Working With Hair, Stacking/Spinning - Chris Helm & Wayne Samson

Chris Helm ties The Rattlesnake Slider using stacking techniques. In addition to the stacking hair portion of the fly, Chris Helm goes through installing rubber legs, splayed hackle tails, plus installing a hair collar and elevated eyes. Hair quantity and control are discussed, along with questions and answers from both tyers. Wayne Samson demonstrates a full medium round rubber tail popper. The hair bug features spun hair that has been "mixed" to create a marble effect on the bug’s body. The extra large "Godzilla" stacker is featured along with explanation of spinning repeated clumps of hair with trapping any hair that has already been placed on the hook. The entire popper is shaped using a double edged razor blade. Proportions are emphasized along with burning holes for the solid plastic eyes and creating a hard face on the bug to facilitate noise when stripped through the water. Chris and Wayne discuss the fly and pertinent aspects of tying with hair. Chris Helm has been tying flies for 35 years. His demonstration and workshop travels have taken him to eight European countries and throughout the US and eastern Canada. Although he is well known for his study of whitetail deer and working with deer hair, he ties and teaches all types of flies. In 2004 The Federation of Fly Fishers’ presented him with the Buz Buszak Memorial Fly Tying Award, which is the highest award available to any tyer. He has written numerous articles on deer hair, thread, specific fly patterns for various fly fishing and fly tying magazines both in the USA and abroad. Since l993 he has completed 11 fly tying DVDs. He enjoys all types of fishing but has a special love for bonefish, permit, bass, bluegill, grayling and pike. Wayne Samson has been fly-fishing and tying flies for nearly fifteen years. Originally a warm water fisherman he started by experimenting with bass bugs using deer hair. Soon after, he met Chris Helm. Chris has rounded out Wayne’s tying, especially deer hair, and considers Wayne to be perhaps his best student. Wayne’s specialty remains deer hair bugs and hair work in general but he also has great breadth and depth in other areas such as epoxy flies, saltwater flies, classic Atlantic salmon flies and all trout flies. Chris and Wayne discuss the fly and pertinent aspects of tying with hair. The Rattlesnake, Wayne’s Rubber Tail Popper