Hair stackers?

riverman wrote:
snip
But just the same, whats the
scoop....do most of you advanced tyers use a stacker, or do you do it by
hand?

I'm by no means an advanced tyer, but I took my tying gear
on a fishing trip this past year intending to tie up some
comparaduns. I had everything I needed *except* a hair stacker
which I'd left at home under a stack of clutter. I may as well
have left the whole kit & caboodle at home because without the
hair stacker there was not an ice cubes chance in Hades that I
could tie a comparadun. Admittedly, I have more thumbs than
fingers, but for me a hair stacker is an essential item.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"riverman" wrote




Get one, things like Sparkle duns are SO much easier to tie nicely with
evenly stacked hair ( I often don't stack for downwing caddis type flies,
they look better ragged )

I have one with two sized tubes, for big and small amounts of hair ... works
just fine ... I never use the bigger tube

oh, and, yes, get a hair comb too ..... I laughed and scoffed at these UNTIL
I tried one, greatly improves any hair fly to have all the scruff removed
and a fine toothed comb is far more efficient than anything else I've heard
of

"riverman" wrote




Get one, things like Sparkle duns are SO much easier to tie nicely with
evenly stacked hair ( I often don't stack for downwing caddis type flies,
they look better ragged )

I have one with two sized tubes, for big and small amounts of hair ... works
just fine ... I never use the bigger tube

oh, and, yes, get a hair comb too ..... I laughed and scoffed at these UNTIL
I tried one, greatly improves any hair fly to have all the scruff removed
and a fine toothed comb is far more efficient than anything else I've heard
of

oh, and, yes, get a hair comb too ..... I laughed and scoffed at these
UNTIL
I tried one, greatly improves any hair fly to have all the scruff removed
and a fine toothed comb is far more efficient than anything else I've
heard of

Seconded. A hair stacker, (I use the large one 'cause its easier to stuff
the **** in there) and a decent mustache brush. Mine is brass for fly
tying. Gets rid of all that underfur.
I tie alot with deer hair. Deer hair flies and flies that just use a bit of
deer hair. Stacked tips or butts, it doesn't matter. A hair stacker is the
right tool for the job. Hell, want one? I'll send you one for Xmas. Send
me your addy. Bass Pro is just around the corner.

--
Frank Reid
Reverse email to reply

"riverman" wrote This is really a weak topic for a
thread, because if I just go out and buy
one and then toss it later, it will represent a much smaller waste of
money
than most of the things I have in my tying kit. But just the same, whats
the
scoop....do most of you advanced tyers use a stacker, or do you do it by
hand?

--riverman

Riverman,
A hair stacker is worth the money. I have an aluminum two piece hair
stacker. The aluminum does not build up a static charge and the two pieces
come apart in the middle so you can grab the hair bur the butts and pull
them out.
Ernie

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 19:54:36 +0100, "riverman"
wrote:

In my beginner days, every single fly tying instruction book I read (that
means both of them) had the same 'inside hint' that a hair stacker was not
really necessary. One suggested an empty lipstick case, another said you
could align the hairs by hand just as easily, with a bit of practice.

But now that I'm getting a bit better at tying, I find aligning the hairs a
RPITA! I tried a lipstick case, but when I dumped the hairs out, they all
fell into disarray again. I think a hair stacker really is a good idea, but
I don't know for sure because I've never really used one.

This is really a weak topic for a thread, because if I just go out and buy
one and then toss it later, it will represent a much smaller waste of money
than most of the things I have in my tying kit. But just the same, whats the
scoop....do most of you advanced tyers use a stacker, or do you do it by
hand?

--riverman

I used cut down shell casings for years, with wax melted in the bottom
to cover up the primer indentations and make a flat bottom for even
tips. Bought a real hair stacker last year. Much, much, much more
pleasant to use than the homemade ones I used for 25 years previously.
Get one.


g.c.

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 19:54:36 +0100, "riverman"
wrote:

In my beginner days, every single fly tying instruction book I read (that
means both of them) had the same 'inside hint' that a hair stacker was not
really necessary. One suggested an empty lipstick case, another said you
could align the hairs by hand just as easily, with a bit of practice.

But now that I'm getting a bit better at tying, I find aligning the hairs a
RPITA! I tried a lipstick case, but when I dumped the hairs out, they all
fell into disarray again. I think a hair stacker really is a good idea, but
I don't know for sure because I've never really used one.

This is really a weak topic for a thread, because if I just go out and buy
one and then toss it later, it will represent a much smaller waste of money
than most of the things I have in my tying kit. But just the same, whats the
scoop....do most of you advanced tyers use a stacker, or do you do it by
hand?

--riverman

I used cut down shell casings for years, with wax melted in the bottom
to cover up the primer indentations and make a flat bottom for even
tips. Bought a real hair stacker last year. Much, much, much more
pleasant to use than the homemade ones I used for 25 years previously.
Get one.


g.c.

"Frank Reid" moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf wrote in message
...

oh, and, yes, get a hair comb too ..... I laughed and scoffed at these
UNTIL
I tried one, greatly improves any hair fly to have all the scruff removed
and a fine toothed comb is far more efficient than anything else I've
heard of

Seconded. A hair stacker, (I use the large one 'cause its easier to stuff
the **** in there) and a decent mustache brush. Mine is brass for fly
tying. Gets rid of all that underfur.
I tie alot with deer hair. Deer hair flies and flies that just use a bit
of deer hair. Stacked tips or butts, it doesn't matter. A hair stacker
is the right tool for the job. Hell, want one? I'll send you one for
Xmas. Send me your addy. Bass Pro is just around the corner.

:-)
Thanks for the christmas offer, Frank! I know you're good for it, but
getting it to me through the mail would probably not be worth it. I have a
fly-tying shopping list a few inches long (hooks, thread, beads, etc), so
I'll add the hair stacker on it and do a shop in Johannesburg when I go for
christmas break.

SWMBO and I are starting out with a week of flyfishing at some trout fishing
venue in South Africa (www.kingfishertrout.co.za) then headed off overland
to Victoria Falls region and southern Zambia in a rental 4x4 with full-on
safari camping gear (http://www.bushlore.com/Campers.asp). Should be an
exciting vacation, and I hope to be able to cast to some TigerFish in the
Zambezi, some lake species in the Okavango, and of course, some trout in
South Africa. Look for a TR when I get back.

--riverman

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 10:32:10 +0100, "riverman" wrote:

SWMBO and I are starting out with a week of flyfishing at some trout fishing
venue in South Africa (www.kingfishertrout.co.za) then headed off overland
to Victoria Falls region and southern Zambia in a rental 4x4 with full-on
safari camping gear (http://www.bushlore.com/Campers.asp). Should be an
exciting vacation, and I hope to be able to cast to some TigerFish in the
Zambezi, some lake species in the Okavango, and of course, some trout in
South Africa. Look for a TR when I get back.

Looks like fun Myron. That's the kind of thing my trailer was really made for.
g
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com/ - photo galleries
http://www.chocphoto.com/roff

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 10:32:10 +0100, "riverman" wrote:

SWMBO and I are starting out with a week of flyfishing at some trout fishing
venue in South Africa (www.kingfishertrout.co.za) then headed off overland
to Victoria Falls region and southern Zambia in a rental 4x4 with full-on
safari camping gear (http://www.bushlore.com/Campers.asp). Should be an
exciting vacation, and I hope to be able to cast to some TigerFish in the
Zambezi, some lake species in the Okavango, and of course, some trout in
South Africa. Look for a TR when I get back.

Looks like fun Myron. That's the kind of thing my trailer was really made for.
g
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com/ - photo galleries
http://www.chocphoto.com/roff