Get A Head
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Alan Morrison describes a cracking way to make your own hot-heads |
The ubiquitous gold-headed damsel/tadpole is a great early
season fly when used on any line from a floater to a DI –7. We have found
in recent years that a hot-headed version using a 4 mm enamelled bead often
makes a better alternative and has the additional benefit of allowing you to
colour-code your flies, e.g. chartreuse for damsels, fluoro green for the black
tadpole and fluoro orange for sunburst tadpoles, etc. The problem
is that these enamelled beads are: a) expensive, b) not always readily
available, and c) the enamel has an annoying tendency to chip after a few casts,
leaving the unpainted bead shining through.
In the past, I have tried on several occasions to make my own hot-heads, without
ever being 100% successful. Recently, however, with the availability of
coloured acrylic-based compounds, such as Loon Hard Head, I have revisited this
problem and found that with a little bit of effort and care the task is now
quite easy. I have outlined the various steps needed to do this in the
diagrams below.
Step 1
You need a supply of inexpensive gold or plain coloured beads (a 4 mm bead is
perfect for a size 10 Kamasan B175 hook) Stuart Ilsley at Rutland Angling does
cheap metal beads at £2.99 per 100. For the fly in the article, I have
used one of his plain green 4 mm beads. The first step is to give the surface a
key by rubbing it with fine emery paper. Next, give the bead an
undercoat of white matt enamel, Tippex, or, best of all, white model-making
spray paint. If you suspend the bead on a bit of nylon, it can be sprayed
in a few seconds. The white undercoat optimises the intensity of the
coloured acrylic, although the beads can be coated directly if you are happy
with a more subdued effect.
Next, slip the enamelled bead onto the hook and up to the eye. Wind on
about 10 turns of fine lead wire and push these up into the recess at the back
of the bead. This helps secure and centre the bead and adds a little extra
weight, which will assist in working-in the marabou tail. A drop of
superglue helps keep everything secure.
Step 2
Coat the bead with an even covering of Hardhead. I find that the brush
that comes supplied with the hardhead is too coarse and it is much better to
apply the acrylic with the tip of a dubbing needle. Leave it to dry for a
few hours and apply a second coat, if required.
If you use an undercoat of white paint, one coat is usually
sufficient. I find it easier to prepare a half a dozen of these at a time.
Step 3
Tie the fly!
Loon Hard Head is available in Yellow (Chartreuse), orange, red and black.
I am sure that coloured Sally Hansen nail varnish would give a similar effect.