Advise For Making Dubbing Brushes

[BadAndy]

Looking for some advise on making wire dubbing brushes.

 

Making some micro leeches with a maribou body and a ice dub collar. Thinking to spin up some dubbing brushes for this but am pondering how long I need to make them? Is there a rough measurement of how many shank lengths of wire to build to wrap around a hook?

 

I'm just thinking when I've added dubbing to thread I usually can add a little if I need more, or pick it off if I'm a little heavy. With a wire brush you are a little more committed to the amount you make up - unless I'm overlooking something...

[Dangus]

Not sure I follow...What do you need a dubbing brush for that recipe for?

On first glance it Seems like a wasted effort. I just have a piece of wire I counter wrap my marabou bodied balanced leeches.

Dubbing brushes are great if you make the whole leech out of it.

You can make a board like this, http://www.drakemag.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=20096 or just tie wire to your hook and make a brush directly for the fly. I think the only way to estimate how much you need is through experience. Diameter of the hook or any lead wraps/finishing nails will change how much you need.

[MichaelKDell]

Andy,

 

I have found that trial and error is the best teacher. The wire is usually twisted up so tight that if you only use part of it on a fly, it is easy to cut off and it stays tightly twisted for your next fly. Sometimes I get 4 to 5 flies out of one dubbing brush. It depends how close you wrap the wire and what size of hook you are tying.

 

You can also pick off some of the dubbing from the twisted wire to make it look more sparse.

 

Michael

[SilverDoctor]

Run your two dubbings to the half way point of the wire, then use what you need from each end.