Tying with Deer hair Part 2 ; spinning and down wings

   Not all deer hair is the same. The fine hair used for the down wing caddis is similar to that used for Wulff wings. The difference is the amount of flair it has when thread torque is applied. The flair in the caddis wing hair is in between the Wullf wing and spinning hair. The difference in the two hair types is best shown by the photos below. The caddis wing hair should flair at a 45 degree angle to give the desired look. Spinning hair should flair at 90 degrees to fill the space and form the desired head. How do you choose the right hair for the job? Caddis hair will be very similar to Wulff wing hair with darker color and finer feel. Spinning hair will be light in color with a hollow and springy feeling. When tying caddis wings and spinning you need to apply greater torque to the thread than when tying wulff wings. This increase in torque calls for a more stable vice and in the case of spinning, stronger thread. My favorite thread for this application is GSP 100. This thread is very strong and flat so as to not cut the hair while applying pressure. The best way to learn about deer hair and how to use it is to play around with it. Look at it,see how it reacts to handling and thread torque. You will learn very quickly how important it is to choose the right hair for the right job. Happy tying.

        Caddis hair                                                Spinnng hair