Fly Tying Skill Builder #9 | Cutting Corners, Clumps of Dubbing & Squirrel Soft Hackle

These SKILL BUILDER videos will help you along your Fly Tying Journey! We choose three tips per week and post them on Fridays!
In this video we show you why I always cut the corner off my dubbing bags - Hint - It's to make your dubbing loops EXTRA clean. The clump dub technique is often overlooked, but it can make a unique looking leech or clean collar on the front of a fly. A patch of squirrel is a great option to make soft hackles and we're going to show you how make a super clean collar out of it.
Full Fly Tying Skill Builder Guide:
www.flyfishfood.com/pages/ski...
This video will show the following:
Chapter 1 - Cutting corners off of dubbing bags (Difficulty 1/5)
Chapter 2 - Clump dub technique (Difficulty 3/5)
Chapter 3 - How to make a squirrel soft hackle collar (Difficulty 4/5)
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Fly Fish Food
00:00 Introduction
00:29 Cutting Corners Off of Dubbing Bags (Difficulty 1/5)
02:45 Clump Dub Technique (Difficulty 3/5)
04:56 How To Make a Squirrel Soft Hackle Collar (Difficulty 4/5)

[@erichineman7916]

I've tied flies for close to 30 years now. I love these videos because I'm self-taught and I love seeing different techniques that I never thought of on my own.

[@FlyFishFood]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeffwelker1513]

My favorite of the skill builder series thus far. Especially fond of the squirrel soft hackle technique. Keep 'em coming.

[@justaguy111]

Great point about split thread vs. the dubbing loop. This series of tips is fantastic!

[@FlyFishFood]

Yup. Me no like split.

[@thomas.bill92]

I've always liked loops because I prefer uni thread and it's not fun to split but I've never thought about it from this point of view! I guess I'll just keep on tying with my loops!

[@thomasfischer1601]

This video series is awesome!! Keep it coming

[@pdtacticstrainfortheprobab2782]

Can't begin to tell you how helpful these videos have been. I started teaching myself to tie a year now, and these are exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you!

[@andrewwebster13]

I get ideas in my head and say oh wait I can use that technique to pull that off. Keep these going.

[@mikehulsey4813]

Another skill builder video idea came to mind this morning as I sat going through the website putting another cart together, and so I figured I would share the idea that was delivered to me by the good idea fairy. An all tool video, but not just this is a bobbin, and this is a dubbing twister, and this is an etc. etc. What would be awesome would be a video that focused on one tool, for example a bobbin. You could show a few different styles and sizes of bobbins and explain when each would be better suited to be used. This would help new tiers understand the differences between styles, sizes, materials used in the tool, and when and where it would be best to use them. I bring this up because when I started I purchased quality items, but I purchased based on appearance only and thus slowed the process of learning down because I didn’t understand at the time that a ruby tipped midge bobbin might have been more beneficial when tying patterns below size 18, or that an adjustable tension style bobbin would have been better suited for larger threads when tying streamers and needing max thread tension, or that ceramic bobbins were better suited for GSP. I apologize for the novel on a KZbin comment, however if there is this much difference in just bobbins, what else may confuse a new tier, like the dubbing video idea I mentioned, maybe someone new to the game won’t understand why Cheech chooses to use one dubbing spinner over another. Have fun and may this lead to increased sales, but don’t worry, I typically spend my allotted allowance from the wife with you guys anyway, so you’re safe lol

[@SherpaBT]

love how you use the tool to get the squirrel under control from the start!! very nice

[@ronniemilsap7716]

I love these videos! Split thread vs loop.... I never split thread because I'm lazy but how you said you can trim excess off. I never thought about that. You totally couldn't

[@jamesmerrill4745]

I've been cutting the corners on my dubbing bags and dubbing is way easier and looks better. Thanks Cheech. Expert tip. Great videos as always.

[@avflylanche]

These instructional videos are great. Please keep them coming.

[@edwardmlotkiewicz2343]

Great tips. I especially liked the soft hackle method you used. Thanks ,again, for a great tying tips video.

[@Fuji-San-Lego]

Nice. Going to have to incorporate that technique into some flies

[@seanfalconer7182]

Hey Cheech! Man, I really appreciate you doing these Skill Builders. I've saved each one and always look forward to the next! 😎

[@FlyFishFood]

Thanks!

[@TheSkyIsCrying]

Good stuff! Thanks for doing these. It helps us beginners.

[@sigurdurmarolafsson4183]

Yet another great video. ❤❤❤

[@mikehulsey4813]

Good stuff

[@raykollecker3084]

Id love to see a video on wings especially realistic wings. Im wanting to make a mantis and grasshopper i just havent figured out how to make wings for it. Ive seen a few for dragon flies suggestions on those would be great as well.

[@mikehulsey4813]

Keep it up with the dubbing technique videos, although I wish you would do one complete video on nothing but the dubbing techniques. When I suggested it back in like skill builder two or three, I meant to say like an all inclusive, on stop shop for all there was to know about dubbing techniques. There are just so many, from the complex twist, clump dub, twisted, split thread, touch dubbed with wax, and lots of tools you could showcase with that one as well with the use of the petitejean clip, cdc clips, schmehan twister, and on and on. I see soo many videos where someone that may have been tying for 25+ years will stop a video to twist up more dubbing, and more dubbing, and more dubbing, and twenty five minutes in you get to see them wrap the body of a buggar. Anyway, I’ve learned that there are just soooooo many different ways to just dub a body, especially depending on what you want to achieve from a shaggy nymph body that has been brushed out like crazy, to a split thread dry fly dub that has been twisted so tight that you see every rib with each wrap of thread, that it would be about time to get them all in one place. Only Cheech could, or even would be crazy enough to except this challenge, although I could think of maybe one other anal retentive tier that would consider doing it. Danged perfectionists…….make us all sick, and look like a bunch of noobs I think is what my kids call it now. We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy! Just do it already Cheech!

[@FlyFishFood]

Yeah. We’re on it. We’ve already filmed many weeks in advance. It will be good

[@mikehulsey4813]

@@FlyFishFood I can’t wait to see the rest of these guys. I’ve been tying for years now and I’m teaching my sons, one is 21 and the other 9, it’s amazing how much you forget to demonstrate when you sit down with the intent to teach specific topics, and I’ve found that the older one at times can feel intimidated when we tie together for whatever reason, so I’ve just switched to letting Cheech teach them, who better, right? Keep it up

[@gregwasko5821]

Great job as always, Cheech.. Thank you ! Greg Wasko ... How about one with the skill of the Swiss Multi-tool..

[@ken92008badtown]

Another great video. Learn something new every time. SUGGESTION: How to get 2 perfect symmetrical dark stripes in my beard. What color dubbing do I use?

[@FlyFishFood]

😂😂😂

[@jbpipes9551]

That clip is money... I need one.

[@mikehulsey4813]

Well, they sell them on the website. Worth their weight in gold and I’m constantly using mine

[@markschafer2843]

How about different dry fly wing techniques

[@Dcarg]

What is the name of that clamp you use for dubbing and where can you get them?

[@robertfrancisco1193]

nice job, one day i hope to be as good as you!!!!!!!!!!

[@mikehulsey4813]

Takes a lot of years and tons of natural creativity, but if you work at it, practice, and your honest with yourself it can be done

[@FlyFishFood]

Give yourself a couple of weeks tops.

[@ryantherock7664]

Some ice dub like hareline uv hot orange and shrimp pink are almost impossible to dub.Other shades like peacock black and uv pink are reasonably straightforward to dub.No idea why…

[@Fly_Fishing_Fool]

Even if you catch a 22" fish, keep the beard