Original: $7.99
-65%$7.99
$2.80The Story
Hareline Water-Based Head Cement is a thin, low-odor finishing cement designed to penetrate thread wraps and dry clear without adding bulk. Because it's water-based, it cleans up with water, is gentle around foam and solvent-sensitive materials, and doesn't carry the strong fumes common to traditional cements. It’s an easy, reliable way to lock in whip finishes and tie-in points on everything from tiny midges to big streamers.
From Hareline, this cement offers a controllable, buildable finish. A light application wicks into the wraps for durability, and a second coat adds sheen and abrasion resistance without creating a bulbous head. It’s a practical bench staple for tiers who want secure flies and a tidy, professional look.
How to Use It
Finish your fly with a whip finish or a few half-hitches. Using a bodkin or the bottle’s brush (if included), pick up a tiny drop and touch it to the thread head; capillary action will pull the cement into the wraps. Rotate the fly to even the coating and prevent sags, and clear any excess from the hook eye immediately. It typically goes tack-free in a few minutes; add a second coat after the first sets if you want extra gloss or insurance. Full cure comes later, so give flies a little time on the rack before boxing them.
If you need even finer penetration, thin with a small drop of water on your applicator rather than overloading the head. Clean tools and errant smudges with water while still wet. Keep the cap tight between flies; water-based formulas can skin over in open air.
Why We Like It
It’s clean, fast, and predictable. The low odor makes it comfortable for long tying sessions or classes, and the water cleanup keeps your bodkin and fingers from getting gummy. The thin viscosity wicks deeply into thread, locking wraps without building a bulky head, and the clear, non-brittle finish holds up well to fish and forceps.
It also plays nicely with delicate or solvent-sensitive materials. You can secure foam tie-ins, marker-tinted quills, and soft hackle bases without melting, smearing, or frosting the fibers. For most trout and warmwater flies, it offers the right balance of strength, control, and simplicity.
Example Flies
Zebra Midge: On tiny midge bodies, a bulky finish ruins the profile. A micro-drop of this cement wicks into three or four 8/0 wraps and locks the head without changing the silhouette, keeping the ribbing in place and preventing unraveling after multiple fish.
Elk Hair Caddis: Touch a small amount at the base of the elk hair wing and over the final thread head to anchor the hair butts and hackle stem. The thin formula won’t flood the hackle or add excess weight, so the fly remains high-riding and durable.
Copper John: Before wrapping the wire, a tiny touch on the thread underbody helps anchor the first coil. After whip-finishing, a second light coat over the collar protects thread from wire abrasion and adds a neat, glossy finish without obscuring the thorax detail.
Clouser Minnow: After securing dumbbell eyes with figure-eight wraps, wick cement into the thread at the eye junctions. It flows into the gaps, tightening the assembly and resisting twist during repeated casts, yet won’t attack synthetic hairs or foam accents.
Comparable Materials
Loon Water Based Head Cement is the closest analog: similarly low-odor, clear-drying, and easy to clean, with performance that most tiers would find interchangeable—choice often comes down to bottle, brush style, and price. Solvent-based options like Sally Hansen Hard as Nails or Dave’s Flexament penetrate fast and can yield a harder, glossier shell, but they smell stronger, require solvent cleanup, and can affect foam or marker colors; they also carry a higher risk of yellowing over time. UV resins (e.g., thin formulas) cure instantly under a light and build a tougher, thicker shell, but they add more bulk, cost more per head, and need a curing lamp; they’re great for specific tasks, but overkill for simple thread heads.
Description
Hareline Water-Based Head Cement is a thin, low-odor finishing cement designed to penetrate thread wraps and dry clear without adding bulk. Because it's water-based, it cleans up with water, is gentle around foam and solvent-sensitive materials, and doesn't carry the strong fumes common to traditional cements. It’s an easy, reliable way to lock in whip finishes and tie-in points on everything from tiny midges to big streamers.
From Hareline, this cement offers a controllable, buildable finish. A light application wicks into the wraps for durability, and a second coat adds sheen and abrasion resistance without creating a bulbous head. It’s a practical bench staple for tiers who want secure flies and a tidy, professional look.
How to Use It
Finish your fly with a whip finish or a few half-hitches. Using a bodkin or the bottle’s brush (if included), pick up a tiny drop and touch it to the thread head; capillary action will pull the cement into the wraps. Rotate the fly to even the coating and prevent sags, and clear any excess from the hook eye immediately. It typically goes tack-free in a few minutes; add a second coat after the first sets if you want extra gloss or insurance. Full cure comes later, so give flies a little time on the rack before boxing them.
If you need even finer penetration, thin with a small drop of water on your applicator rather than overloading the head. Clean tools and errant smudges with water while still wet. Keep the cap tight between flies; water-based formulas can skin over in open air.
Why We Like It
It’s clean, fast, and predictable. The low odor makes it comfortable for long tying sessions or classes, and the water cleanup keeps your bodkin and fingers from getting gummy. The thin viscosity wicks deeply into thread, locking wraps without building a bulky head, and the clear, non-brittle finish holds up well to fish and forceps.
It also plays nicely with delicate or solvent-sensitive materials. You can secure foam tie-ins, marker-tinted quills, and soft hackle bases without melting, smearing, or frosting the fibers. For most trout and warmwater flies, it offers the right balance of strength, control, and simplicity.
Example Flies
Zebra Midge: On tiny midge bodies, a bulky finish ruins the profile. A micro-drop of this cement wicks into three or four 8/0 wraps and locks the head without changing the silhouette, keeping the ribbing in place and preventing unraveling after multiple fish.
Elk Hair Caddis: Touch a small amount at the base of the elk hair wing and over the final thread head to anchor the hair butts and hackle stem. The thin formula won’t flood the hackle or add excess weight, so the fly remains high-riding and durable.
Copper John: Before wrapping the wire, a tiny touch on the thread underbody helps anchor the first coil. After whip-finishing, a second light coat over the collar protects thread from wire abrasion and adds a neat, glossy finish without obscuring the thorax detail.
Clouser Minnow: After securing dumbbell eyes with figure-eight wraps, wick cement into the thread at the eye junctions. It flows into the gaps, tightening the assembly and resisting twist during repeated casts, yet won’t attack synthetic hairs or foam accents.
Comparable Materials
Loon Water Based Head Cement is the closest analog: similarly low-odor, clear-drying, and easy to clean, with performance that most tiers would find interchangeable—choice often comes down to bottle, brush style, and price. Solvent-based options like Sally Hansen Hard as Nails or Dave’s Flexament penetrate fast and can yield a harder, glossier shell, but they smell stronger, require solvent cleanup, and can affect foam or marker colors; they also carry a higher risk of yellowing over time. UV resins (e.g., thin formulas) cure instantly under a light and build a tougher, thicker shell, but they add more bulk, cost more per head, and need a curing lamp; they’re great for specific tasks, but overkill for simple thread heads.
