Dubbing Loops - emphasis on the "Duh..."

[Beomurf]

Never really got into dubbing loops much but been playing with them lately and have a question.

 

Do they add more bulk - in terms of 3D tying than a similar amount of material tied in at the halfway point and then folded back?  Or is there utility primarily in ease of use?

 

Reason I'm asking is I figured they would give a bulkier appearance with less material but I'm not seeing it and I'm not sure if I'm expecting too much or building them wrong...I get a similar effect from the store-bought ones I've tried.

[Capt.Castafly]

You can spiral a brush much easier and quicker. Layering and trying to space material evenly around a hook shanks takes more skill and practice. Certain materials like bucktail work well. They spread easily around the hook. Certain materials like craft fur will not. Try to pinch craft fur is very difficult. It tends to want to bulk up at the tying point. When I use craft fur I use a small amount, and layer it on the desk top and fold it around the hook, than tie it in. A material like Craft Fur and other materials similar can be easily space and layered on top of a table top, than clamped, and proceed to make your loop noodle.

Edited February 22 by Capt.Castafly

[zak-striper]

On 2/22/2021 at 4:14 PM, Beomurf said:

Never really got into dubbing loops much but been playing with them lately and have a question.

 

Do they add more bulk - in terms of 3D tying than a similar amount of material tied in at the halfway point and then folded back?  Or is there utility primarily in ease of use?

I wouldn't say they add more bulk in and of themselves. You can make a sparse dubbing loop or one heavy with fur/dubbing material.

 

I make mine fairly sparse. What's great about dubbing loops is that they secure the material to the hook in a way that let's you tease out the material, which creates more movement in the water.

 

Here's a seal bugger that I tied with a sparse amount of fur in the dubbing loop. However, I pick the fur out a bit so it looks bulkier than it actually is. But that fur will now have motion. Movement is key on flies like a bugger.

 

Edited March 4 by zak-striper

[JCH]

On 2/22/2021 at 5:08 PM, Capt.Castafly said:

Try to pinch craft fur is very difficult

Craft fur is also super slippery - it's tough to tie in bulk, because it will slip against itself and come off.  If I want a bulky craft fur tail, I'll tie it in with two pinches, two ties.  A dubbing loop (or a brush) works well to avoid the slip.

 

Also, like palmered hackle, you can apply dubbing loops with tight or loose wraps.  I use them primarily for bulky heads, so I err towards tight, but you can achieve something sparser.

 

[tgd627]

On 2/22/2021 at 4:14 PM, Beomurf said:

Never really got into dubbing loops much but been playing with them lately and have a question.

 

Do they add more bulk - in terms of 3D tying than a similar amount of material tied in at the halfway point and then folded back?  Or is there utility primarily in ease of use?

 

Reason I'm asking is I figured they would give a bulkier appearance with less material but I'm not seeing it and I'm not sure if I'm expecting too much or building them wrong...I get a similar effect from the store-bought ones I've tried.

I think adding 3D bulk depends on the materials your using. Gunnar Brammer’s Chosen One is a good example of building bulk while keeping the materials fairly sparse and laying out the taper in the loop. Check it out 

 

-tgd