Bi-colored Dubbing Brushes

[DOUGSDEN]

Gentlemen,
I was just gazing at Ruards wonderful dubbing brushes and this thought came over me. Has anyone, recently or historically, ever made a brush or flymph body that has two colors (or more?) of dubbing over the length of the body? I'm headed to the den to experiment. Please let us know!
Dougsden

[Roy]

Not tried it;
only have blended on a single strand rope-
sounds like the finished effect may be similar to that of some Irish Lough flies where the dubbing changes progressively from light to dark along the hookshank, a style which cannot be emulated by adding furs one by one, they must blend invisibly.
It could also come in useful for tying eg. a Bibio, which is not blended but black/red/black.

The idea is excellent, if it's not been done before, I say it should have been
Good thinking, I like that

Roy

[tie2fish]

I looked to me as though the cress bugs that Hans tied up in preparation for his NZ trip might have been done using two colors of dubbing brushes -- one pulled lengthwise over a wrapped one ???

[skunkaroo]

This is a close-up of a bicolour loop with an interesting construction technique (here used for a steelhead fly):



This is based on a technique that was introduced to me by a tyer from the Grand Forks area of BC. I called it Grant's loop after his forum name, but I have no idea where he got it originally. Essentially it involves lightly dubbing the tying thread before forming the loop with two different colour dubbings (i.e. one on one half, one on the other). The loop is then formed with it's bottom being the point where the two coloured dubbings meet. When twisted together the two strands blend. The combination can be quite subtle (as in the example above) or quite sharp depending on the material and colours used.

I think you could easily use this with touch dubbing to make an attractive flymph or soft-hackle body.

Aaron

[Soft-hackle]

http://www.flymphforum.com/phpBB3/viewt ... ?f=6&t=642

http://www.flymphforum.com/phpBB3/viewt ... ?f=6&t=643

I have, and like the result.

Mark

[tie2fish]

Clever idea -- thanks for the post, Aaron.

[Ruard]

Gentlemen,
Has anyone, recently or historically, ever made a brush or flymph body that has two colors (or more?) of dubbing over the length of the body? I'm headed to the den to experiment. Please let us know!
Dougsden

Inspired by your question I tried something, not knowing that Mark has tied such wonderfull flies with twotone bruhes.







Greeting

[Soft-hackle]

Very Nice, Ruard! I think this a wonderful way to spice up these flies and add interest.

I am currently re-reading John Atherton's The Fly and The Fish. In it there is a great chapter on impressionistic fly tying, multicolored dubbing mixes, and the multicolored appearance of natural insects. Mixing various colored dubbing to attain another color is much more productive than using a single dyed color dubbing. Like to make olive-mix yellow, green and brown. This was Atherton's idea long before Spectrumized dubbing came along. I believe I need to start applying this idea more.

Thoughts?

Mark

[Ruard]

Hi Mark,

More and more I make my own dubbings, mixing with a coffee grinder various materials and colors. If I start with green I like to mix some red in it. If I start with yellow then there comes some purple in it. This way there are red blue and yellow in one dubbing.

The twotone dubbingbrushes are difficult to use because you have to judge how long the abdomen must be when you turn the bursh. In your flies that it is wonderfull right. I see that there is much learning to do for me. Just experimenting.

Can one download the Fly and the Fish or is it possible to buy it perhaps by Amazone?

Greeting

[wsbailey]

Dover Books re-published "The Fly and the Fish". Bill

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486452638.html