread, tensioned by the weight of the bobbin, across your index finger, then slide you finger up and down the thread a few times and you should be able to split the thread then.
To split the thread take a dubbing needle or darning needle or similar and preferably one with a blunt point and insert it through the (roughly) middle of the thread. Don?t worry, it sounds difficult, but in reality with a little practice it is actually quite easy.
You can see the split better here.
Once you have split it, gently coax the thread loop open until you can get your finger(s) into it, then continue coaxing it open until you have a loop large enough to work with. If the loop sticks when you are opening it, try turning the bobbing anti-clockwise a few turns, this will usually sort the problem. Occasionally though you will encounter a spool of thread which doesn?t split well. In this case try a different spool of thread.
That?s all there is to it.
You now have several choices on how you apply the dubbing.
The first technique here is to simply twist dub (See the twist dubbing post) the thread on one side of the loop.
Here I am twist dubbing some hare?s ear onto the thread. I am keeping the thread open with the fingers of my other hand.
Once you have enough dubbing on the thread..
Remove your fingers from the loop allowing the loop to close.
Then pinch the loop immediately below the dubbed portion.
Then with the loop pinched spin the bobbin holder clockwise.
When you think it has spun enough stop and hold the bobbin holder, then let go of the loop. The twist will shoot up the loop twisting the dubbing and loop into a dubbing rope. If need be you can ?force? the twist up the thread by holding the bobbin in one hand and gripping the thread at the end of the bobbin with the index finger and thumb of your other hand, then sliding your fingers up towards the dubbing rope will ?force? the twist up. If you haven?t put enough twist into the thread, simply repeat the process until you have. Once done it should look something like this.
Now it is a simple case of wrapping it to form the body. With practice you will learn how much dubbing to use so that the dubbing will run out exactly where you want it to.
As with the other dubbing techniques, with practice, you will be able to affect the final outcome by varying the amount of dubbing you use.
Another technique you can employ is to insert a dubbing noodle into the loop. This dubbing noodle is slightly different to the one shown in the noodle dubbing post in so much as the noodle is formed completely in the hand.
To form the noodle take a pinch of dubbing, hare?s ear here.
Then place it in the palm of your hand and using the index finger of your other hand gently roll it and work it?
Until you have a loose noodle like this.
Now form your split thread loop exactly as before and this time insert the noodle between the two threads of the loop.
Then, as before withdraw your fingers to close the loop.
Then grip the thread loop just below the dubbing noodle.
Then spin the bobbin clockwise to form the dubbing rope.
Finally wrapping as before to form the body.
This next technique is great for forming legs or, in this case, a hair hackle.
Form your loop exactly as described above. Then take a pinch of guard hairs, I?ve taken these ones from a fox squirrel pelt, in a bulldog type clip.
Then insert them into the loop. Once you have them in the loop, close and grip it, then release the guard hairs from the clip.
Adjust them for length by gently pulling on either the tips, to make them longer, or the butts to shorten them. Then carefully trim the butts close to the thread.
Then, again, exactly as above, grip the thread and spin the bobbin to form your dubbing rope.
This time when you wrap the rope, stroke the fibres back (to the left) with each wrap of the rope.
When you?ve done it should look something like this.
So there you have three techniques you can employ with the split thread loop. There are a few variations, (which will appear in future step by steps) but these three are all that you will need to master the techniques involved.
You can use one, two or all three techniques in a great many flies.
Here is one example of a hare?s ear type nymph where I have twist dubbed the thread onto the loop to form the body. Then I?ve inserted a dubbing noodle into the loop for the thorax. Finally forming a hair hackle to finish the fly.
Here?s one simple variation though for you.
Try dubbing both sides of the loop with different dubbing. To let you see the effect better here, I?ve dubbed one side with black beaver and the other side with white beaver.
Spin the loop as above and it looks like this.
And wrapped it looks like this.
Here is a fly I?ve tied as above, but this time I?ve used olive and yellow beaver. The thorax was formed from a split thread loop with a noodle of olive hare?s ear blend inserted. The effect is subtle and, I think, attractive.
If you want to get complicated you can combine the dubbing loop and split thread loop!
Here I have formed a dubbing loop then split one leg of the loop and inserted an orange and a black slf dubbing noodle into the split thread. Then I inserted a pearl ice dub dubbing noodle in the dubbing loop.
Then gave it a spin for an interesting dubbing rope.
Wrapped to form the body.
Then a rub with Velcro for the resulting body.
As you can see, once you?ve mastered the basic techniques involved you can let your imagination and creativity run wild.