Bill Bailley's Liquid Tying Wax

[REE04419]

For those that don't know, I recently started tying again after about a seven year absence due to problems with my eyesight. Long story short, I got my Type II Diabetes under control and my eye sight improved enough that I am able to tie with magnification. I figure for 72, that ain't bad.

I needed to replace a lot of stuff that hasn't aged well over the 7 years. One of those things is the last hunk of Bill's dark and light Cobbler's waxes. In placing an order to replace those favorites on my bench, I spotted a bottle of Bill's Liquid Tying Wax. I ordered some just to try it out. Everything else from Bill has been fantastic, so why not.

I did ask Bill how to use the liquid and he directed to me a great source. Today I was tying some Triple Threat Caddis, designed by our own James Slattery. The fly uses dubbing loops for the abdomen and thorax. Usually, I use about three times the amount of dubbing I need because when I'm preening the fly as I tie it, I lose a lot of dubbing.

Today, I tried it with the Liquid Tying Wax and wound up with a fly with three times as much dubbing as it needed. You run a tooth pick with a bit of that liquid wax on it along your thread, put the dubbing in the loop, spin it up and, that stuff does not move. The loop stays twisted, the dubbing is locked in tight and, for me anyway, it's much easier to use than dubbing waxes. I am a fan.

It should work a treat for the flymph bodies we all love so much.

Oh, the hockey puck style tying wax from Bill. It's been rolled up in BB to pea sized balls in a plastic jar of water, sitting on my tying desk for 7 years. Still as good as the day I bought it. If the Cobbler's wax had been properly stored, instead of sitting in the open air, it would probably be just as good.

[letumgo]

Ron,

First off, I am delighted to hear you are getting back into fly tying. Definitely brightened my day, when I read this.

I have a bottle of Bill's liquid tying wax on my tying desk, but have only tried it once. Thank you for mentioning it in your post, and discussing how to use it. I don't think I gave it a fair shot, by only playing around with it once. I was a bit worried about spilling the bottle of liquid wax during the tying process, so I tend to reach instead for the solid disk of tying wax. Time to give the liquid wax another try.

Bill - Can you share with us, any additional recommendations of how to properly use the liquid wax? Are there any "do's and don'ts" for working with this stuff?

[wsbailey]

This is the information that I sent to Ron. I thought the author said it better than I could.

http://www.classicflytying.com/index.ph ... opic=53956

[letumgo]

Thanks Bill