Fly Tying Group
Sample Handout 4

This handout is a sample of what one excellent demonstration tier has created. Like all the other samples, it is an example of what one tier created, not a regulation that you have to follow. Make it like your flies, an expression of your creativity.

Dubbing Wax

Hindrance or Help?

By Al & Gretchen Beatty

Let's take a moment to step off the sidewalk and into the mud, so to speak, by asking the question, "To wax or not to wax?" Is it needed? Why bother? These and other questions often come to the fore when a group of fly tiers discuss dubbing wax and whether to use it. Some tiers consider it a crutch and other consider it a tool. We are in the tool camp and use it for most of our day-to-day tying.

No matter which camp you place yourself, misused wax can often form a negative view on the use of this tool. If you have a container of dubbing wax and it looks like the tube in Figure 1, then you can expect the thread to look like the strand next to it. Imagine what a dubbed body would look like using the thread with those clumps of dubbing wax hanging fromit. Yes, we've exaggerated the situation in the photograph but we've often seen tiers whose wax looks almost that bad. No wonder they don't want to use it. We're sure the experience would be less than pleasant.

The solution is simple: less is better. First, let's "crank" some of the wax back inside the tube. Then let's get rid of the mess by "scraping" it across a Post-it note pad to clean and smooth the wax as illustrated in Figure 2.

After cleaning and smoothing it, discard the Post-it slip then crank the wax up a VERY short distance; no more than 1/32 of an inch or 1 millimeter above the lop of the tube. Now when you apply the wax to the thread you won't end up with a mess, just a smooth and even application. Figure 3 illustrates a strand of thread with the wax properly applied. It is ready to accept your dubbing of choice. In this situation the wax is a tool, not a hindrance. How would you like to try applying dubbing to the strand illustrated back in Figure 1?

There is one other less-than-positive experience you can encounter when using dubbing wax. We recommend placing the cap back on the tube EVERY time after applying the wax to the thread. It is real easy to accidentally knock an uncapped tube of wax into your waste bin like Al did in Figure 4. What a mess! Anyone interested in a tube of wax? Cheap?