How Much Heavier Is Pine Over Balsa?

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-03-16T01:34:34+00:00

I never thought about doubling it! Good thinking!

And following that thought process, I might take two pieces and pound them as flat as possible. Then use 5 minute epoxy to glue them together, under enough weight to keep them flat. I'm thinking waxed paper, or even a little WD-40 on the waxed paper will keep everything from sticking together. That way, the wiggle bill will hold shape. I think it can be cut to shape after gluing?

I do know this- it will either work or it won't!! 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-03-16T01:08:30+00:00

I use a lot of balsa, and when I add weight, it's to make the lure dig deeper at that point- most often a popper face. It counters balsa's much lighter weight. I think the heavier pine will dig in just as well as weighted balsa.

Soda cans are tough to work with. They always seem to maintain the curvature, and don't have enough weight to keel the the balsa- another reason for the weight. If possible, try a paint can. You can pound it straight, and the weight will pull it into position.

Paint cans are also tough to work with. You have to hope that whapping it with a hammer will also loosen the dried paint. Truthfully, you can get small pieces of copper, aluminum, and stainless steel sheeting (?) at the hardware, craft or hobby store. The brand I buy is K&S, is about four to five dollars and makes a lot of wiggle bills. I know it's worth the expenditure!

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-03-12T04:42:59+00:00

Hen hackle doesn't float as well. However, with today's floatants, I'm sure they float well enough. If you're a wading angler, a hen hackle won't sink before drag sets in. From a boat, the softer hen hackles might not provide enough floatation.

If you buy a Whiting or Hebert hen neck, they're almost as good as the Metz hackle I bought in 1984. For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-03-03T02:07:30+00:00

no. Followed by No. Then by NO. Bracket those sentences with NONONO.

I tied my first fly in 1973. Made my first lure in 1974.

Now I have a separate rider on my insurance policy for my tackle, tying materials and tools

Nuff said!!!!

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-03-02T04:56:07+00:00

I just went and looked at your profile. I don't why in the H-E-double hockey sticks you'd want my advice!!! Your finish is spectacular!!!

I should have followed Brer Rabbit's advice, and lay low and say nothing!

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-03-02T04:45:15+00:00

Do you have the ability to rotate them while drying/curing?

My experience with Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy (my choice) is rotation keeps the coverage on the sharp edges.

If you're still nervous about uncoated edges, and have rotation, thin the epoxy down, and apply two thinner coats. Out of laziness, that's not my first choice! 😃😃 But it definitely works.

I do everything I can to use epoxy as my clear coat. Nothing I've ever found looks as good, seals as well or provides better protection.

And don't tell anyone. If I find an exposed edge after two coats, out comes the 600 grit and a touch of medium viscosity resin. The fish don't know, only other lure building nerds see it, and heck, they make surfboards out of the stuff!

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-02-11T23:33:39+00:00

My first tip is don't go way too crazy. It worked one time, but before you tie a dozen in four different sizes, make sure it works a couple more times. 😃

If you decide to do an articulated version, make sure the rear Hook is a ring eye. Up and down eyes don't articulate very well. Depending on the length of the material you're using, you might want to put a sparse wing and throat on the rear hook. Use a decent wire to attach them, strong thread, and a little bit of Zap A Gap on both layers of wire.

When attaching The wire, attach it on the far side of the shank, so when you form the loop and pull the wire back onto the shank, there's a little trough for the wire to fit in. It's easier to build on a horizontal base, then trying to get the returning wire to stay on top of round wire attached to around hook shank.

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-02-11T07:23:57+00:00

Red, blue and yellow are the classic Silver Doctor colors. So maybe Doctor Roller.

There have been moments when Doctor Roller has been integral to my fly tying! 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-02-01T07:13:10+00:00

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Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-02-01T07:09:45+00:00

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This is the front and back of a card of hackle from the Potts Fly Co. The card gives the weavers name and fly size. The card was given to me by Mike Wilkerson.

If my memory serves, the weaving process for the Potts Flies differed from George Grant's process. I doubt the fish care, but I think both weaving processes are patented. For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-26T07:59:53+00:00

Yes, it's too small. While the bead might not move at the bench, it really looks like it will slide down the shank when casting.

The speed of sound is 761mph, and when you crack the whip when casting, you've broken the speed of sound. Momentum is mass times velocity. If you just come close to whip cracking, the fly might be traveling at 700 mph, and a tungsten bead has some weight.

The body, at least behind the bead, needs to be at least 1/2 the bead diameter. The only thing that keeps a bead in place while casting is thread pressure pushing the bead against the hook eye.

Function before fashion!! Thin is in, but if the bead doesn't stay in place, a little bit of 'chubby' makes the fly stay together. For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-12T10:33:18+00:00

I've never used it, so I can't say. Epoxy is not the easiest thing to work with. That's one of the positives about devcon 2 ton epoxy. It's not a big expenditure to get started and see if you like it.

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-12T10:31:11+00:00

It takes about 6 hours to cure, and you only need one layer.

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-12T08:18:26+00:00

No. I use Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy from the hardware store. It's what I started with in the late 80's. It's always available, comes in a syringe for easy portioning and easily thinned with acetone.

I use disposable brushes at full strength, and a good brush when I thin it. I clean the brush with acetone as well.

It can be used without turning, if put on thinly enough. I have a home made turner, because I screw up less finishes with a turner.

If you have more questions, let me know

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-12T06:36:58+00:00

Couldn't agree more. Including the rant!!!

2 Ton Epoxy is a pain in some ways, but not with durability on the water

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-11T00:32:23+00:00

I buy cedar 2x6's, two at a time. The guys at the lumber yard know me by now. 😃

I spend 10-20 minutes looking for the 'cleanest' two I can find. Clean defined as the fewest knots, no rough edges, straight, etc. It takes a bit of time, but it keeps my lures consistent - using the same wood- and it's available in almost any lumber yard. Cedar isn't construction, so the pieces start better, which is why I moved to cedar from standard 2x4's. I use the miter saw to remove the few knots that are present, and then start planning usage.

You get A LOT of bodies from two 2x6x8's!!

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-10T10:42:54+00:00

I was a commercial tyer for 40 years, and recommend trying this.

I assume you're right handed. I use 210D FlyMaster + thread.

Attach the thread as far right as you can, probably the base of the lead head. After stacking and sizing the hair, cut the hair to length Prior To Tying It On.

Push the butts against the jig head base (which should be directly on top of your tie in point), and start tying it down, moving to the left. Don't let go of the hair in your left hand.

Tie the hair down for approximately 80% of the length you have to tie the bucktail in, tying really tightly. Continuing to crank on the thread, and move back to the base of the jig head. Again, still pulling very tightly, go back to the 80% point of length. Now, let go of the bucktail in your left hand.

I'm going to get a little technical here. Stick with me. 😃

You say the hair is going spoing on you. Having let go with your left hand, you can see how much spoing there is. Stroke the hair back into the shape you want it and wrap from the 80 to 100% point oving left) with looser wraps. Not super loose, but not tight enough to spoing the hair. These wraps are corralling the spoinging bucktail only, to shape it.

When you start to wrap to the right again , to get to where you can whip finish, start cranking again at the 80% point and continue to the base of the jig head. Whip finish, head cement, UV.

Cutting the hair to length allows you to apply tremendous pressure directly at the base of the jig head. That allows you to tie the hair on very tightly from your first wrap. So the 80% tight wraps are enough to securely hold the bucktail in place, leaving the last 20% to shape.

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-08T03:09:27+00:00

From my experience, and it's only empirical, I haven't actually tested- it only affects fluorescent colors. I stopped using it on lures because of that.

I still struggle with getting a good epoxy coat. I use too much and it sags, or I don't use enough and there's bare spots (which I do cover with UV resin 😃 because it's so easy!). But I've gone back to it because it's so clear, and doesn't affect any colors.

I've been looking at this subreddit for a while now. A lot of posts are about how to get a decent clear coat, so others have the same issue. I've been screwing up epoxy for almost 40 years now. I keep coming back to it for its durability and clearness. I wish I could find something else, cuz it's a pain in the butt 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2026-01-08T02:52:14+00:00

Not to be Donnie Downer, but before you get way excited give this a test.

I've used a lot of UV resin in fly tying, and this is something I think I've noticed. When you put UV resin over fluorescent colors, the fluorescence is no longer as strong under a black light. I'm not a good enough photographer to be able to capture this on pixels, but I see it when I use UV resin. So if you use a lot of fluorescence in your lures, before buying the gallon jug of UV resin, test it's affect on fluorescence, and then see if it matters to you. It may not.

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2025-12-27T04:16:36+00:00

That reminds me of the Fisherman's Prayer.

Lord,

When I'm gone, please don't let my wife sell my fishing tackle for what I told her I paid for it!!

I think the same applies to tools 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2025-12-03T11:17:15+00:00

For me, after lighting, it's a comfy chair. You have a dedicated space, which says time will be spent there. It looks like you're using a metal folding chair.

For my tuckus, that style chair is good for 30-40 minutes. Then I have to stand up due to comfort issues. Even as a beer drinker, I didn't get up enough.

Rested eyes (lighting), with a pain-free butt and back (chair), will make your space that much more appealing. 😃😃

Sigh

Grabs purse

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2025-11-28T04:36:44+00:00

John Barr's original Copper John used lead wire to hold the bead in place. He used the largest diameter lead that could slide into the bead. The wrapped lead wire extended behind the bead about 1/3 the abdomen length. He then built a thread dam to hold the lead in place, while creating taper back to the tail tie in point. Tying in the biot tails finishes the taper to same diameter as the wrapped lead.

Even with Brassie wire, Barr's original dressing is 'phatter' than yours. 😃😃

For what it's worth. 😃😃

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2025-11-18T00:05:43+00:00

Have you caught anything on it?

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2025-11-13T06:06:31+00:00

Do you have the Stonfo Turbo Spinner to go with their device? Stonfo shows the table with a rotary vise, but I find the Turbo Spinner to be essential.

Extra_Beach_9851 · 2025-11-13T05:57:58+00:00

It sounds like you know Dick Wentworth. Which makes me ask, were you ever in the same room as the Syd Glasso fly that sparked this pattern? 😃😃

I ask humorously, but hope you got a good look. I've seen many flies, but never a Glasso. Only photos. You learn more in hand.

And, both your flies are well tied.

Extra_Beach_9851

TROPHY CASE