Homemade Epoxy Fly Dryer

Building your own epoxy fly dryer is an easy and economical way of adding smooth, balanced epoxy heads to your salt and freshwater streamers. According to the Online Fly Tyer, building one only costs between $15 and $30, "depending on what kind of materials you have lying around the house." The construction involves some light woodwork, with the majority of emphasis and importance placed on finding a reliable motor and power source.

  1. Finding the Correct Motor and Power Supply

    • You will want your fly dryer to rotate slowly and smoothly to ensure uniform epoxy heads. To get this job done, Online Fly Tyer suggests a motor that makes between seven and 18 revolutions per minute, asserting that a lower RPM produces better results. To power your motor, while some people opt to attach a 6-volt battery, Online Fly Tyer also recommends that you take the time to hook up an AC/DC adapter for added ease of use when turning on and off your dryer while also providing a constant source of power from an outlet.

    Building the Motor Mount

    • Online Fly Tyer begins with one 12-inch and two 6-inch length of any kind of 1-inch X 4-inch wood. Next, attach the two 6-inch pieces by stacking them and screwing them together to create a thick, sturdy base. On the 12-inch piece, trace around the motor and cut out a hole in which to attach the motor later. Now screw in the 12-inch piece upright to the base to form the basic structure of your epoxy fly dryer and add a coat of varnish for the sake of appearance. With the motor rest and dryer mount created, attach your power source to the motor, whether it be AC/DC or a battery, and attach the motor to the motor rest. Finally, use cork and foam to create a circular disk onto which you will attach your flies to be dried. Affix this disk to the dryer and you will be ready to tie.

    Finishing Touches

    • With your epoxy fly dryer constructed, it should turn slowly and smoothly. Whip up a couple of streamer patterns, coat them with five-minute epoxy, and give your dryer a try. Make any minor adjustments in revolution speed as well as the size of the foam disk. A larger disk will accommodate more flies but will not affect the speed at which the fly turns.