Fly Tying: Spinning Deer Hair - Tips and Techniques

[@manifestgtr]

Dude, this is one of the best fly tying tutorials I’ve ever seen. Clearly demonstrated and explained *with purpose* so that concepts are more practically applied.

[@fishdikk]

Ohhhh man!!!! You are AMAZING!!! I’ve stayed away from deer hair for the longest. I had a horrible time with it. This video saved me many more years of frustration 🙏 thank you x1000

[@seanfalconer7182]

Gunnar, you're going to hate me for this, but in a good way, I hope. I'm guessing it was around 40 years ago now, but Andre (Andy) Puyans taught me the exact technique that you're sharing here. It's surreal to watch this. I know your technique came from hard-won experience. I had the good fortune and the benefit of having an amazing friendship with a fly fishing luminary. Hah! I almost wept as I watched this video. You are an incredibly talented tyer, and if I could I would give you a standing ovation!!! Thank you so very much for posting this. Love, and respect to you Sir. ❤😎👍🏻

[@hillhurst7]

I watch many videos from lots of different people. You are head and shoulders above everyone else. You explain things very very well.

[@cyclewerx1]

Gunnar - you do such a great job teaching / instructing in your videos. There are so many of us that really really appreciate the time you put into it. I’ve learned a great deal from you and am so thankful. Stay safe and thank you again!

[@maniachill3069]

First time watcher, I SUBSCRIBED halfway through. Excellent tutorial. Hello from Maine.

[@badgerfishing]

Pushing the deer hair down and around the hook like that is a simple and brilliant little tip. Thanks, Gunnar!

[@zachconner7715]

Great info! I have always shied away from tying deer hair heads in the past because I couldn't get them to spin correctly. Thanks! Time to hit the vise and give it another shot!

[@ericblackshear3297]

Been tying for a few months and this is BY FAR the most helpful video I've seen to date. Great video and super helpful. Thanks Gunnar!!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Awesome to hear Eric! I really appreciate that man!

[@Podobed]

Was never big into pencil thicknesses. I think the fly tyers thought of a pencil thickness is really a sharpie. You've done a great job of showing the biggest key to stacking deer hair- true slack when doing those first few wraps. Right one Gunnar.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thanks man, and I totally agree with the pencil thickness thing.....just watch the end of the Skinny Dipper vid.....I go on about it for like a full minute, haha.

[@bradleystokes3277]

We’ll said dude. Where I live there isn’t a big saltwater fly community and the nearest social fly shop is a couple hours away so I’ve never tied with anyone or had a seminar or anything, so KZbin and books are all I have. It’s almost sad that it took me a as long as it did to realize the pencil thickness thing meant nothing… my take is Brammer and Galloup are right when they say you have to just tie enough and practice enough where knowing the amount is automatic and intuitive for the specific fly and hook size. Took me a lot of money and deer hair, but I feel like experience is the only way to get the right heads 😂

[@coflyfish3382]

Thank you, Gunner, for saving us from years of frustration, well at least for others. No guaranty for me; however now it doesn't seem so daunting.

[@nickporter9976]

Thanks for the video Gunnar. I have always struggled with deer hair and after watching your video I feel more confident to give it a whirl again.

[@arnebucu8096]

Great tutorial! Started tying the muddler minnow this weekend. Had trouble with spinning deer hair and came out with, fishable, but awful looking muddlers! Learned techniques that will surely shorten my learning curve. Really appreciate your efforts to share your expertise!

[@debpaskall3061]

Thank you Gunnar for saving me those years of frustration. Very good instructions.

[@hankvana2149]

Thanks Gunnar! Perfect timing - Zoo Cougars and Dahlberg Divers were on the agenda for this weekend's tying sessions. Think that subtle maneuver of pressing the hair down is going to be the ticket for better heads.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Right on Hank! Glad you liked it, enjoy tying man!

[@paulalbright7324]

Thanks, very much. I've not tried your method of pushing the hair down and around the hook shank but the way you described the problem with the bundle of hair traveling around the shank perfectly describes what I have always experienced. I'm looking forward to trying this. Thanks again for the excellent presentation and attention to details.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thank you Paul! Best of luck tying man, hope it works for you!

[@stephennolin8129]

Been struggling with deer hair to get something fishable. Your videos are great !! Well paced packed with info!! My skills are growing Thank you for your guidance.

[@joesweeney7216]

I've always struggled with deer hair work. I've watched a ton of videos going way back to the pre youtube pre CD days of video cassettes. None of them mentioned distributing the hair around the shank with finger pressure before spinning. I never could figure out why my heads were coming out eneven. Now I know. That is a great tip! Also I like how you trimmed the butts of the collar before tying in the stacks. That's another area where I've struggled, smothly transitioning from the head to the collar. Thanks for another great video!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thank you Joe! Best of luck tying man!

[@tidesmanflies6465]

Fantastic explanation, better than I've gotten from most "professional" tyers. Still struggling with spinning deer hair but I'll get there...

[@seanmooney3907]

Thanks Gunnar, I have tied many deer hair flies and been frustrated that the heads, more often than not were lopsided in hair thickness. So no matter how I cut them none of them fished the same. I think you just told me the nugget I needed to know to get some balance to the flies. Thanks so much for specifically mentioning the push around the shank before spinning. All the best, I've learned so much from watching your video's. All the best, Happy New year to you and yours. Sean

[@TGging]

Being able to teach is a gift and you have the gift. Thanks for the video. It helps a lot.

[@timwirt5042]

Thank you so much for making this video. Spinning deer hair has always given me fits. I can't wait to try them with this new information.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Awesome Tim, best of luck man!

[@modernflyfisher5091]

Great video Gunner. I too took forever to figure this out. This will be a great resource for newer tyers for years to come.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thanks Charlie, I really appreciate that man!

[@KevinDufflev]

Good vid and tips . When I first started trimming heads I put masking tape over the wing to protect it . It comes off really easy .

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thanks Kevin, sound like a great tip man!

[@bluetoad2001]

man you just explained and showed how to spin deer hair like i've never seen done. all good

[@Tony-vj5ev]

Cool trick I saw, was using a hot solder iron and burn a small indentation for the eyes. Gives it a super cool look on spun poppers

[@Stratollac]

What a great video! The explanation and demonstration clarify spinning deer hair in a way I’ve never been able to understand before.

[@kurzhaarguy]

Nice adaptation and explanation of Kelly's techniques.

[@jamesvatter5729]

Thanks, Gunnar. I needed a tutorial video like this years ago. It would have saved countless hours of frustration! Well done.

[@daniellinehan9064]

I think his voice is a big part of the reason I was able to stay and watch all the way through

[@timwaters7253]

Good Grief! Your video brings consistency that my streamers have lacked. Thank You!

[@finsfeathersandfur7799]

Whenever I get stumped it's up to you and Kelly to help me out! Well done great video

[@terrhian677]

Thank you for taking the time to show us how to spin deer hair with your method. I just started to practice this art of spinning deer hair and I notice one side always have more hair than the other. Your method makes a lot of sense. I’m surprised Kelly hasn’t commented on your method! Kelly has already mentioned your idea of using hair clips to hold flared marabou out of way on one of his videos. (^_^)

[@dctackleoutdoorsupply9296]

Excellent instruction on deer head work. For sure some takeaways here Great job!!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thanks you Dale!

[@Utahlonghorn]

Really great tutorial on spinning deer hair. Thanks!

[@donaldascare7154]

Thank you! Excellent demonstration that will save hours of frustration!!!

[@Sidiousmoz]

changed my frickin life man. GREAT advice.

[@GetInShapeWithDavid]

Very useful. Thank you. I have been syruggling with this.

[@josel008]

nice video my friend you're a very good teacher!

[@paulernandez5382]

very well explained, slow and methodically, step by step

[@foolforjesusno1]

Great video Gunnar, very very helpful!

[@danielhashem7727]

Excellent on spinning deer hair.

[@Missin44]

Excellent! A couple questions: 1. If I want to start working with deer hair and a first want to start with a small investment of only one patch of hair what color would you advise? 2. Where do you get you deer hair from, local or online? If online do you have a favorite vendor(s) that tends to have consistantly good product? 3. Any tips on selecting deer hair? Thanks Dave

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

My favorite is the Natural Tan/Brown paired with a white body, but the bias is simply because "white" flies have been my top producers two years running, and the tan head adds excellent contrast - and I always prefer my heads to be a shade or two darker than the fly body. The best online shop for quality has been Galloup's Slide Inn, they do an excellent job of pre shorting all their hair. That being said, its always best to pick it out in person if you have the chance. For selecting hair, the biggest thing is checking the consistency in guard hair length and cowlicks. The guard hairs have the color separation at the tips, when the color separation creates a distinct bold line, it typically indicates the seasonal time frame from which the deer was harvested - being an early season deer - there will be less underfur and insulation fibers that you need to remove, as well as having consistent hair length for collars. Cowlicks are more or less permanent, if you tie in a cowlick, it will stay a cowlick.....look for straight back how, with no twist. When selecting Deer Belly hair - not typically used for collars.....but is more often used for stacking and packing bass bugs, I like to feel for the coarsest fibers as these tend to have the greatest amount of trapped air, and tend to be more durable when tying large stacks. Deer Belly hair is harder to find pieces without cowlicks, just look for the longest fibers.

[@carlenemorrison3784]

Great video. Thanks to fly fishing the ozarks for sharing

[@maineonthefly]

Great video as always Gunnar!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thanks Bradley!

[@mglennon5535]

Nuggets galore! Tricks & Trades! Thanks brother!!!!

[@chrisjelfs9738]

Great explanation, thank you. I love you flies Chris from Aussie

[@FattyMateo]

Best explanations on KZbin

[@glennplatvoet7111]

Thanks gunner i have had problem with head's allso that was we'll done

[@PRACERZ]

FANTASTIC vid, so very well shown !! Thanks

[@Mr57Nick]

Excellent tutorial - thanks for sharing! All the best and a happy new year -- 2020!

[@granio95]

Super descriptive. Thanks for the video.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Glad to hear it Grant! Best of luck tying man!

[@mikewratten9035]

Gunnar....... Great Vid Buddy, really enjoyed it. Keep up the great work.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thank you Mike!

[@derekspace]

Excellent instruction. Thanks!

[@ugsisr]

Question... Do you really think using the stick on or glue on Eye's catch more fish? I have been fishing and tying a little while now and wanted to ask a Professional such as yourself.. Thank you

[@davidbonde2148]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@sigurdurmarolafsson4183]

Been tying 4 years but 4 some reason I have managed to convince myself that I can't do deer hair. But resently I was given áhuga patch so I guess I can afford to f... up a few tries.

[@Sacwarrior4]

Lots of new tricks for an old timer. Not sure what the gel is though. Is it like UV knot sense although he said it was Super Glue Gel. Didn't know that could be cured with UV.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

The "gel" and the UV resin are two separate units in the video. The Gel super glues is a Loctite Super Glue, "Gel Control" simply implying it has a thicker viscosity and slower cure time. You can see the two drops of gel super glue on the head before the eyes are applied. Once applied, I then coat the eyes with Deer Creek UV Diamond Fine as a top coat to cover the edges of the eyes and increase their durability.

[@kevinjtoner]

Excellent instruction!! Good job!!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thank you Kevin!

[@chucksmith5002]

Thanks a lot going to try this technique that does explain a lot .

[@flyrodhiker8326]

Awesome tips. Thanks for this

[@wozonfly]

Excellent video

[@aliaskong1723]

Thanks, I needed that.

[@keiranrooker7981]

The deer hair master at work

[@matthewallred72]

Thanks bro. This is super helpful.

[@stansitwell5575]

This is a GREAT video. Thank you!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Thank you Stan, I appreciate it man!

[@natscorm3009]

Nice job you are a master ,thanks!

[@craigisonychia]

Love this vid followed it perfectly

[@phillipimsdahl3563]

thank Just what I needed can I use the same technique for the Dahlberg?

[@zakhaselmo3741]

Well done. What kind of thread is Gunnar using?

[@Bio-Bridge]

Smashing video bud if possible wood love to see cupple different heads over cupple of videos as u explain thinks so good well good to me anyways

[@m00nsplitter72]

Thank you for taking the time to record and upload this demonstration. I have a couple of questions that I wish to ask: Is it just as easy to spin on (a single, even layer of) thread as bare hook once you have used your thumb to get things started, and do you think it matters if the thread is (lightly) waxed or not?

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

I often will spin on a thread base, though I do not use a waxed thread. Because the distribution is primarily done "manually" a thread base will not create issues so long as it is even, and will in fact increase the durability of the hair because it'll have something more solid to grip to once compressed - i.e. less likely to keep spinning, or loosen and rotate after catching a few fish. I use a gel spun (GSP] thread to do all my hair work, simply because of its strength. My only concern with a waxed thread is that most are nylon based, and have a fair amount of stretch to them. A thinner dia. GSP with a higher breaking strength will have an easier time compressing that amount of hair. If you try with a waxed thread, I would trying to build the head with 3 spins of smaller volume to aid in the threads ability to fully compress the fibers.

[@m00nsplitter72]

Thank you for your detailed and helpful reply.

[@12ernie]

Great video! Thanks for making the video! Ernie

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Absolutely Ernie! Glad you liked it!

[@mikefranz6820]

Gunnar, great videos. What is the name and source of the adjustable UV Laser torch that you use?

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

The light is a Deer Creek Supadiode Laser, and you can find it at Casters Online Fly Shop: www.castersonlineflyshop.com/deer-creek-supadiode-laser/

[@mikefranz6820]

Thanks

[@OlufsWaterview]

Great video, thanks for the tips. Looks like a pretty deadly fly.

[@BruceBauman]

Am a subscriber - great video -what make vise are you using. It has a curved stem.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Renzetti Saltwater Traveler

[@joesweeney7216]

Unless I missed it you didn't mention what you use for thread for spinnig hair.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

I dropped the ball on that one, so I listed it in the description. 150 GSP Veevus

[@coonfishercf3333]

Thanks for this video...

[@beau53080]

Do you fish this with a floating or sinking line? I would imagine it would mimic an unweighted plastic fluke which is a great bait for smallmouth around here.

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Full sink is my preference, similar to Kelly Galloup's Zoo Cougar. So long as you animate the fly immediately, it will run in the top foot of the water column even on a 250 grain full sink. On a float, it functions similar to a skater/diver, but if you intend it for that purpose I'd recommend tying the Deer hair in much denser.

[@chrisbukowski9434]

Thanks great info 😊

[@Tobi_Waldgarten]

I love you for this information😘✌

[@ruebdogg1]

Very helpful!!!

[@mikgorblack]

Newb here. What species of fish are you targeting with this fly

[@robertandersson331]

great video and tips thank you

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Absolutely Robert, best of luck tying man!

[@robertandersson331]

thanks to you too

[@shwarvey]

Thanks for the video, real good content.

[@dannyrock5919]

Well done great tutorial thanks.

[@thudson6213]

great video, very helpful!

[@andreasherbeck9230]

Thanks for this wonderfull video. It helps me perfekt!

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Awesome to hear Andreas!

[@imaxfli]

I like that first guy, what State is he in???

[@tysonolsen6147]

What kind of bobbins do you use? Mine are all too short…

[@SvenOstermann]

perfect explanations

[@amyjohnston4543]

can you use other things like a xacto knife instead of a razor

[@andrewbahr1921]

What's up Gunnar, you ever fish conventional?

[@RatSleds]

Yeah awesome tip!

[@briangreenwood6948]

Thank you

[@benzguy604]

Can you please tell me what size thread is better for this application I'm use to using Uni Thread. Thank you Dan

[@Gunnar_Brammer]

Best thread for the application is GSP 150 or 200 Denier. You can get away with 100 but because its very thin it is easy to pull to hard and cut straight through the deer hair, 150 or 200 is more forgiving for this reason (not that you need the extra strength). You can also get very good results with 0.008" Monofilament tying thread, which is my preference when working with Bucktail. You can also pack heads that are less dense with 210 Flymaster Plus or similar

[@Jesse-cy7ws]

thank you!!!!!

[@Aloistruebner]

super nice!!!

[@scottmehlhaff8124]

wow, never seen that one done before. good video. by the way your blade was at 10 degrees not45.

[@douggrover7975]

very helpful!