Tying with hot melt glue

is not for everyone. The traditionalists will thumb

their noses at it and subscribe to the traditionalist belief that a fly
is not a fly unless its total consists only of twine, feathers and/or fur. Unlike the traditionalists there is
a new breed of fly tiers who have no problem deviating from the traditional way of tying flies...these are tyers who think outside the traditional box.

For the past 20 plus years we
have seen the introduction of fly tying materials other than fur or feathers. For example, synthetics now are standard for tying many streamer patterns as well as several other fly patterns. UV products
are now offered by almost all fly- tying shops. Both of these products found it difficult to gain acceptance in the industry and were shunned for many years. An example, UV products have been around fortwenty-plus years and have only gained acceptance in the last five to ten

years.

Most fly tiers immediately see the advantages of hot melt glue, as it definitely simplifies and reduces the amount of time for many patterns, which is especially important for guides who have to knock out a bunch of flies in a hurry. If you want to spend less time tying, while adding realism and durability to your flies, consider using hot melt glue.

Why I strongly believe:

I have been tying flies for 68 of
my 81 years. I owned a fly shop in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and am a former fly designer for the Rainy Fly Company (www.RainysFlies.com).
As a fly-tyer, I am constantly looking for and seeking new and innovative ways to tie flies that appeal to fish and fishermen. Just over seven years ago, my search brought me to hot melt glue when I was attempting to replicate a sow bug and a scud found in the Little Red River in Arkansas. At that time I was not satisfied with the results obtained using UV products.
I found them difficult to control, required a UV light and had a tacky finish. Also my experience using epoxy in a scubadiving product made me well aware of its problems.

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