Hooks ‘Space limitations prevent me from describing hooks in any detail. (That information is readily available in other fishing books and in catalogs.) Instead, this short section concentrates on hooks to avoid. Before reading any further, have a look at the next diagram, which shows a well-manufactured hook. No matter how careful the manufacturers are, a few faulty hooks may find their way into your hook packet. The defects may or may not be immediately obvious. To help you spot them, the most common faults (and some of the less common ones) are outlined in the following paragraphs. If you are a beginner, make sure that any hooks you reject really are faulty. For example: some hook eyes are intended to be straight, some hook bends are deliberately offset, and some hooks are meant to be barbless. Before you start tying with a new batch of hooks, test three or four by clamping them in the vise and “twang- ing” them with your thumbnail. The noise and “feel” should tell you if you have been unlucky enough to buy a batch that are either too brittle or too soft. If the hooks are genuinely faulty, or if you made a mistake ‘when ordering, most manufacturers and retailers will be pleased to replace them, or to advise on other types of hooks that may be more suited to your kind of fly- fishing. Hook Eyes Reject a hook: If there is a gap between the end of the hook eye and the shank that is wide enough for medium- ‘gauge tying thread to pass through. ‘e If the shank tapers excessively toward the hook eye. ‘e If the hook is otherwise badly formed. (The faults listed here hardly ever apply to double or treble hooks.) Awell manufactured hook showing where possible faults ‘mav be found Hook Shanks Reject a hook: @ If the shank is not absolutely straight. @ If (for doubles and trebles only) the wires were uneven before soldering, or the soldering itself left the shank with a lumpy finish. Hook Barbs Reject a hook: If the barb is too short and/or inadequately formed. ¢ If the barb is not hook. ‘¢ If the angle of the barb is too flat in relation to the bite. alignment with the bite of the Hook Gapes Reject a hook: e If the gape widens or narrows excessively at the hook point. Hook Points Reject a hook: If the point is badly twisted. ‘* If the point is too close to the end of the barb.“4 Flytying Materials I do not intend to write in detail about all the different kinds of fur and feather that the flytyer can use, because there are already some excellent books on the subject (see the Bibliography at the back of this book). Instead, I want to touch briefly on the sources of materials, then to discuss in more detail their storage. Storage is a real problem for so many of us. Sources of Materials As a professional, I buy most of my flytying materials from wholesalers. This has two advantges: (1) the stock is guaranteed vermin-free and can be put straight into my storage compartments, and (2) it is cheaper! The first advantage also applies, of course, to material from retailers but it certainly does not apply to most of the oddments given by well-meaning friends. Most flytyers have to buy their materials retail, and a large proportion comes from mail order catalogs. It may seem obvious, but before you buy I would advise check- ing through as many fishing magazines and catalogs as you can. This way you can often find exactly what you are looking for, at a better price, at the cost of just a few minutes of extra research. Beware of Dealer X, whose inexpensive pack of seal fur contains half the amount of fur you find in the same-price pack from Dealer A. When you are new to flytying and have to buy un- familiar items (several types of hackles, for example) by mail order, it is sensible to ask the supplier to label the goods — it can be exasperating to receive a bundle of feathers and not know which is which! When you order materials from an established sup- plier, you know just what you will receive. But, whether you are an amateur or a professional, you have no trol over the variety of materials that well-meaning fellow-fishermen and friends bestow on you. Over the years I have been given (among many-other things): ‘e superb ready-cured wood-duck skins red fox stole jead moles in polythene bags ¢ live bantams in a crate a barn ow that had lost an argument with a train innumerable gray squirrel tails ¢ a collection of fur (coat) remnants from a retired furrier # acollection of stuffed birds from a taxidermist # Andalusian hackles in a dirty old paper bag © old flytying kits © two feather hats and a left-hand fur glove from a rummage sale My advice is never to turn these gifts down, as long as you think you might possibly find a use for them. The friend who brings you something unwelcome today may ‘well bring a real gem next time — don’t discourage him!Storing Materials Storage is a problem that each flytyer must solve per- sonally. How you store your materials depends on the space you have available, the quantities you like to keep, the range of materials you need for the flies you tie, and 0 on. It also depends on the categories you decide on: for example, should you keep dry-fly materials separate from the materials for saltwater flies? The snag here is that if you do separate your materials like that, there will inevitably be some doubling up of threads, tinsels, furs, and so on, The professional has this same problem — but worse. T have to keep stock for tying every type of fly in every category, from the tiniest dry My to the biggest salmon fly, in a workshop that measures only thirteen feet by ten feet (4m x 3m). Since my storage problem is probably much worse than yours, you may be interested in how I solve it. Among the things my workshop has to hold are: ome flytying bench and chair a hundreds of cock and hen capes, both dyed and natural color 4 large selection of animal tails, hair, furs and so on countless reels of floss, thread, and tinsel, stored in an orderly way whole wings, loose quills, and whole skins + loose hackles of all colors ‘¢ hooks of all kinds ‘ereference books and reference flies (needed for special patterns) How can one possibly keep all these and more in a ‘small area? There are two answers. First, you need lots and lots of drawer space; I find an old dental cabinet (which has many wide-area drawers), filing cabinets, and old office furniture ideal for this. Second, most flytying materials are (thank goodness) compressible. Tkeep a selection of my most frequently used capes in compartments on a shelf aboVe my tying bench. The rest of my stock is stored in paper bags, each labeled with the cape’s color, quality and sex, in an office desk drawer. Hair and Fur Hair on the skin (such as rabbit, hare, mole, and so on) isbest stored loose. Hair tails (such as calf, squirrel, and ‘monga ringtails), horse hair and dyed seal fur are all stored in paper bags, labeled with type and color, and put away in a drawer. (See also ““Outsize Materials”.) ‘Tying Thread, Floss, and Tinsels I keep three different-sized transparent plastic boxes (one each for thread, floss, and tinsel) out-on my flyty- ing bench. Each box contains all the colors and types I normally use. The remainder of my stock, including items like lurex and fluorescent threads, which I use in- frequently, are stowed away in a drawer. | find it useful to keep tinsel offcuts in lids out on my tying bench. Whole Bird Skins, Whole Wings, Loose Quills, Crests I store all these bulky items in their own paper bags, labeled with all necessary details. Loose Hackles I store loose hackles in two ways. The ones I use most frequently (like grouse, guinea-fowl and partridge hackles) are kept, like so many other items, in labeled paper bags in drawers. The others (mostly cockerel hackles, both dyed and natural) are stored in labeled glass jars on shelves around the workshop. The jars are vermin-proof, attractive to look at, and readily iden- tifiable. Outsize Materials Items too big to store easily in drawers can be a nuisance. The best answer is a large cupboard or closet. Like many flytyers, I keep a selection of the larger items that I use frequently (such as. peacock tails, ostrich plumes, pheasant and turkey tails) in a jar on the tying bench. Most other bulky items, like large buck tails and bundles of turkey tail feathers, can be stored in card- board boxes and paper bags respectively. Whole skins, from larger animals, such as deer, can be folded care- fully and kept in stout polythene see-through bags. Hooks 1 keep supplies of the hooks that T use most frequently in see-through plastic boxes in a drawer, Each box is labeled with the size and style of the hooks it contains. Less-regularly used hooks are stowed away still in the manufacturers’ packaging, which usually includes oiled paper to protect the hooks from rust. I store trout/sea- trout hooks, salmon hooks, and treble hooks in separate places. Reference Books If you have room, keep your reference books in a bookcase or on a book shelf near you so that you can see the titles easily. It can be annoying to have to delve through a pile of books to find the one you want when you are halfway through tying a fly. My favorites are listed in the Bibliography.Reference Flies Storage of Tied Flies ‘Most flytyers like to keep reference flies so as to be able There are many kinds of ready-made boxes and wallets to duplicate successful patterns later on. I also have to available for storing tied flies, although itis quite easy to keep references for custom flies I have tied to customers” special requirements. Reference flies must be Iabeled with all relevant details, including the name of the fly, date, unusual materials, and whether any tinsel tused was gold or silver colored (tinsel tarnishes with time ‘and it becomes impossible to distinguish). I keep my reference flies in labeled cellophane envelopes in an index-file, but with trout and sea-trout patterns separate from salmon flies. Vermin Proofing Most flytyers buy capes, loose feathers and other ‘materials from shops and mail order firms. These goods are likely to have been treated, and should be vermin free. Before storing, however, it is always wise to check for mites and other “life”. If all is well, you need only mothproof the materials; just add a small pinch of nap- thalene flakes to the storage bag before putting the materials away. If there is “life”, wash the materials thoroughly in warm, soapy water, rinse, and dry off most of the moisture in a very low oven at 200'F (100°C). Then leave the slightly damp capes to continue drying natur- ally in a warm airy place. Store as previously explained. To treat fresh capes and skins, remove all the fat and loose tissue, Wash the capes or skins thoroughly in warm soapy water. Rinse well, and then press between sheets of newspaper to remove excess moisture. Pin the cape or skin out onto a board (fur or feather side down) and cover the skin with Pyrethrum powder or a 50/50 mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) and alum (double sulfate of aluminium and potassium). Be sure to store these chemicals separately. Now leave the skins for a few days to dry slowly, in a warm, airy place; the covering mixture will absorb all, the natural moisture, When dry, remove the pins, shake off the surplus chemical, and store the materials. Periodically recheck all materials for “life” and, if necessary, re-treat immediately. Storage Life Al tying threads and materials, if treated correctly, stored in dry conditions, and never left out in the sun, should last for several years. If you would like to know more about obtaining and treating materials, Eric Leiser’s excellent Fly-Tying Materials deals with all aspects of collecting, curing, storing, and photo-dyeing materials. T would recommend that every flytyer read this book. design your own. Dry flies, wet flies, or a combination all need different types of storage; the following list is a selection of suitable methods. Wet Flies: ‘e leather wallet with sheepskin lining and press-stud fastening + plastic wallet with foam lining and zip fastener ‘® wooden box with foam lining aluminum box with clips or magnetic strips to hold flies Dry Flies: « plastic see-through box (several sizes available) with compartments : » aluminium box with compartments, each with a spring-loaded lid Dry and Wet Flies: ‘¢ aluminum box with clips in lid for wet flies and with compartments with spring-loaded lids for dry flies Poppers and Dapping Flies: ‘ plastic box with compartments and rotatable see- through plastic lidThe Flytying Area When choosing which room (or part of a room) to use for flytying, remember that some surplus material will inevitably find its way to the floor. If the room is carpeted, a vacuum cleaner will remove most flytying debris except hooks. A carpet “holds” most fallen material whereas, with an uncarpeted floor, the draught made by the rest of the family walking past scatters the material in no time at all. Tying Bench Your tying bench need not actually be a bench. A table or an old office desk will do just as well, as long as the top is at a comfortable working height. The surface should be big enough to lay out all the tools and materials you need, but not so big that items on the bench are outside comfortable reach. My own bench has a working surface 60 in. x 30in. (1.5m x0.75m); the top is 30in. (762mm) from the floor. It is rather small, but so is my workshop. Be sure that the bench does not wobble, as this may cause small bottles of lacquer to spill and may hamper tying. Remember, too, that the better the surface of the bench (this particularly applies if you commander the dining table) the more likely you will spill lacquer all over it! If the surface needs protecting, cover it with plasticized cloth, or something similar. Note, however, that lacquer thinners will dissolve some types of plastic. The top of my bench is not worth elaborate protection, so I simply tape a medium-sized sheet of white blotting paper to it, a practice that I recommend. The blotting paper acts as a background against which I can see the outline of the fly in every detail as it is being tied. The paper's absorbing power is handy for soaking up spills, and for wiping surplus lacquer and glue off my dubbing needle. Blotting paper is also cheap and renewable. If you protect a valued table with plastic cloth, T would Still recommend laying a sheet of blotting-paper on top. ‘One last point about choosing a tying bench: be sure that the vise clamp will fit over the thickness of the bench top; some clamps are particularly narrow. Chairs and Tying Position Most people do not give much thought to this aspect of flytying, but it is very important. I remember talking about tying positions once with a flytyer who amazed ‘me by saying he attached his vise to the arm of the chair he was sitting in. This meant that he had to twist sharply round to face the vise; he did admit he suffered a bit from backache! I would not recommend sitting like that even if you were tying flies on only one evening a week. Your comfort is all-important. It will enable you to put all your concentration into tying, instead of wondering how much longer you can put up with your aching arms and back. Most people find that sitting in a relaxed but upright posture, with the bench at a comfortable work- ing height is best when tying for longish periods. As for chairs, I have found that the best type is a swivelling office chair with low arm rests, an adjustable back rest, and adjustable seat height. Arm rests are useful because, by allowing you to rest your elbows on something firm, they help to keep your hands steady for operations away from the vise, shting ‘Tying Mes takes a good deal of concentrated effort, and easily tires the mind, hands, and eyes. Even during the daytime, it is essential to work in good light ~ whether you are tying flies for half-an-hour or a whole day. A bright, pteferably fluorescent, light overhead is ideal. Should this be insufficient, you may need an additional, spotlight. (This should never be a fluorescent light: it will harm your eyesight.) Remember that too much light can be just as tiring as not enough light. Aim for a bright but comfortable level of lighting. Preparation for Tying Once you have organized your tying area, you need to give some thought to laying out your tools and materials ready for tying. Alll flytyers develop their own way of working, which is usually reflected in the state of their tying benches — ranging from the orderly to the chaotic. The orderly way is much the best. The position of the vise should be about half-way along the near side of the bench. If you are right- handed, the vise jaws should point right; if you are left- handed, they should point left. Adjust the vise so that the jaws (and thus the hook) are at a comfortable work- ing height. Lay out the tools, tying thread, hooks, wax, lacquer, and materials you will need on the bench top, How you arrange these items is up to you, but they should be within easy reach and separate from one another. Being right-handed, I usually keep tools and other equipment on the right of the vise, materials on the left. If you can develop the habit of always returning tools and equip- ment to the same positions after you use them, your fly- tying becomes much more efficient. With practice, you will then be able to pick up whatever tool you want to use next without having to fumble around or search the bench for it, thus saving valuable time. When preparing to tie a particular pattern, first take out the materials and any other equipment you will need, then take out the hook and place it in the vise. Never do it the other way round, because a hook in the vise can catch in your clothes as you reach for materials. If the hook is not broken, it will be severely strained and will have to be discarded. ‘After a tying session, you will probably leave some or all of your equipment out on the bench — but don’t leave anything else. Clear up the debris from the session, so that the working surface is clean and ready for the next one. You only need to neglect this for a few sessions and your tying bench will be hidden under heaps of off-cuts, rejected hackles, and other debris.2 My Tying Style Although the greater part of my work is tying custom flies, I have to tie a lot of standard patterns too. The following sequence of black and white photographs shows how I tie a typical fly (in this case a March Brown). This photographic sequence actually serves three purposes. It gives an idea of the tying style I use, it acts as a sort of visual contents list for the color section (telling you where to find detailed instructions for each tying stage shown), and it is almost the only place in the book where you will see a complete fly tied from begin- ning to end! The March Brown (Wet Fly) Winding the tying thread down the hook shank. (See “The Beginning of a Fly" in Chapter 2.) The tail — formed from a slip of hen-pheasant feather ~ tied on with two turns of tying thread. (See, curiously enough, “Wood-duck Tails” in Chapter 3.) = @ double length of tying thread — about to be tied in. (See Chapter 4.) Forming the fly's body with dubbed tying thread; the dubb- ing consists of fibers of hare’s-ear fur, spun onto the tying thread, (See “Dubbing” in Chapter 4.) Winding on the ribbing. (See Chapter 4.)‘Trimming the tip of @ partridge hackle, before tyi (See “Soft-hackled Flies” in Chapter 5.) ‘The wings - formed, like the tail, from slips of pheasant feather — tied on. (See “Matched Wet Wings", Chapter 6.) ‘The trimmed partridge hackle secured by tying thread. The downy part of the hackle is about to be trimmed off. 4 The completed March Brown (though the head The hackle has been wound on, and the surplus is about to Jacquering), finished off with a wrap knot. (See "The Wrep be trimmed off. Knot” in Chapter 2.)2 Basic Techniques Itis easy to underestimate the importance of basic flytying techniques, especially if, as with the preparation of the hook shank, they are “hidden” in the finished fly. In fact, no part of the dressing is really hidden because poor preparation will invariably mar the appearance of the finished fly. You cannot hope to produce well-made flies without mastering the humble, but necessary, basics. The techniques illustrated on the following pages are: # how to put the hook in the vise (and how not to . . .) # how to wax the tying thread ‘* how to start tying the thread onto the hook shank how to finish a fly with a wrap knot ‘¢ how to judge the proportions of the parts of a fly. For the sake of your fingers, please pay particular attention to the instructions on the right way to place a hook in the vise. Flytying materials are colorful enough without accidentally dyeing them with your own blood. Breaking the thread on an exposed hook-point, just as you have finished laboriously winding it down the length of the shank, is another hazard to be avoided. Itis important, too, 10 use well-waxed tying thread (see opposite}. It is not impossible to tie flies with unwaxed thread, just more difficult. The wax helps the tying thread to stick to the hook and makes it easier to wind on close turns of thread, to tie on wings, and so on, Waxing also waterproofs the thread, which improves the durability of the fly “The Beginning of a Fly", “The Wrap Knot”, and “The Proportions of a Fly” have their own text introductions on the following pages. There is, however, one topic not described under “The Wrap Knot” that I should like to ‘mention here. Some flytyers prefer not only to finish the fly off with a knot, but also to use knots (usually half- hitches) to secure all the stages of a dressing as they are tied. I do not do this, nor is it shown in this book, because my technique of using a length of well-waxed thread, which is locked in the rubber button at every stage, makes any further securing unnecessary. This is only my personal preference, and if you find that intermediate knots help you to tie a better fly, then by all means use them Placing a Hook in the Vise = Ca The Wrong Way ‘The Right Way ¢ Point of hook is protruding * point of hook does not show ¢ shank is not level shank is level ‘whole gape is held, and being stressed, in vise jaws (this is © gape is clearly visible. especially harmful to offset hooks). Notes 2. Never put the whole gape of a hook in the vise jaws. 1. Ifthe hook point protrudes beyond the vise jaws, it can" This damages the temper of the hook, which may then break the tying thread (or your skin) as you are tying. To break during tying or (worse) fishing. ‘make sure this cannot happen, run your thumbnail light- 3. With your thumbnail, “twang” the eye of the hook to ly around the front of the jaws before you start tying. /f "check that the hook is held securely. Some fivtyers can you can feel the point, reposition the hook. detect faulty hooks by listening to the tone. 2»Waxing the Tying Thread '¢ Holding one end of the thread in your right hand, and the wax in your left hand, place the longer end of thread (on top of the way '* With the thumb of your left hand, press the thread light- ly into the wax, as shown. Note that the two hands are close together. ‘¢ Draw your right hand swiftly away from your left hand until the length of thread is waxed. (Drawing the thread through quickly melts the wax, which coats the thread ‘more evenly and reduces adhesion and the likelihood of thread breakages.) Repeat at least once more. ‘© ot applicable to bobbin-holder users) Turn the thread round so that the unwaxed end may now be waxed in the same way. Tips Ifthe thread keeps breaking, you may not be drawing it through quickly or smoothly enough. If you are using tying sik, check that it has not rotted. Otherwise, use a hes {gauge of tying thread. The Beginning of a Fly To start a fly, I take a length of well-waxed tying thread and begin winding it from directly behind (almost touching) the eye of the hook. I then continue winding. the thread down the shank as far as the pattern requires. The reason for preparing a hook shank in this, way is to give a “foundation” of thread onto which I can easily tie the tail, body, hackle, and wings. Some flytyers start winding on the thread foundation well down the hook. This is fine for tying on the tail and. body but means that the wings and hackle have to be tied onto a bare hook shank. When they are tied on in this way, I find that the hackles tend to pull out and the wings tend to slip round the shank. I think it is much easier to tie them onto a foundation of thread that starts, by the eye of the hook. For flies that will have tinsel or floss bodies, wind on the foundation thread in very close, even turns; each turn touching the last one. This helps to create a smooth tinsel or floss body. For most other flies the turns need not be so close, but should be evenly spaced. (If you take pride in all aspects of your flytying, however, it does no harm to wind on in close turns whatever the pattern.) (On the rare occasions when you have to start the fly at the tail end of the hook (when tying a fly completely in reverse, for example, with the tail tied on at the hook eye), begin in the same way as shown in the photographs, but start winding on the foundation thread not at the eye but at a point about four turns in front of the tail position. Then wind on three or four very close turns toward the tail, cutting the surplus thread as soon as the short end is well trapped. This makes the length of foundation thread on the shank very short and so you must be especially sure that any material you tie in is well prepared and securely attached. a‘¢ Hold the ond of the waxed thread at right angles to, and ‘on top of, the eye end of the hook shank, as shown, Hold the “short” end of the thread in your left hand. ‘¢ Note how close your hands should be to the hook shank. ‘¢ Take the longer end of thread down on the far side of the hook, around underneath the shank, and back up the rear side as shown. Note how the longer end of thread traps the short end (held by your left hand) against the hook shank. ‘© With the right hand, wind on three more close turns of thread toward the tail end of the hook, thus securing the short end of the thread. (S) ‘© Cut off the short end as close as possible to the turns of thread securing it, as shown. © Continue winding on with close turns to the point where ‘the tail will be tied in. Your next step will depend on the pattern you are tying. Note: The turns wound on in steps 3 and 4 need only be close if the fly’s body is to be of tinsel or floss. 22. (S) = now secure tread in tuber burton oF leave bobbin hangingThe Wrap Knot ‘The wrap knot (also called the “whip finish”) is the best knot yet devised for finishing off a fly quickly, easily, and securely. The only other method is to use a series of half-hitches (see steps 2 to 6, and 13, in the following sequence of photographs), but these have a tendency to come undone, however well the thread has been waxed. Tuse the wrap knot because most of the fishermen I supply use the double turl knot (or similar) to attach their flies to the leader. This knot, though excellent for the fisherman, puts a tremendous strain on the knot used to finish the fly, particularly ifthe fisherman changes his flies frequently. The wrap knot can stand up to this hard use, especially if you strengthen it with a coat of clear lacquer Tin the following photographs I used string instead of tying thread to show more clearly what happens when the threads” cross. To be able to finish off a fly with a well-tied wrap knot is a satisfying part of the flytyer’s art, and itis well worth practicing until you can finish off a fly perfectly every time. When you start to practice the wrap knot, you may find it easier to use string (or wool) and then to progress to tying thread once you have mastered the movements. Finally, if you plan to use a whip finish (wrap knot) tool, please follow the manufacturer's instructions, The result will be the same as for the method shown in this book ¢ The photograph shows the “tying thread” (string) wound onto the hook shank ready for practice. "Note: The last turn is shown further down the shank than it should be, because of the diameter of the “thread”. The ‘wrap knot is normally tied just behind the eye of the hook. ‘¢ With the fingers of the right hand, form a “near triangle" of thread, close to the hook, as shown. Note that the left hand holds the thread in front (on your side) of the hook. ¢ Do not make the triangle too small. « Bring the thread in the left hand down, so that it forms a complete triangle.Keeping the loft hand stil, twist your right hand clockwise. Note how short the length of thread between, hook and triangle should be. ‘© Ease the tension on the thread a litle. # Move both hands away from you, enlarging the triangle at the same time by opening up the right-hand fingers, un- til the short length of thread between hook and triangle is taken up. © The “join” in the triangle should now be tight against the hook shank ‘© Move your right hand so that the triangle is behind the hook shank. (Note the positions of the right-hand fingers i the triangle.) The bottom part of the triangle must always. bbe under, and the top part over, the hook shank © Koop the left hand stil Keeping tension on the triangle, move the middle finger of your right hand so that it is under the index finger as shown. © The triangle now becomes an oval loop.‘© Move your middle finger upward unti itis alongside the index finger. Flatten your right hand so that the fingers face downward. ‘© This action should give the loop a twist, as shown. ‘© Leaving the middle finger at the top of the loop, use your index finger to push the twist toward the hook until it rests against the far side of the hook shank. ‘© Note that the index finger should be slightly lower than. the middle finger. ‘# Maintaining tension on the thread, move the loop down and around behind the hook. © Continue moving the loop around unti itis in the posi tion shown. This completes one turn of the wrap knot. © Go through steps 5 to 11 at least twice more.‘¢ The three turns of the wrap knot are now complete. ‘¢ The loop is ready to be pulled through. Note that the loop should be around the shank, as shown. ‘© Use the scissors or dubbing needle to maintain a light tension on the loop as you pull the free end of the thread through, so that the loop completely disappears. This forms the fourth and final turn of the wrap knot. If you ‘cannot pull the free end through, something must have ‘gone wrong and, alas, you will have to start again from the beginning! ‘© Cut off the loose end of thread as close as possible to the knot. (Do not try to break it off.) © Using the dubbing needle, coat the wrap knot with clear lacquer. “One-fingered” Wrap Knot If you are very short of tying thread when you reach the wrap knot stage (because of miscalculation, perhaps, or an earlier thread breakage), it is possible to do a one-finger version of the knot using the right-hand index finger. This needs some practice, however, and can only be done very close to the eye of the hook. Using this dodge, you cannot control a loop much larger than the thickness of your index finger. Half-hitch Finish If you find that the wrap knot defeats you, a series of half-hitches can be used instead. To tie a half-hitch, follow steps 2 to 6, then the first part of step 13, of the wrap knot sequence. Do this at least three times (forming three half-hitches with the loop pulled through completely each time) then finish off as described in the last two parts of step 13The Proportions of a Fly When you first begin flytying, it is difficult to judge if the flies you tie are of the correct proportions. At this, stage it is especially useful, therefore, to seek advice from experienced flytying friends, who are usually only too pleased to help you with demonstrations, materials, and (most useful of all) by providing well-tied flies that you can compare with your own efforts. Eventually you ‘will find, as do most other flytyers, that you develop an instinctive “feel” for proportions and it becomes a case of “what looks right, is right. This section gives some guidance about proportions, and includes the following aids: ‘eA drawing of the anatomy of a natural fly, together with a hook diagram showing positions of the various parts of an artificial fly that are referred to in this book. «A series of paired photographs showing several representative fly patterns. For each pattern one photograph shows the correct proportions, the other shows incorrect proportions. « A table giving some useful rules-of-thumb about pro- portions. ___— diy fly hackle postion dr ty wing position — Wot fly hackle position Wet tly wing position ‘The hook positions for the parts of an artificial flyComparing Propo! Long-tailed March Brown (Nymph) Size 8DE (Down-eyed) Wrong Right Foundation thread stops too short. Tail is too short. Wing casing is tied on too far from the tail (which is why the tying thread shows). Yellow ribbing is too thick and too widely spaced. Dubbing is lumpy and should extend the whole length of shank. Hackle is too short and badly prepared. Head appears lumpy because material was tied off too near the hook eye. Dark Cahill (Wet Fly) Size 83DE FS A Wrong Foundation thread stops too short. Tail is too long. Dubbing is t00 loosely applied. Also, dubbing stops short of the hackle point (trying thread is visible) Hackle is too long and sparse. Wing is too short. Head is much too big.Greenwell’ Glory (Dry Fly) Size 8UE (Up-eyed) Wrong Foundation thread extends too far round bend. Tail whisks are too thick and, because foundation thread extends too far, the whisks are wrongly angled. Oval gold ribbing is much too thick. Hackle is much too long and sparse (tying thread should not show between turns of hackle). Wings were badly prepared, so one is lower, and thinner, than the other. Head is not close enough to hook eye. Roy! Wrong Foundation thread stops short of bend. Fiat gold tag should be tied in at bend. Peacock by tail is too narrow and skimpy. Scarlet floss is too thin. Peacock by hackle is too skimpy and is out of proportion with peacock at tail. Hackle is much too short. Streamer Hackles for the wing on the far side were badly selected. Both pairs of hackles for the wing are unevenly matched at the tips, and too long. Coachman (Streamer Fly) Size 8LS (Long shank)DE Right ~Rules-of-thumb Table for Fly Proportions Parts of @ Fly Normal Position in Fly Normal Proportions Exceptions and Other Informatior Foundation thread Starts behind eye, finishes For some nymphs and streamers directly above barb thread must be taken round, bend of hook Tags Round bend of hook ‘Same length as finished head Choose tinsel of the right size. ‘Too-wide flat tinsel is difficult 10 handle and cuts thread when tied in. Too-large oval tinsel gives bulky tag Tails Directly above barb 1 to 1% times shank Most nymph tails are about length (eye to bend) half the shank length Butts In front of tal One or two turns of butt material only ‘Wing casings From tail position to head ‘Some casings are tied over thorax only Ribbing ‘Wound over bodies About 4 to 6 turns. Must be 1. Do not use over-wide ribbing: wide enough to show on ‘only one or two turns will be bodies. For dubbed bodies, possible. use wider ribbing than normal 2, Some fine ribbing materials only intended to protect, the body material Dubbing Starts at tail position, ends Aim for uniformly shaped Nymph bodies are usually at hackle position body tapered Hacklos for Nymphs At hackle position ‘About % shank length (eye to bend) for Wet Flies ‘At hackle position Fibers should just reach the hook point for Dry Flies ‘At hackle position 1% to 2 times shank length _Fibers should be a little below (eye to bend) the hook point for Streamers ‘At hackle position Fibers should almost reach Some streamers have shorter bend (wet-fly-proportioned) hackles Wings for Wet Flies Slightly forward of normal _Tied-on wing should be 1% ‘wing position 10 1% times shank length for Dry Flies ‘At wing position Tied-on wing should be just Can be given better proportions short of shank length by trimming the tips for Streamers ‘At wing position Tied-on wing should be 1% to 2 times shank length ‘Note: Shank length is measured from behind the eye to the beginning of the bend.3 Tails The range of materials (and colors) that can be used for the tails of fishing flies is very wide, yet many flytying books have very little information on this subject. When | started flytying, one of my first problems was trying to tie on a tail without clear instructions to follow; I could not understand why, as I tied a hackle fiber tail on top of the hook, it always finished up on the far side of the shank! 1 hope that reading this chapter will help you to avoid such difficulties. ‘Once you have learnt how to tie on a tail, you can use the same techniques for tying on any materials that are tied ‘on top of the hook: all types of wings, toppings, detached bodies, and so on. Note, though, that the materials for these parts of the dressing must be prepared differently, and this is described in other chapters. The photographic sequences on the following pages show how to prepare and tie on the following typical tails: ¢ Woodduck Hackle fiber ¢ Hackle point @ Fork ¢ Married slip Hair ‘* Wool and synthetic yarn There are two variations of the tail technique: one is described in detail in the wood-duck tail sequence, the other in the hackle-point tail sequence. In the instructions for other types of tails, I therefore refer to the “wood-duck method” or the “hackle-point method,” as appropriate. Wood-Duck Tails In the following sequence of photographs, you will see that I selected a slip from the left-hand side of the wood- duck feather (see the photograph for step 2). This was so that the more distinct markings would face the camera when I placed the tail against the hook to check the proportions. For fishing purposes it does not matter which side the tail comes from, as long as the markings on the fibers are distinct right to the tips. The technique shown for tying on the wood-duck tail can be used for the tail of any fly pattern that employs a feather slip of the same shape (such as slips of pheasant, turkey, teal, swan, goose, and so on). ‘© Propare a well-marked wood-duck flank feather by pull- ing off all the lightly marked fibers and down, as shown. ‘© Prepare the hook by winding the well-waxed tying thread down the shank in close, even, turns to the tail position. (S) ‘ Select a slip of wood-duck feather wide enough for the hook size. ‘¢ Hold the slip firmly in your loft hand and pull it away from the stalk. 1S) = now secure thread in rubber bution of lave bobbin hanging 31‘© Transfer the slip to your right hand and hold it by the butt. ‘# Place it on top of the hook shank to determine the length of the tail, Note for Steps 4 and §: In the photographs for the next ‘two steps you will see that in step 4 my index finger is ver- tical (this is correct) but my thumb is angled away; in step 5 both index finger and thumb are angled away. | moved. my finger and thumb back to show how the loop is formed. In actual tying, however, both thumb and index finger should be vertical; the loop is gripped between them, and is effectively hidden. ‘© Hold the slip and the hook shank firmly between the tips of the thumb and index finger of your left hand. ‘@ Hold the thread firmly, clase to the hook, and draw it up, lightly trapping it between your left thumb and the near side of the hook shank. ‘¢ Maintaining a firm hold on the tail and the hook, com- plete the loop by taking the thread over the tail and down the other side, lightly trapping it between your left index finger and the far side of the shank ‘ Pull the thread down (not too slowly) so that the loop completely disappears to form the first turn of the returning ‘thread, (Note that, unlike the photograph, the thread com- ing from the shank should be at the tail position.) ‘¢ Keoping your left hand in piace, put at least one more oop over the tail. (S) « This photograph shows the tied-on wood-duck tail with the thread starting to be wound back up the shank over the foundation turns.‘* Make sure that the locked thread is as taut as possible. © Hold the butts gently in your left hand. (Do not pull them, because the tail might go out of alignment.) Trim the wood-duck butts close to the last turn of thread. (You may prefer to re-grip the tal, rather than the butts, when trimming, especially if your scissors are not , sharp.) Hackle-Fiber Tails The hackle-fiber tail is by far the most popular kind tied, probably because hackles of every color are readily available to all flytyers. There are no set rules for the number of fibers to a tail, but four to six fibers are enough for most sizes of wet or dry fly. The best hackle fibers come from the center of the hackle. For dry flies, the fibers must be stiff and springy to keep the fly afloat. Turn a cock cape over (skin side up) and choose a hackle from the center of the extreme edge, where you should find that the hackles are short but very stiff. For wet flies, the hackle fibers can come from almost ‘any part of the cape. * Pull out a large hackle, by its base, from a cock cape. @ Holding the hackle tip in your right hand, gently pull down the fibers, several times, so they are at right angles to the stalk. (This automatically makes the tips even.) ‘© Pull out all the down and very soft fibers in the lower half of the hackle. y” f @ Select four to six fibers from the base of the remainder of the hackle (either left or right side). Pinch the tips of the fibers between your thumb and index finger, then pull them away from the hackle stalk. (If you did not prepare the stalk properly, now remove any unwanted fibers you have inadvertently pulled off with the selected ones!) © Check the length of the tail fibers (held in your right hand) against the hook, and tie them on using the “wood- duck method.” ‘Note: So that they would show up effectively, more than the usual maximum of six fibers were used in the photographs.Hackle-Point Tails Hackle feathers that are too large to be tied in as hackles can be used to make hackle-point tails. These tails are easy to prepare, durable and, of course, help to keep the fly afloat. They are very useful when a barred effect is required (as provided by just the tip of a grizzly or Plymouth Rock hackle). © Prepare the hook shank by winding on turns of founda- tion thread to the tail position. (S) Pull out a hackle from about one-third of the way up the cock cape. Place the hackle point against the hook to check the final proportions, and select the fibers at the point of the hackle which will form the tail. Hold the selected fibers between your left-hand index inger and thumb, then gently pull the remaining fibers on sach side downward, so that they are at right angles to the hhacklo stalk. ‘© Use straight scissors to cut the pulled-down fibers at the angle shown. The V-shaped cutouts should meet at the base of the hackle tip; this point is the “waist” of the prepared hackle. ‘© Lay the prepared hackle along the near side of the shank, with the waist af the tail position (very important) and the outer, shiny side of the hackle facing you. Holding the hackle point and the hook bend between your left-hand thumb and index finger, make the first turn of thread over the waist. While gently tightening this first turn, ease the waist over with the thread until the hackle point lies horizontally on top of the hook. (The hackle tends naturally to move to the top of the shank as you tighten the turn, but you may need more than one attempt to get it right.) ‘© Make two more securing turns. (S) Then cut off the surplus hackle stalk.Fork Tails Itis surprising that this style of tail is not more widely used. Fork tails are easy to prepare and can be used to imitate realistically the tails of natural flies. If, for example, the tail of the fly to be imitated has only three setae, prepare a fork tail with one fiber on one side, two fibers on the other. After tying on the tail horizontally, separate the two fibers by winding as many turns of thread as required between them, taking each turn undet the hook. The only disadvantage of fork tails is that the oval-shaped hackle stalk does not sit easily on the hook shank when the hackle is placed there horizontally. This makes it especially important to select the right part of the hackle. ‘Choose a /arge hackle, and cut the fork from the top of the feather where the hackle stalk is thinnest. * Prepare the hook shank by winding on turns of founda- tion thread to the tail position. (S) ‘© Pull out a very large hackle, by its base, from a cock cape. ‘* Holding the top of the hackle in your right hand, use ‘your left thumb and index finger to pull down, evenly, a few of the fibers below. Then cut off the surplus (that is, the hackle tip) as shown. # Stroke the remaining fibers back to their normal posi- tion. # Using straight scissors, cut the hackle on both sides to form a waist (as for the hackle-point tail) directly below the ‘two top fibers on each side. Lay the prepared fork tail along the nearside of the shank, with its waist at the tail position, as shown. Tie ‘on the fork tail using the "hackle-point method.” 35Married Slip Tails This kind of tail (as used in the Parmachene Belle) is formed by joining (marrying) two differently colored slips of ‘swan or goose secondary wing feather. The marrying technique depends on minute hooklike projections (barbules) ‘on both sides of each feather fiber. They normally hold together adjacent fibers in the same feather, but (luckily for the flytyer) are just as willing to grip a similar fiber from another feather ‘Note: The two slips selected should both be from the outer edges of the left or right feathers; you cannot marry slips from left and right together. It is possible to use slips from the inner edges of feathers (if the concave curve is not (00 pronounced) but the fibers are much softer and more difficult to marry together. ‘* Propare the hook shank by winding on turns of founda tion thread to the tail position. (S) @ Select and cut off a slip from the outer (usually the shorter and stiffer) edge of a swan or goose secondary feather. @ Select and cut otf a slip of similar length from the same area of the outer edge of a differently colored feather (the second feather must be from the same side — left or right — as the first one). ¢ Place the lower slip on your left index finger and the upper slip alongside it so that the top fiber of the lower slip just butts up to the bottom fiber of the upper slip. Make sure that both slips have their dull sides uppermost or that both have their shiny sides uppermost. © Holding the slips between left-hand index finger and thumb, use your right hand to marry the butts by gently Pushing the edge of one slip against the edge of the-other. ‘* Now hold the married butts in your right hand and gently draw the slips between the tips of your left-hand in- dex finger and thumb, to marry the rest. If necessary, repeat the marrying action until the two slips are neatly joined along their whole lengths. ‘Place the married slips against the hook, to check the proportions. If the two slips are of different depths (shorter dimension), use your dubbing needle to remove surplus fibers from the deeper one. Tie on using the “wood-duck method.” (S) Trim off the surplus according to the type of body to be tied 36 i rubber button or eave bobbin hengingHair Tails All hair tails are prepared in the same way. For fly patterns with short hair tails that have to be made from naturally Jong hair like buck tail, first cut the hair full length from the skin, then give it @ second trim to make it more manageable. This avoids having the cropped fibers on the buck tail skin mixed up with the uncut hair. Ido not recommend using the rejected, cropped hair for other flies, even if this does seem wasteful; it usually gives them an amateurish, “butchered” look. the hook shank by winding on turns of founda- n thread to the tall postion. (S) ‘© Using straight scissors, cut a full-length bunch of hair from the skin or tail, making the bunch a litle “fatter” than you will need for the finished hair tail ‘© Holding the top of the bunch in one hand, run your dub- bing needle through the lower section, several times, to draw out the waste hairs. Then pull out any remaining loose fibers by hand. ‘® Matching the tips: holding the bunch by its center in one hand, use the other hand to pull out the few longest fibers. ‘© Keeping hold of the longest fibers, now pull out the next longest fibers, holding them so that their tips are aligned with those of the first few fibers you selected. ‘© Repeat until you are holding a tail of the right propor- tions, made up of the fibers you have selected. Realign the ends if necessary. ‘© Place the tal against the hook to check the length, but do not tia it on. ‘© Hold the tail in its final position (as though to tie it on) but be sure to gr just behind the point where it will be tied on. Then lift it away from the shank. @ With your dubbing needle, work glue into both sides of the tal a, and justin front of, the tying-on point. S Photograph© Place the bunch at the tail position again, and tie it on with four or five turns. (S) ‘© Trim off the glued surplus in stages along the shank, tapering toward the eye end. Wool and Synthetic Yarn Tails ‘The number of lengths of yarn to be tied on depends on the size of the hook and the tail thickness desired. ‘Sometimes even one length of yarn is too thick; in this case untwist the yarn and, if necessary, split it further with your dubbing needle. For the hook shown in the photographs, four lengths of wool gave the right proportions, but if you need to tie on six or more lengths, you must use a slightly different method. Tie them on two at a time with very tight turns. When all the lengths are tied on, take the thread around underneath the tail (and surplus) to tighten the tying-on turns, as if you were sewing on a button. Then take thread over tail again. (S) For a floss or tinsel body, cut all the lengths at the hackle position, tie in the tinsel or floss, and take very close turns of thread to the hackle position, making sure the surplus wool is tied down on top of the shank. For other bodies, reduce the bulk of surplus wool by staggering the cut lengths down the shank. ‘¢ Prepare the hook shank by winding on turns of founda- tion thread to the tail position. (S) ‘© Cut off the lengths) of wool required for the pattern and hook size. ‘© Tie on the wool at the tail position, using the “wood- duck method” (S) © Cut the tail to the required length, fluffing it out with your dubbing needle if desired. © For tinsel or floss bodies: trim off the lengths of wool leva! at the hackle position. © For other bodies: cut the lengths of wool so that they are staggered down the shank, as shown ‘¢ Tie down the surplus wool on top of the shank.Some Other Tail Styles Golden Pheasant Tippet (as used in “Pink Lady”): Pull ‘out one tippet from the tippet collar, then prepare the tippet by pulling off all waste and lightly marked fibers. Select between four and six well-marked fibers from either side (holding deep orange surface of tippet upper- most) then, gripping the tops of the selected tippet fibers to keep them even, pull them off. Hold up the tippet fibers to check the proportions, then tie on horizontally using the “hackle-point method,” keeping the deep orange side uppermost. Golden Pheasant Crest (as used in “Campbell's Fancy”): The litle yellow crest feathers from the golden pheasant are among the most attractive materials available to the flytyer. Choose a feather of the correct size and with the best curve for the size of hook. (Badly curved feathers should be soaked in water and reshaped byhand on a flat surface, then allowed to dry naturally.) Use scissors to trim the excess buff-colored downy part of the butt (which is the strongest part of the crest) at the same angle as shown in step 2 for the “Hackle-point Tail.” Tie on at the waist of the prepared butt, with crest curving upward, and cut off surplus. Matched Tails (as used in ““Muddler Minnow”): Prepare ‘matched tails in the same way as described for ‘“Matched Wet Wings” in Chapter 6. Tie on using the “‘wood-duck method.” ‘Teal Tails (as used in “Rube Wood”): Teal feathers are notoriously prone to splay out toward the tips as they are being tied on, effectively hiding the markings on the fibers. The only answer is to buy the very best quality large flank feathers, and make sure that the fibers hold together right up to the tips. Tie on using the “wood- duck method.” Peacock Tails (as used in “Silver Prince”): To make thick and bushy peacock tails, choose the herls directly below the eye of the tail feather. (The herls lower down the feather have a thinner flue.) Cut the herls a little longer than the eventual length of the finished tail. Mak- ing sure that the tips are even, and the flue upper- most, hold up the herls, adjust for final length, tie on using the “wood-duck method”, and cut off the surplus. For a clipped peacock tail, proceed as above but clip the finished tail with straight scissors. The surplus herls cut off may be used for more tails. Mixed Hackle Fiber and Duck Tails (as used in “McGinty”): It does not matter which material you tie on first, but I usually start by tying on a slip of well- marked duck flank feather (using the “wood-duck method”), followed by a small bunch of hackle fibers tied directly on top. Use fibers the same length as the slip of duck, and tie them on using the method shown for “Hackle-Fiber Tails”. The hackle fibers must not be t00 thick, or they will hide the duck feather. ”4 Bodies 1 find that tying bodies is the most interesting aspect of flytying, though it is also the most time-consuming. The body is usually the most important part of any dressing, and a wide range of materials go to make the bodies of standard fly patterns. The imaginative tyer, who wants to devise his own patterns, has an even wider range of potential body materials with which to experiment. At the end of this chapter there is a fine example of innovative fly body design: Poul Jorgensen’s Stonefly ‘Nymph, included to show just how far it is possible to go in the search for realism. (Along with several other noted. U.S. tyers, Poul is constantly improving and refining his stonefly imitations; the techniques shown here are based on a 1976 version.) The rest of the chapter describes the materials and special techniques needed for all the most popular styles of fly bodies. The chapter starts with the most basic body techniques, such as dubbing, the use of tinsel, wool and chenille, floss bodies, and how to tie an underbody. It then goes on to describe the use of many other body materials: some widely used (like pheasant tail and deer hair), some coming into favor (like latex), and others that are used less often but are still nice to know about (such as how to make a fly body from a copper scour- ing pad!). I cannot claim that the range of materials and techniques described is comprehensive, but this chapter should tell you everything you need to know to tie most fly bodies. Thave not treated the making of thoraxes as a separate subject because (for example) if the body is made of peacock herls, one only has to wind on more herls to form a thorax. Some other materials used for building up thoraxes are wool, raffia, floss, and polythene; for these materials, the turns must be tightened as they are wound on (see the underbody technique, later in the chapter). Thoraxes are sometimes made from a different material from that of the body, and have to be tied in (or dubbed) after the body is completed. Lastly, there is one specialized subject that I reluctantly had to omit from this chapter: how to make the straw bodies and detached horsehair bodies used in some of the old nineteenth-century trout fly patterns. They are fascinating to make and offer a real challenge to anyone who ties flies for pure fun and would like to try something different. Dubbed Bodies ‘Dubbing” is the spinning of fur, wool, or other fibers (such as polyfibers) onto the tying thread. The dubbed thread is then wound onto the hook shank to make a fly body with a furry texture. Bodies made in this way are used in a large number of fly patterns, and dubbing is certainly one of the most important flytying techniques. Even so, I have met flytyers who despaired of ever mastering the technique, and it usually turns out that they have been making one (or more) of three basic, mistakes: 1, Trying to spin too much fiber at a time onto the thread. (The first photograph shows just how little you need.) 2. Applying liquid wax or clear lacquer to the tying thread before dubbing it. (My advice is never to use liquid on the tying thread before dubbing it. I do recommend applying lacquer or glue to the prepared shank before winding on the dubbed thread, however, because this helps to make a more durable fly.) 3. Failing to bees-wax the tying thread thoroughly at the outset. (Wax the thread four or five times before starting to tie; the fibers will then adhere to the thread instead of falling straight into your lap!) 0¢ Prepare the hook shank by winding even turns of foun- dation thread to the tail position. ‘ Use your left hand to keep the (well-waxed) tying thread taut, and to hold a supply of dubbing material ‘¢ Take a few fibers from the supply of dubbing (the fibers in these photographs are black-dyed seal fur). ‘¢ Put the dubbing fibers between the tying thread and the tip of the right index finger. Place your thumb on the fibers, as shown. ‘© Move the thumb to the right and the index finger to the left, thus “rolling” the fibers around the tying thread. This initial rolling action is counterclockwise, viewed from above. ‘© Next, firmly roll the fibers back (clockwise) from the position shown, until the thumb and index finger have retumed to the starting position, as shown in the next, photograph. ‘@ Repeat the firm clockwise rolling action (up to three or four times) until all fibers have been spun onto the tying thread, Note: Some fine dubbing materials (such as mole fur) will rot slide easily (next step) if spun too firmly onto the thread, 41# Keeping the tying thread taut with your left hand, slide 5 the first section of dubbing up the thread to the hook shank. Twist the dubbing clockwise as you slide it up the thread. © Apply a second section of dubbing to the tying threed, as described in steps 1 to 4 '® Slide the second section of dubbing up the thread, ‘twisting it clockwise, until it just touches the first section. ‘© Gently twist the fibers clockwise at the point where the two sections touch (as shown), to join the two sections in- to a single, uniform, length of dubbing. ‘¢ Add as many more sections of dubbing as you require. (s) ‘ Use the dubbing needle to coat the prepared hook shank, above and below, with clear lacquer. ‘¢ Now wind the dubbed tying thread onto the hook shank. (s) '# If necessary, trim the dubbed body with scissors. For 2 bulkier dubbed body, wind the undubbed thread back in three or four wide turns to the tail position, then do ‘steps 1 to 8 again, Repeat until the body has the required thickness. To taper the body, start and finish each winding. (on stage two of three turns short of the previous one, at fone or both ends. The photographs shows a tapered dubbed body being trimmed.Tinsels (and Wires) Tinsel is included in the dressings of many flies to make them sparkle and glint underwater. Tinsel packaged for the flytyer is available in flat, oval, or round forms, and is mostly used for making, or ribbing, fly bodies. These forms of tinsel are usually supplied on reels, and most suppliers offer a choice of widths, gauges, and colors (mostly gold or silver, but some suppliers have other colors available). Mat tinsel: is wound onto the hook shank to produce a fly body with a shiny, “plated” look. In narrow widths it can also be used as ribbing for dubbed or yarn bodies. An embossed form of flat tinsel is also available; this gives bodies extra sparkle (the effect is lessened if it is wound on too tightly). Embossed tinsel is not normally used as rib- bing. Oval tinsel: is manufactured by spiral-winding very narrow flat tinsel around a cotton core. It is used for ribbing many kinds of bodies, and sometimes for securing palmered hackles. For some lake and reservoir flies, the whole body can be formed of oval tinsel. Round tinsel: This extremely fine material is not widely available, and is used for ribbing the bodies of very small flies. Wires: Solid round wires are prima ily for ribbing, and are used in a similar way to oval or round tinsel. The following sequence of photographs shows how to wind both flat and oval tinsel on the same body. For patterns requiring only one type of tinsel, follow only those instructions that apply to the type of tinsel you wish to use. The technique shown for oval tinsel is equally valid for round tinsel and for wire, except that wire has no cotton core to be dealt with. Notes 1. If you are not sure which size of tinsel is appropriate for a particular size of hook, there is a chart relating tinsel sizes to hook sizes in Chapter 8. 2. Never cut metallic materials with the ends of scissor blades; always cut as far into the angle between the blades as possible. © To prepare for a tinsel body with an even plated ‘appearance, wind very close tums of foundation thread down the hook shank to the tail position. (S) © For the ribbing, cut a length of oval tinsel, probably about four to six inches (100 to 150 mm), depending on pattern and hook size. '¢ Prepare one end of the oval tinsel by fraying it as shown, then trim off the unwound metallic casing. (The length frayed should measure from the tail position to the point where wings and/or hackle will be tied in.) # Holding the frayed end of the oval tinsel in your left hand, place it under the prepared shank in the angle be- tween the shank and the secured tying thread. ‘© Tie in the oval tinsel, just behind the start of the frayed section, with one turn of thread as shown. Angle the frayed section toward the hook eye. (S)‘© Cut a length of fiat tinsel, about nine to twelve inches (230 to 300 mm) and, for tinsels wider than 1 mm, trim one ‘end to the angle shown in the sketch. ‘¢ Hold the flat tinsel in front of the secured tying thread as shown, with the trimmed edge nearest the bend of the hook. Tie in the flat tinsel with two turns of thread. (S) palate ie ‘© Spread the frayed ends of the oval tinsel evenly along, and underneath, the shank. ‘¢ Holding the frayed ends in place under the shank with your left thumbnail, bind in the frayed ends and flat tinsel end by winding the tying thread back to the eye in close, even, tums. (S) ‘© Gently pull the flat tinsel downward, giving it a half twist, clockwise (viewed from above). This ensures a neat appearance at the tail end. © Using the dubbing needle, coat the prepared hook shank with glue, both above and below. Work quickly before the glue dries,‘© Wind on the flat tinsel in even tus, so that the rear edge of each turn abuts the front edge of the previous tum. Do not overlap the tums, or leave any gaps. Any surplus glue that oozes out will be removed in a later step. Remember to leave enough space for the hackle and/or wing. ‘© On reaching the hackle position, bring the flat tinsel around in front of the secured tying thread and, keeping the tinsel taut, tie it off by trapping it with three turns of thread. (S) ‘¢ Trim off the surplus flat tinsel as close as possible to the tying-off turns. © Use a strip of chamois leather to buff up the flat tinsel ‘on the body. This action removes most of the surplus glue (the rest can easily be removed by hand) and also gives the body added luster. ‘® Wind on the oval tinsel to form the ribbing. All oval tinsel has a cotton core which can make the tinsel twist ‘and deform as it is wound on. To avoid this tendency, hold the tinsel as close as possible to the hook shank while winding on. © Bring the oval tinsel around in front of the secured tying thread and, keeping it taut, tie it off by trapping it with three tums of thread. (5) ‘© Cut off the surplus oval tinsel (but not the tying thread) as close as possible to the tying-off turns.Wool and Chenille Wool and chenille can be used for the wound bodies of many fly patterns (though wool is more often used as a dub- bing material). Different patterns and different hook sizes require different thicknesses of these materials; wool can be split into strands as needed (see “Wool Tails” in Chapter 3) but chenille cannot, and the flytyer must select thick, medium, or thin gauge. Both materials are available in a wide range of colors and styles, including tinselled, bi- colored, and fluorescent. (For convenience I cut a length of each color stocked, knot the ends together, and hang the lengths up near my bench; this saves me having to rummage around in the bottom of a drawer to find the exact color, I need.) ‘Wound-on wool and chenille can, unless you are careful, produce the most bulky and unnatural-looking bodies. ‘You can avoid this by careful preparation and tying-in especially when dressing wool bodies in which strands of two different colors have to be combined. ‘The following sequence of photographs shows how to tie the wound bi-color chenille body of a Western Bee (but the same general method also applies to wound wool bodies). Steps 1 to 3 show the initial tying-in of a length of chenille; this method is suitable for many other body materials and is referred to as the “‘chenille method” elsewhere in the chapter. Note, however, that the preparation of other materials may be quite different, ‘¢ Prepare the hook shank with even turns of foundation thread to the tail position. (S) ‘® Good quality chenilles are manufactured with a “pile (like @ carpet). Hold one end of the length of chenille between thumb and finger, and run your fingers down it. If it feels rough, tie in the end that is at the bottom of your length of chenille. If your fingers run downward “with the pile” (that is, you feel no resistance). tie in the top of the length. Cut a sixinch (150 mm) length of black chenille. Prepare % inch (6 mm) of one end by pulling out the chenille fibers, leaving just the cotton strands. © Hoiding the chenille about % inch (20 mm! from the prepared end with your loft hand, place the strands directly in front of the tying thread, as shown. Bring the chenille up, so that the strands are underneath the shank, ‘¢ Trap the strands against the far side of the shank with the left-hand middle finger, as shown. Keeping the long end of the chenille well to the left, tie in the strands with two tums of thread,« Continue winding the tying thread toward the eye, bind- ing the strands underneath the shank (keep them there BE with the left-hand thumbnail). Take these turns far enough toward the eye to allow room for the next stage (see steps 8 and 6). (S) © Take the chenille up and over the shank (away from you) and continue winding so that each turn touches the last one. The Western Bee has four bands of chenille (two each of alternating black and yellow), so wind this first band on for one quarter of the body length. No tying thread should show between the turns, © Maintaining a light tension on the chenille with the /eft hand, use your right hand to unwind the extra tums of ty- ing thread to the point where the first band of chenille is to be tied off, Bring the chenille in front of the tying thread (and ‘almost parallol with the shank); then take the tying thread ‘over the shank to lock the chenille as shown, ‘© Wind on at least one more turn of tying thread. (S) © Cut off the surplus black chenille close to the securing ‘turns of thread ‘¢ Pull out excess chenille fibers from the cut end remain- ing on the hook. (3) = now secure tread in rubber button of ave bobbin hanging 47‘© Now prepare, tie in, wind on, and tie off the first band of yellow chenille in exactly the same way as just described for the black chenille. 1S) Cut off the surplus yellow chenille close to the securing turns of thread. ‘© Pull out any excess chenille fibers from the cut end on the hook, ‘¢ Add alternate bands of black and yellow chenille as already described. Tie off the final yellow band, (S) and closely trim off the surplus. ‘© The finished body of a Western Bee. ‘© To complete the fly, tie in a ginger cock hackle (see “Soft Hackled Flies” in Chapter 5), wind it on, and then tie off. (S) Add a pair of gray duck wing slips (see “Matched Wet Wings” in Chapter 6), cut tho surplus, and finish with a wrap knot. Lacquer the head.Underbodies An underbody provides a specially-shaped foundation on top of which the final body can be tied. Many fly patterns (especially those imitating the bulkier natural insects) require underbodies, as do some of the body techniques illustrated later in this chapter, so it is worthwhile to have this short section on how to tie them. Underbodies are formed from wound-on floss, wool, or polypropylene yarn of a suitable color. The following photographs show how to tie an underbody that is tapered at both ends. However, underbodies can also be made cylindrical, cigar-shaped, or carrot-shaped, and they can be made slim or fat as the pattern requires. The shape depends on where you finish winding each successive “row” of underbody material, and the thickness depends on how many rows you wind on and the thickness of the underbody material ¢ Prepare the hook shank by winding even turns of foun- dation thread to the tail position. (S) Tie in a length of fioss, wool, or polypropylene yarn, using the chenille method; then wind the tying thread back to the eye. (S) ‘* Wind on the underbody material to the desired shape (as already described). Yarn and floss must be spread, and wool untwisted, as they are wound on. At intervals, use ‘your index finger and thumb in a rolling action to tighten the turns. ® Tie off the underbody material. (S) The photograph shows an underbody shape suitable for a woven fly body, 3 described later in this chapter. © Trim off the surplus underbody material, then wind the tying thread in open turns around the underbody back down to the tail position. (S) This helps to keep the under- body in shape. If the “outer body” material was tied in before the under- body was formed, now take the tying thread in open turns back to the eye again. (S) Floss Bodies Floss is used to form smooth wound-on bodies (sometimes in conjunction with different-color wool or chenille thoraxes) for countless salt and freshwater fly patterns. Three main kinds of floss are available, each in a good range of colors. Silk floss is the finest type, and is commonly supplied in two thicknesses: a thin-gauge floss, packaged on small reels, with up to four strands twisted together (the strands must be untwisted before use); and a thicker-gauge single-strand floss, supplied on larger reels. Thin silk floss is suitable for most kinds of flies, but larger flies and lures need the thicker gauge. Rayon/nylon flosses are cheaper alternatives to silk but give good results nevertheless. Most suppliers only offer one thickness, which may be single-strand or multi-strand. The single-strand kind can, if required, be split into two or more thinner lengths with a dubbing needle. 0Acetate floss, which is usually supplied in single-strand form, has a property all its own. When a body tied with acetate floss is dipped quickly into acetate solution, the outer layer of floss is partly dissolved and then dries to form @ hard outer shell, making a more durable fly. The same property can be employed to imitate the hard wing casings of nymphs, and the “melting floss” technique gives scope for further experiments. Note, however, that a treated ‘acetate floss body may shrink a little, so that any ribbing may need to be wound on after treatment. The following photographs show how to tie in, wind on, and tie off a floss body for a larva or midge pupa. With floss bodies for normal flies the technique is similar, but the floss should be tied in using the chenille method. (For bi-color floss bodies, the surplus for the first color should reach only halfway along the shank.) ‘¢ Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun- dation thread right round the bend of the hook. (S) @ Cut a 4-inch (100 mm) length of floss (if using multi- strand floss, untwist it first). ‘¢ Hold the floss about % inch (20 mm) from one end with the left hand, then place the floss directly in front of the ty- 19 thread, well round the bend. ‘¢ Hold the floss in position (well to the left, as shown) by trapping it between the left-hand middle finger and the far side of the shank. ¢ Tie in the floss and continue winding close turns of thread to the eye. (S) ‘¢ To prevent the first turn of floss working itself further found the bend when wound on, either lacquer the founda- tion thread lightly or twist the floss strands a litle (close to the hook); then wind on the first turn. ‘¢ Untwist the floss (if necessary) and wind on toward the eye, making sure that the floss stays free of twists. ‘e Tie off the floss at the hackle position. (S) Then trim off the surplus close to the securing tums of thread.Woven Floss Bodies When I first saw a fly tied with a woven body, I was immediately impressed by its neatness and the apparently simple technique needed. When I first tried to tie one, however, it was a different story! The following illustrations show how tricky this technique is; it is definitely not for beginners. ‘The secrets of success are to maintain even tension on both floss threads throughout, to keep your eye on the line formed on each side of the body, and to use your spare fingers to prevent the weave from loosening while you ‘change hands or threads. Any color combination can be used, but the woven body looks most effective when a light color is combined with a dark color. ¢ Form a smooth-curved underbody, tapered at both ends, shown, '¢ Tie in a length of light-colored floss at the tail position, Under the hook shank, using the chenille method. (S) '* Tie on a length of dark-colored floss at the tail position, on top of the shank, in the same way as described for "Wood-Duck Tails” in Chapter 3. ‘¢ Take the tying thread in wide turns back to the hackle position. (S) ‘* Hold the light-colored floss in your right hand on the far side of the shank, and the dark floss in your left hand on ‘the near side, 28 shown. Note how close to the shank the two hands must be. st‘¢ Begin weeving the body by taking the dark floss over the shank, behind the light floss. ‘* Now change hands, and the first stage of weaving is complet Note: It is necessary to change hands a number of times during this dressing, and each time the tension on the two lengths of floss must be maintained. This may sound im- possible, but the trick is to use your spare fingers to grip the other floss each time you change. '® Bring the dark floss back over the top of the shank, ‘¢ The photograph shows the correct position for the next step with the light floss. ‘© Toke the light floss under the shank and bring it up on ‘the near side (gripping it temporarily with the spare fingers of your right hand as you go; you cannot take your left hand all the way round!).. ‘© Maintaining an even tension on both flosses, teke the dark floss around the light one, working toward the hook eye. 2«© Take the dark floss over the top of the hook shank ‘© Take the light floss under the hook shank. ‘© Ropeat stops 4 to 8 until you reach the hackle position. ‘© Maintaining equal tension on the two lengths of floss, finish weaving on the near side of the hook. ‘© Tie off with three or four turns of tying thread. (S) ‘© Cut off the surplus floss.Monofilament Nylon Bodies The first type of nylon used to make nymph bodies was round, with a choice of shiny or matt finish — in other words, ordinary monofilament leaders, which were all that was available to flytyers at the time. Since then, flat monofilament has also come onto the market, Both types are available in several colors, or you can dye them yourself. ‘The following photographs show how to make the body of an Ivens’ Green Nymph, using round monofilament. ‘The same technique can be used with flat monofilament, which is especially suitable for tying nymph bodies. In addition, flat monofilament can be used to make strikingly effective (visually, that is) woven bodies, dressed in the same way as the woven floss body already described. But nylon is springy, and has a slippery surface, so that the ty ing of a woven monofilament body is a challenging project. ‘© Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun: dation thread to the tail position. (S) ‘¢ For a shaped body, fist tie a floss or yam underbody. After tying off the underbody material, wind the tying thread in close turns back to the tail position. (S) ‘© Cut off a suitable length of nylon (3X or 4X monofia ‘ment is right for an average-size nymph hook); you'll need about nine inches (230 mm) for a plain body, and at least 18 inches (500 mm) for a shaped one. Crimp one end with a pair of ridged-jaw pliers. ¢ Tie in the crimped end of the nylon using the chenille method. Then, keeping the rest of the nylon clear, wind the tying thread in close turns to the hackle position. (S) ¢ Lightly glue the underbody, then wind on the nylon in close turns toward the eve. (If the cut length is too short, tie it off, then crimp and tie in another length. Return the thread 10 the hackle position (S), re-glue, and wind on the new length.) the secured tying thread, tie off the nylon with at least three turns of thread, (S) Trim off the surplus nylon, and remove any glue from the body with your fingers. © To complete the dressing of the Ivens’ Green Nymph, tie in and wind on a brown partridge back hackle as described under "Simple Wet-Fly Hackles” in Chapter 5, then tie off ‘and trim the surplus. (S) For the head, tie in a strand of peacock herl, wind on two or three turns, tie off, and trim the surplus. Finish the fly with a wrap knot, then lacquer the knot. st‘Copper Bodies Copper bodies can be tied with proprietary copper-colored flytyers’ tinsel, using the method already shown for tinsel bodies. Another source of similar material is the humble copper scouring pad, which provides strong and shiny copper “‘tinsel” at a fraction of the cost! Its disadvantages are that the pad must be unraveled and that the luster fades, although the latter can be prevented for a time by lacquering the completed copper body. Scouring pad tinsel looks good whether used as the basic body material or as ribbing (especially ribbing over peacock herl). I use it myself for lures — in particular, the Jersey Herd fly, whose original body material was a g0ld-color foil milk bottle cap. ‘© Cut into the weave of a scouring pad and unravel a length of copper strip. «Place the strip over the edge of a straight pair of (closed) scissors, and place your thumb on top. © Gently pull the copper through to remove the kinks. (Be careful not to cut your thumb.) Cut the dekinked length from the pad. ‘If the dekinking process curls the copper too much, turn the strip over and repeat the process, more gently. « Prepare the hook shank with close turns of foundation thread to the tail position. (S) ‘© Optional: Using black floss, form and finish off an under- body similar to the one shown. (S) «© Tie in the copper (as for flat tinsel), and wind the thread back over the underbody (or shank) to the eye. (S) If desired, glue the underbody (or shank). © Wind on the copper, each turn just touching the last. «© Tie off the copper. (S) Using straight scissors, trim off the surplus copper. Avoid cutting close to the blade points ‘© The completed copper body. Butf up the copper with a strip of chamois leather. If desired, lacquer the body to delay tarnishingMylar and Lurex Bodies Mylar can be obtained in sheet form as thin embossed gold or silver foil, or as a woven tube. The sheet form is more frequently used, although it is quite flimsy, Cut it into lengths, then prepare and tie it in like any flat tinsel (as already described). Woven Mylar tube is good for imitating the scales of small fishes, and few books seem to give instructions on its use; hence its inclusion here. It is a material that requires gentle handling to prevent the weave from unraveling too much. , Lurex is available in many colors, either in sheet form or, like flat tinsel, on reels. Use in the same way as Mylar. Mylar Woven Tube Body ‘© Propare the hook shank by winding turns of foundation thread to the tail position. (S) ‘¢ Form a slim yellow or white yarn or floss underbody (the color depending on whether gold or silver Mylar is to be used). (S) ‘© With straight scissors, cut a piece of tubing a little longer than the body length, to allow for fraying «¢ Holding the tube in your left hand, extract the cotton core with tweezers. ‘© Push the tube over the eye of the hook and down the shank. As you push the tube, the end will fray; continue Pushing the tube until the end of the intact plaiting reaches the secured tying thread. The frayed ends will probably ex tend beyond the bend of the hook. Do not trim off the frayed ends yet. 56© Take the tying thread up between the near-side frayed ends, in preparation for binding-down turns over the tub- ing. « Holding the frayed ends and hook bend in your left hand, wind careful securing turns over the part of the tube Where the plaiting has just started to fray. (S) ‘© Trim off the frayed ends, close to the securing turns. © Cover the cut surplus ends with @ wrap knot, but take five or six wrap-knot turns instead of the usual three or four. muy © Cut the surplus tying thread, and re-attach it at the eye fend, disturbing the frayed ends at the eye as little as possi ble. (S) ‘* Pull the woven tube back toward the bend as shown. This action will further fray the eye end of the tube, but it is not usually as bad as it looks! ‘© Keeping the tubing pulled back, wind the tying thread down to the hackle position. (S) ‘© Smooth the tubing forward again, then tie its front end off in the same way as the tail end. (S) ‘© Cut the frayed ends close to the securing turns of thread © Lacquer the wrap knot at the tail end of the tubing and wait for it to dry before adding a hackle and/or wing.Peacock Bodies | The herls (individual feather fibers) from the peacock’s spectacular tail feathers are used in two main ways to make fly bodies. The herl can be wound on in its natural state, with the iridescent green “flue” (the herl's furry coating) providing a unique texture. Or the flue can be stripped from the herl to leave a “quill” that, when wound on, im- itates natural segmented bodies. | For the bushiest natural her! bodies, choose herls with the densest flue; these are found directly below the “eye” | of the tail feather. The best herls for stripping come from the eye itself where the quills, each with a dark and a light edge, provide the finished body with a distinctly segmented appearance. The stripped quills with the most contrast between light and dark edges come from those peacock eyes that are lightest in color when turned dull side upper- most. For some patterns, the quills need to be dyed; this is best done by dyeing the whole eye, and stripping the quills later. Again, choose the lightest-colored eyes. Peacock quills are normally stripped individually with a knife. All the quills in a peacock eye may be stripped at ‘once, however, by coating the whole eye with hair-removing cream! Leave the cream for no longer than suggested in the instructions, then scrape off the flue, rinse the eye thoroughly in cold water, and allow it to dry slowly. Peacock herl is a fragile material, and trout can soon damage a fly made from it. To protect the fly, lacquer or glue the underbody before winding on the quill or herl, and rib the body with an invisible (inconspicuous) thread. Peacock herls are sometimes used together with floss (as in the Royal Coachman and Californian Coachman) to form colorful bodies. The tying-in, winding-on, and tying-off for such bodies are the same as already described for the Western Bee under “Wool and Chenille” in this chapter. In some palmered fly patterns, peacock is used as a ribbing over floss. Ostrich herls can be prepared and tied in in the same way as peacock but, when stripped, the quills do not have a dark and a light edge. Peacock Herl Body «Prepare the hook shank with even turns of foundation thread to the tal positon. (S) Using the chenile method, te in & siinch (150 mm) length of dark-colored thread atthe tall position. (S) This thread will form the “invisible” ribbing # Cut botwoen three and five peacock herls from just below the eve. © When cut, keep all the her's with the flue (luff) side ve, ‘¢ Hold the hers in your left hand about % inch (20 mm) from the butts (the cut ends). Place the butts undereath the shank, directly in front of the ribbing thread and tying thread. Ensure that the flue side of each herl now faces the bend of the hook. ‘© Tie in the herls in the same way as the ribbing thread, (s) 58 (8) = now secure thread in rubber button or eave bobbin hanging‘© Wind the tying thread in even turns to the hackle posi tion, binding in the butts. (While binding them in, keep the butts underneath the shank with your left thumbnail.) (S) ‘© With the dubbing needle, apply lacquer both above and below the hook shank. ‘© Wind on the herls in close turns to the hackle position, «© Tie off the herls by bringing them in front of the tying thread and almost parallel to the hook shank. Take the thread over the shank to trap the herls, then take one more turn. (S) @ For a fatter peacock body, trim off the surplus hers. ‘Then tie in three to five more herls at this point. (S) Cut off the surplus butts if necessary. Wind the herls down the body and back again to the hackle position. Tie off. (S) © Wind on the ribbing. This may be in the same direction {, oF opposite to, the body material. * Tie off the ribbing with two turns of tying thread. (S) Cut off the surplus. © Trim off the surplus herls close to the securing turns. 9Peacock Quill Body ‘© Select one herl from the blue part of @ peacock eye. ‘© Hold the herl by its base and pull it away carefully from the eye. Cut it free from any herls that come away with it, preserving the small amount of pale quill tissue at its base. The tissue at the base of the her! helps to keep it in place, ‘once tied in. ‘© Scrape off the flue with a sharp knife, working toward the butt of the herl. ‘¢ Propare the hook shank with close tums of foundation thread to the tail position. (S) ‘© With the dark edge of the quill nearest the bend, tie it in, using the chenille method. Take the tying thread close turns to the hackle position. (S) '* For a secure dressing, now lacquer or glue the under- body. ‘© Wind on the quill; do not overlap the turns. '* If a single quill is not long enough to cover the shank (a5 was the case when we photographed this sequence) un- wind the tying thread and tie off the quill before it becomes too narrow. (S) Cut the surplus, then tie in another quill, taking the thread back to the hackle position. (S) Re- lacquer or glue the underbody and wind on the new quill ‘® Repeat as required until the hackle position is reached. «Tie off the quill, leaving room for a hackle. (S) Trim off the surplus quill.Raffia Bodies Raffia (a dried natural grass) is an inexpensive and useful material that can be used to produce a fly body with a smooth finish. ‘¢ Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun- dation thread to the tail position. (S) © Select a strip of raffia, and trim it to a length of about ‘one foot (300 mm). Then, using the dubbing needle, split ‘one end to give @ strip % inch (3 mm) wide. Using both hands, separate this strip from the remainder by pulling them apart. (A strip wider than % inch was required for the illustration.) ‘© Use the chenille method to tie in the raffia, with its shinier side uppermost. © Wind the tying th in even turns to the eye. (S) ‘© Wind on the raffia (shiny side out) with overlapping turns. «If @ shaped body is desired, continue winding up and down the shank, remembering to tighten the overlapping turns frequently with the fingers of your right hand. ‘© Note: It is possible to buy synthetic raffia substitutes (such as Raffene) but these must be handled in a slightly different way. The strips can only be divided by cutting (not pulling). Also, the synthetic material must be thoroughly moistened and then stretched onto the hook shank, if itis not to lose its shape in the water. 6Pheasant Tail Bodies The technique for selecting and tying in pheasant-tail feather fibers, shown in this section, can also be used for tying similar bodies from any other feather fibers that have no pronounced flue — such as those of swan, bustard, heron, and turkey. (Condor herls can be used in the same way, or they can be stripped of flue and used like peacock quills.) When using any of these materials for fly bodies, always choose the longest and best quality (undamaged) fibers, found in the center of the feather. The following photographs show how to tie a Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail Nymph. Note, however, that my dressing of this fly is slightly different from that advocated by its originator, Frank Sawyer. ‘© Using very fine-gauge dark copper wire, prepare the hook shank with close even turns to the tail position. (S) (if you find copper wire too difficult to handle for this stage of the dressing, use a brown thread foundation instead, and tio in the copper wire at step 4, after tying in the pheasant fibers. Then take the thread to the eye, tie a wrap knot, ‘and trim the surplus.) ‘ Cut three copper-colored fibers taken from the base of a ‘mature cock-pheasant tail feather. Tie on, with the butts nearest the hook eye. (S) * For (optional) ribbing, tie in a short length of brown tying thread at the tail position. (S) ‘© Select some long fibers from the center of a pheasant, tail feather. ‘© Pull the fibers down at right angles to the stalk and align the tips. © Cut three or four fibers (more fibers were required for ‘the salmon hook shown in these photographs). ‘© Using straight scissors, trim off the (weak) extreme tips of the fibers. e© Holding the fibers near the trimmed tips with the (darker) underside uppermost, tie them in using the chenille method. ‘© Wind the copper wire in close turns to the eye, trapping the surplus ends of the pheasant fibers underneath the hook. (S) ‘* Form the thorax by winding the wire in close turns back along the shank to nearly halfway, then nearly back to the ‘ye, and so on, each time winding on two or three turns fewer at each end. When complete, take the wire to the eye. (S) The thorax should be smoothly shaped, not lumpy. © Lacquer or glue the wire underbody and wind on the pheasant fibers with the (darker) underside nearest the Underbody. ‘© The pheasant fibers, after being wound on, lie back over the body as shown in step 8. The first bunch of fibers, therefore, will probably be too short to complete a large nymph. If this is 80, take the wire over the thorax to the last turn of pheasant fibers and tie off the butts. (S) © Cut off the surplus fibers. ‘© Tie in @ new bunch of pheasant fibers, prepared as before, and return the wire to the eye. (S) Re-lacquer or {glue the remainder of the underbody. ‘© Wind on the fibers to the eye and tie them off on top of the héok with wire. Do not cut off the surplus. ‘© Rib the body with the brown ribbing thread and tie it off. (S) (3) = now secur thread in rubber button or leave bobbin hanging 63© Wind the copper wire over the pheasant fibers in wide turns to behind the thorax. (S) ‘ To form the imitation wing case, pull the fibers back ‘over the thorax and tie down with two turns of wire. Do not cut off the surplus fibers yet. ‘© Take the copper wire back to the head in wide turns, (S) © Bring the fibers back again to the eye. Tie the fibers down and tie a wrap knot with the wire, taking care not to kink it. ‘© Cut off the surplus closely and cleanly; avoid blocking the eye. © The finished nymph.Deer Hair Bodies Deer hair fibers are springy and hollow (except those ffom the tail). Fly bodies made by “spinning” deer hair onto the shank have a dense, furry texture and float well (natural-color fibers are more buoyant than dyed ones). The spinning technique is tricky because of the slipperiness and quantity of the fibers used. Once mastered, however, it can be used not only for fly bodies but also for tying the heads of a number of patterns, including the Muddler Minnow and some of the bass popper flies. The following photographs show how to tie a deer hair body for the Coffin Fly. «© Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun- dation thread to the tail position. (S) Using straight scissors, cut @ bunch of deer hair (about as much as can comfortably be held between thumb and index finger) from a piece of deer skin. Cut the hair from as Hy close to the skin as possible. f¢ Use the dubbing needle to pick out surplus fibers and underfur from the bunch (see also “Hair Tails” in Chapter 3). '¢ Holding the bunch in the middle, trim the ends of the hairs evenly. The bunch should now be a manageable size, with the hairs trimmed to roughly the same length, ‘¢ Placo the bunch of hair on top of the hook, at the tail position. © Take the tying thread over the bunch. 6s© With one turn only, tie the bunch down Jightly on top of the hook, but do not let go of the bunch yet. « Still holding the bunch, loosen the turn of thread slightly and, with a series of gentle tugs on the thread, work the deer hair around the shank. "Feed" the deer hair from the bunch by progressively releasing the fibers. © When the hair fibers have been worked all around the shank, tighten up the turn of tying thread and then wind. ‘on another turn of thread, wiggling it through the fibers @ little to the right of the last turn. (S) «© Pull all the fibers back (this may require more than one attempt). © Wind two turns of thread tight up alongside the fibers. (s) © Now release the fibers. The two extra turns of threed should prevent the fibers being angled forward too much, thus leaving more room for the next bunch. '* Prepare and tie on a second bunch, close to the first one, as already described in stops 1 to 6. (S) «© Tie on further bunches until the shank is covered, leav. ing enough room for a hackle and wing if necessary. (S)‘* The photograph shows all the bunches of deer fibers tied on, ®@ Using 2 closed pair of straight scissors, free any fibers ‘trapped between the gape and the vise jaws; also free any fibers trapped by turns of thread. This preliminary work saves a lot of snipping later. ‘© Using straight scissors, trim off the excess fibers to roughly the desired body shape. It is best to start the rough trim at the tail end of the body, under the hook shank. Sterting here makes it easier to judge how thick the finished body should be. © After the rough trim, complete the job with curved scissors (which give @ neater finish). ‘© The finished body; note the amount of space left for wing and/or hackle: ‘© Other shaped bodies could be more conical than the one shown, barrel-shaped, or clipped very short all over.Polythene Bodies Colorless polythene makes excellent opaque bodies, suitable for imitating minnows, dace, and other small bait fish as well as the bodies of flies. The polythene may be: (1) wound directly onto a prepared shank to form the whole body; (2) wound over part of the shank, behind a floss thorax; or (3) wound on top of a floss or tinsel underbody, which may be ribbed if desired. The following photographs show how to tic an all-polythene shaped body, and also show an example of polythene wound over tinsel. «© Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun- dation thread to the tail position. (S) © Cut a strip (about twice as wide as required) of 500 ‘gauge polythene approximately six inches (150 mm) long. © Gently stretch the polythene strip. This halves its width and, by removing most of its “elasticity,” makes for a secure dressing. ‘© Prepare and tie in one end, in the same way as for flat tinsel (see under "Tinsels and Wires” earlier in this chapter). ‘© Wind the tying thread in close turns back to the hackle position. (S) *¢ Fora flat body: Wind on the polythene, overlapping ‘each turn, to the hackle position, Return the polythene to the tail position and back again to the hackle position, tightening the turns frequently with your thumb and index: finger. * For @ shaped body (as illustrated): Continue adding fur- ther layers of polythene, finishing at the hackle position ‘ Tie off the polythene with three turns of tying thread. (s) © Cut off the surplus. © A typical reservoir‘fly dressed by winding polythene over a flat silver tinsel underbody. (68 (5) = now secure tread in rubber button oF leeve bobbin hangingLatex Bodies Latex has only relatively recently come into favor as a popular flytying material, but its use is growing rapidly. Cut into strips and wound onto the shank, latex can imitate the segmented bodies of nymphs and some flies better than any other material yet available. It can be bought in sheets, in a restricted range of colors. If you cannot obtain it, natural-color balloons, cut into strips with sharp scissors, are a good substitute. Latex is mostly used for tying the larger nymphs and caddis flies. It provides such lifelike results, however, that I feel there is plenty of scope for experimenting with its use for small flies too. The following photographs show how to tie a very simple latex body. Simple Latex Body «Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun- dation thread to the tall position. (S) ® Lay the latex shoot on a flat surface and, with ruler and {elttip pen, draw a line along one edge (for a small hook) or two parallel lines across the diagonal (fora large hook). * Using straight scissors, cut a strip of latox, tapering it st one end for tying-in purposes. # Tie in the latex in the same way as for flat tinsel (see “Tinsels end Wires” earlier in this chapter) ‘© Take the tying thread in close turns to the hackle posi- tion, tying in the surplus latex underneath the hook shank. (s) ‘¢ Wind on the latex, under slight tension, to the hackle position. ‘© Each turn should cover half the preceding one, giving the body a very lifelike segmented appearance.‘* Do not slacken the tension! ‘© If this happens, undo all the latex turns and begin again. ‘© Should the trouble persist (due to the latex being too short), cut another strip, of maximum length, from the sheet. Tie in as before and repeat steps 2 and 3. je off the latex, still under tension, with three or four securing tums of tying thread. If required, use a wrap knot or half hitch 2s an extra precaution against the latex body loosening. (S) f Release the tension on the surplus latex, and cut close to the securing turns. Stonefly Nymph [As the previous sequence shows, a simple latex dressing can successfully imitate segmented fly bodies. Some modern flytyers (notably Poul Jorgensen) have exploited the properties of latex in much more complicated dress- ings, producing wonderfully lifelike artificial nymphs and flies. The effects can be stunning. ‘The following sequence of photographs shows how to tie a simplified Perla Stonefly Nymph; this is one of the dressings featured in Poul’s excellent book Modern Fly Dressings for the Practical Angler. In addition to natural color latex, this dressing requires some special materials: lead wire, amber-dyed brown rabbit fur, brown and orange waterproof markers, and a cupful of water on the bench. It also requires some flytying experience and plenty of time! ‘Note: For clarity, the colors in the following photographs are a little brighter than those Poul recommends. ‘¢ Prepare the hook shank by winding close, firm turns of yellow tying thread to the tail position. (S) Note: The hook illustrated is a size 4 long-shank Mustad 9672. Poul Jorgensen uses sizes 4 to 10, 3x long Mustad 38941 ‘© Cut two body-length pieces of lead wire, of about the same thickness as the hook. * Tie in one piece of wire on the far side of the shank so that the end of the wire is just short of the hook eye. Then bind the whole length of the wire to the shank with close tums of thread.Bind in the second length of lead wire along the near Of the shank, working toward the tail (S) If necessary, use needlenose pliers to straighten the lengths of lead after binding in. ¢¢ Using an orange waterproof marker, color a few of the shortest, curved, stiffest fibers that are found at the base (on the outside) of a white swan primary feather. ‘® When the coloring is dry, pull off two fibers and tie them on at the tail, so that one curves toward you and one curves away. ‘© Touch up the coloring if necessary. ‘© Mark out a strip six inches (150 mm) long and 3/32 inches (2 mm) wide on a sheet of natural-color latex. © Cut out the latex strip accurately, without damaging the edges. ‘© Taper one end of the strip (as described earlier in this chapter for flat tinsel. © Tie in the tapered end of the strip on top of the hook shank, then wind the tying thread to the eye. (S) ‘© Using the dubbing needle, coat the prepared shank with glue. ‘© Ensure that the tapered edge of the strip is nearest the eve. Then wind on toward the eye, keeping a litle tension ‘on the latex and half-overlapping each tur. © Continue unti just over half the shank is covered. This completes the segmented part of the nymph body. ‘© Wind the remaining latex strip in tight turns (applying more tension) to the eye, and secure it with the tying thread. (S) ‘© Cut off the surplus latex, then take wide turns of thread down the body to the segmented section. (S) n'* Color the segmented part of the body with an orange waterproof merker, working from tight to left, '* Allow the coloring to dry. ‘* Draw a line with a brown waterproof marker along the ‘aymph's segmented back, to imitate its dark markings. This time, work from left to right. '* Allow the coloring to dry. ‘¢ Form a loop of tying thread three inches (75 mm) long at the end of the segmented section. Leave the loop hanging, and wind the thread to the eye. (s) This step is not impossible! © Cut off a small amount of orange-dyed rabbit fur. Keep the long guard hairs together. # From the cut bunch of fur, pull out as much of the Underfur as possible. * Open the loop and place the fur in the middle. Attach hackle pliers to the end of the loop and allow the loop to hang. ¢ Using both hands, gently spr arranged evenly along the loop. ‘* Push the fur gently until about two-thirds of the length Of the hairs is on the left of the loop, and one-third to the tight 1d the fur until itis 2‘If the spread fur does not occupy the whole length of the loop, carefully move the hackle pliers up until they grip just below the base of the fur. '¢ Twist the loop until the fur is well entwined. ‘© Holding the hackle pliers in one hand to keep the loop taut, dip the fingers and thumb of your other hand in water and ‘thoroughly moisten the fur. ‘© Taking great care not to remove the fur from the oop, gently pull all the fur back toward the tal, as if preparing @ wet-fly hackle. '* Wind on the fur and loop like a wet-fly hackle, gently polliig the fur toward the tail on each tur. ‘© Unwind the tying thread as far as necessary and tie off the end of the loop. (S) ‘ Trim off the excess fur on top of the body, so that the latex wing cases (to be added next) can lie flat. ‘¢ For the wing cases, trim two pieces of natural-color latex to the shape shown (use straight scissors for the sides and “vee,” and curved scissors for the shaped ends). As a rough guide to size, the cut-out “vee” should be about the same width es the body. 8 © Color the latex wing cases with orange waterproof marker, and allow to dry. ‘© Color the outer edges of the wing cases with brown waterproof marker (see photograph, and allow to dry. ‘ Tie on the first wing case, at the position shown, with ‘two of three turns of tying thread. (S) Note: Poul Jorgensen colors the wing cases after tying them onto the body, but I find it easier to color them beforehand. | suggest trying both methods to find which fone suits you best. In both cases, the coating of color on the wing cages helps them to curve naturally over the body. = now secure thread in rubber button of ave bobbin hanging 73‘© Form another three-inch (75 mm) loop of tying thread where the first wing case was tied in. Leave the loop hang: ing and wind the thread to the eye. (8) ‘ Prepare, spin, and wind on another bunch of fur, as described in steps 8 to 12. Tie off the loop with tying thread. (S) ‘© Trim off the excess fur on top of the body, as before. ¢ Tie on the second wing case. (S) «© Trim off the surplus latex forward of the tying-in turns, «© Select two more orange-tinted fibers from the swan feather (to form the antennae). «Tie the first antenna (curving away from you) on top of the head. (S) (The antennae should be a litle shorter than the tail fibers.) ‘ Tio on the second antenna, curving toward you. (S) Adjust both antennae and cut off the surplus. ‘© Take as many tums of tying thread as necessary to form ‘2 neat, shaped head, then finish off with a wrap knot (tied underneath the antennae). Lacquer only the knot. "'* Using the orange waterproof marker, color the whole head then allow it to dry, ‘© Using the brown waterproof marker, draw a line along the top of the head from the front of the right-hand wing case, between the antennae, to the hook eye. ‘© Recolor any body marking, if necessary. ‘¢ You have now finished. Call in the family to show them how clever you are, then frame it! © Top view of the simplified Peria Stonefly Creeper, show- ing the proportions of the wing cases. %Painted Bodies Fly bodies, or parts of them, sometimes require paint- ing. Applying the paint is easy, but knowing when to apply it (in other words, at what stage of the dressing) can be a problem. The hints in the next few paragraphs are about how to paint various types of bodies, and about any changes that may be necessary in the normal order of tying. Raffia Bodies (such as Mayflies) Wind on the raffia and tie it off with a wrap knot, then cut the tying thread. Paint the underside of the body ‘matt white. When the paint is dry, re-attach the thread at the hackle position. Rib the body and tie off the ribb- ing. Then complete the dressing as the pattern requires. Painting the Bare Shank Avoiding “Show-through”: To prevent a dark hook shank from showing through a light-colored floss body when the body is wet, the shank should first be painted. Push the hook point into foam, softboard, or some other material that will hold the hook securely (or clamp it in the vise if you do not intend to do any tying while the paint dries). Paint the body section of the shank matt white. When the paint is dry, attach light-colored tying thread three turns in front of the tail position and complete the dressing. Wings can be tied on provided that the surplus is not tied in under the shank. Using Fluorescent Paint: Some fly bodies consist only of the hook shank painted with fluorescent paint, perhaps with some ribbing added. (Use white tying thread if the body is to be ribbed.) Tie on the tail and ribbing material. Cut the surplus and bind the remaining fibers down, then tie off with a wrap knot. Paint the body section of the shank with an undercoat of matt white paint and allow to dry. Then apply the fluorescent paint (orange is a good color for lures) over the undercoat. When the fluorescent paint is dry, complete the dressing as the pattern requires. 16 Hackle-Stalk Bodies These bodies, used in patterns such as the Red Quill and Near Enough, imitate natural segmentation in the same way as peacock quill bodies. However, instead of relying, for their effect on a second color in the quill itself, the hackle stalk is wound on in such a way as to allow the color of the foundation thread to show through between the turns, Prepare the hook shank with close turns of founda- tion thread of the appropriate color, then tie on the tail. Select a very large hackle and pull off all the fibers ex- cept those at the tip. With straight scissors, cut across the fibers at the tip, as described under “Wet-Fly Hackles”” in Chapter 5. Tie in the hackle tip (by its “‘waist”) at the tail position, then wind the tying thread in close turns back to the hackle position. Lightly glue or lacquer both above and below the prepared hook shank. Wind on the hackle stalk toward the eye, leaving, ‘a small space between turns so that the color of the foundation thread shows through. Tie off at the hackle position and complete the dressing as the pattern, requires.5 Hackles Look up “hackle” in the dictionary and you will find something like: “the long shining feathers from the neck of the domestic cock, peacock, pigeon, etc.” But when a flytyer uses the same word, it may mean: e one of the feathers just mentioned, or ‘ any other type of feather that can be wound on at the “hackle position,” or 3 the wound-on collar (formed from those feathers) that many fishing flies sport just behind their heads, or even «a body hackle, which is wound spirally up or down the fly body. To complicate matters further, there are dry-fly hackles and wet-fly hackles, all with their own charact ‘Small wonder, then, that beginners often find “hackle” the most confusing of flytying terms. Luckily, there is less confusion about the purpose of a hackle. Though many different styles of finished, wound-on, hackle can be tied, they are all intended to make an artificial fly more lifelike. Wound-on hackles imitate the legs and breathing apparatus of natural insects, and there is no doubt that the extra movement of the hackle fibers under water often helps to deceive the fish. Beginners often ask me to explain the difference between dry-fly and wet-fly hackles (not really such a naive re- quest, because both dry and wet flies make contact with the water). The main differences are in the way the hackle is prepared and tied in (as shown in the instruction sequences in this chapter) and its position on the hook (see the Hiagram under “Proportions of a Fly” in Chapter 2). Whereas dry-fly hackles are designed to help the fly float on the water's surface, wet-fly hackles (usually softer and/or sparser) are designed to allow the fly to sink easily beneath ‘The instruction sequences in this chapter are divided into those for dry-fly hackles and those for wet-fly hackles. ‘All the techniques described fall neatly into one or the other of these categories except for “palmering” ~ a body- hackle technique that may be used for dry or wet flies. The dry-fly hackle sequences show techniques for the following: « simple dry-fly hackles (this is an important technique and I refer back to it from many other places in the chapter) # how to wind one hackle through another fore-and-aft hackles ‘ body hackles (two different styles) ‘* parachute hackles. The wet-fly hackle sequences show techniques for: « simple wet-fly hackles ‘ body hackles for wet flies ‘false hackles and beard hackles « jay hackles. Ju the end of the chapter there are some notes on common problems with hackles, and how to avoid or remedy them. Fur hackles are not included in thi the book. For a deer-hair hackle (Muddler Minnow type) see “Deer-Hair Bodies” in Chapter 4. Dubbed fur “hackles” (as used in numerous nymph imitations) are made by winding on the dubbing thickly at the thorax and then picking out the dubbed “hackle” with a dubbing needle. Two last points about the instruction sequences: 1. Most of them show a standard yarn body that | tied in before tying the hackle. I di more realistic but the yarn body is not intended to be that of any particular pattern 2. To save space, I have not included detailed instructions in this chapter if the techniques are described elsewhere in thé book. For example, where the instructions state “finish off the fly,” this means tie a wrap knot and cut off the tying thread (described in Chapter 2), then lacquer the head of the fly (see “How to Lacquer a Fly” in Chapter 8). It is sometimes a problem to decide where to tie in and wind on the hackles for winged patterns. The following notes, together with the information in Chapter 6 (“Wings”) should provide most of the answers. Any upright (dry) winged pattern: Tie in the hackle behind the wings. Wind two turns of hackle behind the wings, then wind on the rest in front. Do not take the hackle between the wings. Spent (dry) wings: As above, but use less hackle, and do take the hackle between the spent wings, “Advanced (dry) wings: Wind the whole hackle behind the wings, but tie it off in front of the wings. Sedge wings, flat wings, ant wings (dry): Wind the whole hackle, and tie it off, in front of the wings. Wings on a parachute fiy (dry): Wind the whole hackle around the base of the wing (there is no need for wire). Tie off the hackle tip on the shank. “Any sloping-back (wet) wing: Tie up the wet-fly hackle first. Tie on the wing afterward Streamer wings (wet): As above, or tie up the wet-fly hackle in front of the wing. chapter, because the necessary techniques have been illustrated elsewhere in this to make the sequencesDomestic Cock and Hen Hackles Hackle feathers from the domestic cock and hen are by far the most commonly used wound-on hackles. Cock hackles may be used either for wet or dry flies, depending on the pattern. They are long, thin, and pointed. Stiff and shiny cock hackles are best for dry flies, and the softer, duller ones for wet flies. Hen hackles are used only for wet flies. They are shorter, wider, more rounded, and (because of the “‘web”” ~ the dull center of the hen feather) much softer than cock hackles. The smallest hen hackles consist almost entirely of ly suitable for wet flies because of the way that the soft hackle fibers move in the water. Choosing a Cape Hackle feathers may be bought loose or, more con: veniently, on a cape (the neck of the bird). The best capes are densely hackled ~ the more hackles, the bet- ter. Remember that the longer the hackle, the more turns you can wind on; the narrower the hackle, the smaller the fly that can be tied with it. When buying ‘capes for dry-fly hackles, look for cock capes with dense, springy, glossy feathers. ‘The photograph shows a cock cape (right) and a hen ‘cape (left). The cock cape is a good example of what nor to buy: the hackles are uneven in size, sparse, and damaged. The hen cape is of good quality. 1 DRY-FLY HACKLES Simple Dry-Fly Hackles «¢ The photograph shows three damaged cock hackles. ‘The damage is often inflicted by the birds themselves, and causes weak spots in the feathers. Both cock and hen Capes may be damaged in this way. Of the hackles shown here, only the center one could be used; the two outer hackles would break if wound on. Tor ‘¢ Form the body and tie off with the tying thread at the hackle position. (S) Then trim off all surplus materials, ‘ Select a cock hackle of the right proportions for the hook (see “Proportions of a Fly” at the end of Chapter 2). ‘¢ Prepare the hackle by cutting @ “waist” above the fluffy fibers at the butt end of the hackle (the fluffy part of the feather will not be used) ‘© Cut off the unwanted lower part of the hackle, leaving @ ‘small triangle of fibers just below the waist. (The triangle helps to hold the hackle securely in place when tied in.) ‘78 {S) = now secure thread in rubber button or eave bebbin hanging‘ Lay the prepared hackle along the near side of the hook shank, with its outside surface toward you and the waist in line with the tying thread. Note that the prepared hackle stalk must not extend beyond the hook eye. ‘© Holding the hackle in place with the left-hand thumb and index finger as shown, tie it in with two tums of thread. ‘© Wind close, firm turns of tying thread to the eye. (S) ‘© Grip the tip of the hackle with a pair of hackle pliers. '® Place the nail of your left-hand index finger directly behind, and at the base of, the hackle. Bring the hackle up to the Vertical position, twisting it if necessary so that its outside surface is nearest the hook eye, as shown, ‘© Keep the left-hand index finger in position as you wind the hackle over the shank, then remove it. © If you cannot “start” the hackle after two attempts, un- tie it and use another prepared hackle '® Wind on the hackle in close non-overlapping turns, working toward the hook eye. As shown in the photograph, the hackle should have a twist at the top, Which must be maintained during winding-on. This keeps the hackle stalk at right angles to the hook.«¢ Just before reaching the eye, tie off the hackle tip by bringing it in front of the tying thread and trapping it with two turns of thread around the shank. ($) ‘© Cut off the surplus hackle tip. + To finish off the fly, without accidentally tying in any hackle fibers, fist form a wrap-knot loop. Then, before making the first wrap-knot turn, pull back all the hackle fibers with the thumb and first two fingers of your left hand, holding the tying thread with the last two fingers. ‘* Complete the wrap-knot turns as usual. Release the hackle fibers so that the dubbing needle can be placed in the loop, then tighten the loop, taking care not to trap any hackle fibers. (If any fibers are trapped, cut them off together with the tying thread.) Lacquer the head of the fly, then use the dubbing needle to clear the hook eye of lacquer while itis stil wet. %0Winding One Hackle through Another (Dry Flies) ‘This technique is used for two main reasons: the fly is more conspicuous on the water (if hackles of two different colors are used), and the extra hackle gives more buoyancy. Winding one hackle through another is straight forward. The only problem is to match the widths of the two hackles if they are from two different capes. When adding an extra hackle to an ordinary dry fly simply to give it more buoyancy, two or more hackles can be plucked from the same spot on the cape, of course. The following sequence of photographs shows how to tie the hackles of the Near Enough dry fly © The photograph shows two good-quality cock capes, Suitable for providing hackles of two different colors for the Near Enough fly. On the left is a medium red cape, and on the right is a Plymouth Rock cape. Neither cape is dyed. ‘* From one cape, select a hackle of the right proportions for the hook (see “Proportions of a Fly” at the end of Chapter 2). ‘© From the second cape, find a hackle of similar size and the same width as the first one (as shown). The second hhackle will not necessarily come from the same quarter of the cape as the first. ‘¢ Prepare both hackles (they can both be prepared at ‘once, if you are careful) in the same way as described in the last sequence. 8« Tie in the first hackle with one or two close tums of ty- ing threed. Tie in the second hackle adjacent to the first, then wind close, firm, securing turns of tying thread to the hook eye. (S) «If you wish one of the two colors to predominate (a8 in the fly shown here) tie in that color first, 2s it will be wound on second and will therefore show up a little more. ‘¢ Note: For a very bushy fly with several hackles, the body must be tied off further down the shank than usual 10 allow room for the extra hackles. «First wind on the hackle that was second to be tied in, leaving a small space between turns. ‘* Tie off the first wound-on hackle. (S) © Wind on the second hackle (which was first to be tied in), wigaling it through the first hackle to avoid trapping ‘too many fibers. fe Note that the twist in the hackle must be maintained un- til the hackle is completely wound on « Tie off the second hackle with at least two turns of tying thread. (S) te Trim off the surplus hackle tips, close to the securing tums. If the surplus is not cut close enough, an ugly stub remains, which may block the eye. This fault cannot be Successfully hidden with a wrap knot! ts Tease out any trapped fibers with the dubbing needle, 2s shown, ‘ Complete the fly with a wrap knot, then lacquer the heed and clear the eye (if nacessary) before the lacquer dries. 2Fore-and-Aft Hackles “Fore-and-aft” hackled flies are so called because they have a hackle tied at both ends of the body; they therefore float very well. There are fore-and-aft patterns ranging in size from the largest trout flies down to the tiny Double Black Gnas. The fore hackle is tied as a simple dry-fly hackle. The aft hackle is usually smaller and, depending on the pattern, may be a different color. The aft hackle may be tied in the same way as the fore hackle or it may be tied in in reverse (Gee the “Black Wooly Worm” sequence, later in this chapter); in either case, it is wound in close turns like a simple dry-fly hackle. ' Prepare the hook shenk by winding close turns of foun- dation thread to the tail position. (S) Prepare a cock hackle in the same way as a simple dry- fly hackle (described earlier in this chapter) ® Lay the prepared hackle along the near side of the hook shank, with its outside surface facing you and the waist in line with the tying thread at the tail position. «Tie in the hackle with two or three close turns of tying thread, then wind the thread in wider turns to the hackle position, out of the way. (S) '* Wind on the hackle like a simple dry-fly hackle, each turn touching the previous one. ‘¢ Unwind the tying thread to the point where the hackle is 10 be tied off. ‘ Tie off the aft hackle with two turns of tying thread. (S) Trim off the surplus hackle close to the securing turns. ‘© Prepare and tie in the body material. Wind the tying thread to the hackle position. (S) Wind on and tie off the body material. (S) Trim off the surplus. ‘¢ Propare and tie in another hackle at the normal (fore) hackle position. (For the fly shown here, the fore is larger than the aft hackle.) on like @ simple dry-fly hackle, and tie off just short of the eye. (S) © Trim off the surplus, and compiete the tly. 8 (8) ~ now secure teed in rubber button or leave bobbin hangingDry-Fly Body Hackles Palmering Palmering is the technique of winding cock hackles down the whole length of the body, from head to tail. Most palmered flies are only lightly palmered, with a single body hackle. To make a rather more densely hackled fly, wind on two body hackles at the same time or add a simple dry-fly hackle at the head. For a method of tying very dense and bushy body hackles, see “Bivisibles,” later in this chapter. Palmered flies are more buoyant than conventionally hackled ones and, because their outlines are bigger, are more easily seen on the water. A palmered fly is even more conspicuous if it has a head hackle of a contrasting color. ‘¢ Form the body of the fly but do net rib it. (S) Trim off ‘any surplus material. (For tinsel bodies, a palmered hackle is held more securely if the ribbing is tied in after the tinsel.) '* Select a cock hackle with fibers 1% to 2 times the depth of the hook gape, and prepare the butt as for a simple dry- fly hackle. © For a winged dry fly: Tie in the hackle like a simple dry- fly hackle behind the wings, leaving room for a head hackle. (S) For a lightly palmered fly, as shown: Tie in the hackle at the head. (S) Then wind on one or two ofose tums of ickle ‘© Wind the hackle in wide turns down to the tail position. ‘© Tie off the hackle with the ribbing material. Rib the body in wide turns toward the head. Wiggle the ribbing material from side to side through the hackle fibers to avoid trapping them. «Tie off the ribbing material, then cut off the surplus rib- bing and the hackle tip. ‘© Complete the fly with a wrap knot, then use the dubbing needle to draw out any trapped fibers. Bivisibles The head hackles of a bivisible fly always contrast in color with the body hackles, which makes the fly conspicuous on the water. All the body hackles may be palmered (wound toward the tail) if desired, but the tapered shape of hackle feathers can give the fly an uneven outline. I prefer to palmer some of the hackles and then wind others of the same color back through them, as shown here. ‘The fly shown in the following photographs has ten hackles tied in — more than would be used in most bivisible patterns, Extra hackle makes the fly more complicated to tie, but adds considerably to its buoyancy. The tying thread and ribbing that I chose for the photographs are brighter-colored than would normally be used. u«© Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun- ation thread to the tail position. Then tie in an in Conspicuous (not as shown) ribbing material with one or two securing turns. (S) Prepare six black cock hackles in the same way a8 described earlier for @ simple dry-fly hackle. The photograph shows the correct proportion of hackle length to hook size. « Tie in four of the black hackles a pair at a time, outside surfaces away from you, at the tail position ‘Bind in the hackle butts, then continue to wind close tums of thread two-thirds of the way along the shank. (S) «Using hackle pliers, wind on the first pair of black hackles together, in close turns. ‘* Bring the hackle tips down in front of the secured tying thread and trap them with three turns of thread. (S) ‘© Wind on the second pair of black hackles, wiggling them from side to side through the first pair, as shown, ‘© Trap the second pair of black hackles in the seme way as the first pair. (S) Cut off the surplus hackle tips. ‘© Tie in the last pair of black hackles as shown (outside surfaces toward you), at the point where the first four were tod off. (S) ‘© Wind tho last two hackles to the tall position (that is, palmer them), wiggling them through the fibers of the first ‘wo pairs to be wound on. as‘© Bring the tips of the last pair of black hackles down in front of the ribbing material. ‘© Trap the hackle tips with the first turn of shown ‘© Wind the ribbing through the hackied part of the body, wiggling it to avoid trapping the hackle fibers. ‘© Tie off the ribbing with the tying thread. (S) Cut off the surplus ribbing material, also the hackle tips at the tail posi- tion, bing, as « Prepare four light-colored cock hackles (white or cream) as before. ‘Tie in the light hackles, two at a time, with the outside surfaces toward you, as shown. ® Bind in the hackle butts, then continue winding the thread in close turns to the hook eye. (S) ‘© Wind on the first pair of light hackles, and tie off the tips with the tying thread. (S) © Wind the second pair of light hackles through the first pair, wiggling them as before. Secure the tips with the ty- ing thread. (S) Trim off the hackle tips, taking care not to cut the tying thread. © Complete the fly with a wrap knot. ‘© Cut off any badly angled fibers at the tail of the fly (soe the difference between photographs 7 and 8). If desi lightly trim the longest fibers, 86Parachute Hackles Most ordinary dry flies can be adapted to the parachute style of hackling, if desired. A parachute hackle is wound on horizontally around a tied-on vertical support (made of wire, nylon, or the stalk of the hackle itself) which is attached to the hook shank. The advantages of this tying method are that larger-than-normal hackles can be used, and that the fly always lands right side up if tied properly It is also possible to tie winged parachute flies; bunched hair wings are the easiest. The hackle is simply wound around the base of the wing and the hackle tip tied off as usual on the shank. ‘© Prepare the hook shank by winding turns of foundation thread to the tail position. (S) © For 8 dubbed body: Wind the dubbing halfway along the shank (see "Dubbed Bodies” in Chapter 4). (S) For a yarn body, as shown: Tie in the yarn, then wind the tying thread halfway along the hook shank. (S) © Choose a hackle of the correct size: when the hackle stalk is held vertically against the hook shank, in line with the secured tying thread, the fibers should extend a litte beyond the total length of the hook, as shown. ‘© Securely tie in one end of a length of flytying wire, halfway along the shank. (S) ‘© Using the simple dry-fly hackle method described earlier in the chapter, prepare and tie in the hackle at the same place as the wire. (S) ‘¢ Form a fairly large loop in the wire, as shown, and tie its free side down with one or two tums of tying thread, adj Cent to where the wire was first tied in, There must be no gap between the two sides where the loop is tied in; this is the anchor point, ‘© Note: The loop is tied in last to minimize the resistance {from the secured tying thread) when it is later pulled through, %«© Grip the hackle tip with a small pair of hackle pliers, @ Working clockwise (viewed from above), wind the first turn of hackle — outside surface uppermost ~ around the base of the wire loop. The loop should be stiff enough not to need much support. ‘© Wind further turns of hackle around the wire loop, each ‘turn going under the preceding one. This gradually pushes the first turn of hackle up the loop. © On the final tum, stop winding on the near side of the hook ‘© Maintaining a light tension, guide the hackle pliers (held in your right hand) as far as possible through the loop. © With your left-hand thumb and index finger on either side of the base of the loop, grip the hackle tip. # Release the hackle tip from the hackle pliers, then regrip, the tip from the far side of the loop, as shown. ‘© Swap the hackle pliers to your left hand, and maintain a light tension on the hackle tip ‘© With your right hand, gently draw down the wire, trap- ping the hackle tip with the diminishing wi ifthe loop threatens to kink, stop pulling immediately; straighten, the loop, then continue as before. ‘¢ The photograph shows the hackle tip trapped by the loop, which has been completely pulled through. ‘¢ Remove the hackle pliers. « Tie off the pulled-through wire undemeath the hackle, with two tums of tying thread. (S) Cut off the surplus wire. * For a dubbed body: Complete the dubbed body and go to the second point in step 9. For a yarn body: Take the tying thread to the hook eye. (S)GENES * Wind the yarn all along the shank, using the dubbing needle to prevent the hackles being trapped. «Tie off the yarn with two turns of tying thread. (S) Cut off the surplus yarn. © Finish off the fly with a wrap knot. ‘© Regrip the hackle tip with the hackle pliers and trim off the surplus hackle (but not too closely) For extra durability, add a spot of lacquer on top of the wire loop. WET-FLY HACKLES Simple Wet-Fly Hackles Simple wet-fly hackles are formed of soft-fibered feathers, prepared and tied in such a way that the fly sinks beneath the surface quickly. Hen hackles, soft cock hackles, and the back, breast, and neck feathers from game birds can all be used. The following photographs show the preparation and tying of a light ginger domestic hen hackle for the soft- hackled type of fly (these flies do not require wings). For a pattern such as the Parmachene Belle, which requires hackles of two different colors to be wound on at the same time, it is best to prepare, tie in, and wind on both hackles together. « Prepare the hook shank, form the body, and cut off any surplus materials, ‘© Choose an undamaged hen or game hackle, and pull the fibers down so they are at right angles to the hackle stalk. ® Place the hackle stalk af the hackle position, as shown, ‘The fibers of a correct-size hackle should extend just beyond the bend of the hook. (For all other wet flies, see Proportions of a Fly” at the end of Chapter 2.)‘* To prepare the hackle for tying in, first grip its tip in a ‘small pair of hackle plies. ‘© With the left hand, pull down the fibers directly below the hackle tip and hold them back. Release the hackle pls. © Using straight scissors, cut off most of the hackle tip as, shown. ‘ Continuing to hold the fibers back, tie in the hackle tip (by the “waist") at the hackle position, with the outside surface of the feather facing you. ‘© Wind further close turns of tying thread toward the eye, to bind in the hackle tip. (S} (Be sure that the tip does not block the eye.) ‘© Grip the butt of the hackle with a pair of hackle pliers. ‘¢ Draw the hackle up to the vertical position, with its out side surface facing the hook eye. ‘© Bofore starting to wind on the hackle, “double” gently pulling all the fibers to the left. ‘© Wind on the hackle in close turns to the hook eye, doubling it on each turn as shown to keep the fibers point. ing rearward. by «Tie off the hackle with two turns of tying thread, leaving all the soft, downy part at the base as surplus, as shown, (s) © Cut off ‘the surplus part of the hackle, and finish off the fly 0¢ The completed soft-hackied fly. Note that none of the soft, downy part of the hackle has been tied in. Wet-Fly Body Hackles Body hackles are included in certain wet-fly dressings to give the fly a larger outline and a livelier appearance under water. The best feathers to use are the softest cock hackle feathers and the cockerel’s saddle (rump) feathers; they may be wound on from tail to head or palmered (head to tail, as described earlier in the chapter). The following photographs show two typical styles of tail-to-head body hackle — for weighted shrimps and for the Black Wooly Worm — each of which must be tied in differently. The same techniques can be used for many other patterns, I do not advise preparing and tying in more than two hackles at once. If a bushier body is desired, add extra hackles using the method described for ‘‘Bivisibles,” earlier in the chapter. my Weighted Shrimp Fly « Prepare the hook shank by winding close turns of foun dation thread to the tall position. (S) ® (Only if tying the shrimp shown): Add successive layers of lead on top of the shank (see "Six Ways to Weight @ Fiy” in Chapter 8). Return the tying thread to the tail posi tion. (S) ® Selecta large cock hackle of the right proportions, and Drepare i lke @ simple wet-ly hackle ® With its outside surface facing you, tie in the hackle, by its tip, at the tal postion. (S) ®To'in the body materials) (woo! forthe shrimp) and then wind the tying thread to the hook eye. (S) ‘® Wind on the body and tie it off either just before the hook eye (shrimp only) or at the hackle position (other pat- tems). (S) Cut off the surplus body material. ‘© With the butt gripped in large hackle pliers, draw the hackle gently up to the vertical position. With your left: hand fingers, double the hackle by pulling all the fibers to the loft. ‘© Gently wind on two spaced tums of hackle, to check it for strength. If the hackle breaks, undo the body material and tie in a new hackle, Otherwise, continue by firmly winding the hackle in spaced turns over the body. a« Tie off the hackle, leaving the web and fluffy part as plus. (S} Cut off the surplus. @ (Only if tying the shrimp shown): Finish with a wrap knot. Using curved scissors, closely trim off all the fibers (on top, and to the sides, of the hook ‘© (Only if tving the shrimp shown): Using straight scissors, trim the shnimp's lags at the angle shown. Also, if hooking potential is likely to be impaired, trim the legs inside the gape, Black Wooly Worm ' Prepare the hook shank by winding tums of foundation thread to the tail position.(S) @ Tis on the tail. (S) ‘* Prepare a large saddle feather or cock hackle for tying in by the butt. The one shown here is a Piymouth Rock hackle. ‘© With its inside surface facing you, tie the hackle in at the tail position. (S) ‘© Prepare and tie in the ribbing materia at the tail position. (s) ‘© Prepare and tie in the body mater thread to the hackle position. (S) ‘© Wind on the body material |, then wind the tying«© Tie off the body material at the hackle position. (S) ‘© Wind on the ribbing and tie it off. (S) © With the aid of hackle pliers, wind on the hackle in wide tums over the body, keoping to the left of each turn of rib- bing. (The inside surface of the hackle should be nearest the hook eye as you wind.) '* Tie off the hackle near the eye. (S) Cut off the surplus and finish off the fly. False Hackles, Beard Hackles A false hackle is a bunch of cockerel or game hackle fibers tied in and spread evenly under the hook shank at the hackle position. A beard hackle is similar, but the fibers remain in a bunch (they are not spread) and are usually at a wider angle to the shank than those of the false hackle. Both false hackles and beard hackles are mainly used to give a streamlined look to wet-fly lures. '* Form the body, then tie off the body materialis) at the hackle position. (S) ‘© Take one of the longest hackles from a cape (preferably a cock cape. ‘© Cut off the unwanted fluffy base of the hackle. «© Pull off a bunch of hackle fibers as shown, matching the tips. (See “Hackle Fiber Tails” in Chapter 3.) @ The photograph shows a bunch of hackle fibers, prepared for tying in as a false hackle, * (For @ beard hackle only): Place the bunch under the hook shank, at the hackle position. Adjust the bunch for, length. Then, holding the bunch in the left hand, tie it in with three turns of tying thread over the shank. Wind @ few turns of thread around the shank just behind where the bunch is tied in, to force the fibers down. Trim off the surplus in tapered stages. Wind a few more securing turns over the trimmed ends before tying on a wing, |S) = now secure tread in rubber button or leave bobbin hanging 93‘* Lay the bunch on the far side of the hook as shown, ‘¢ Adjust the length of the false hackle according to the pattern of fly being tied. (For example, some flies tied on Jong-shank hooks have very short false hackles.) ‘In the photograph, the tips of the false hackle are aligned with the (hidden) hook point. ‘¢ Hold the bunch between your left-hand thumb and index finger, as shown: ‘¢ Prepare to wind the first turn of tying thread over the shank. ‘* Now use thumb and index finger to guide the hackle fivers evenly under the shank, as you wind on the first turn of thread, This maneuver must, of course, be completed at the hackle position. It is easy to stray too close to the hook eve. ‘¢ The completed false hackle. The fibers automatically splay out as shown; the fatter the body or thorax, the larger the angle.Jay Hackles The very attractive feathers from the wings of the European Jay can be wound on as hackles or tied on as wings. ‘This section is only concerned with jay feathers as hackles, however. For instructions on how to use them as wings, see “Matched Wet Wings” in Chapter 6. To the unwary, jay feathers can be frustratingly difficult to prepare and wind on; indeed, many tiers eventually resort to using jay false hackles! The following sequence of photographs illustrates how a jay feather, when pro- perly selected and prepared, forms a delightfully colorful hackle, which is also rewarding to tie. As with so many other supposedly difficult techniques, correct preparation is more than half the battle. ‘© The photograph shows three European Jay lesser covert wing feathers. The two outer feathers are ideal for hackles because only one side is colored, because the tips are rounded, and (although this cannot be seen) because they hhave softer stalks than the central feather. Feathers like the central one are best used for wings. ‘* Form the body as the pattern requires, and cut off all surplus materials. ‘© Read the “Note” in Stop 4, then select a jay feather of the correct (wet-ly) proportions for the hook. ‘ Pull off all the fibers on the dull-colored side. ‘urn the feather over and, cutting along the stalk with sharp scissors as shown, cut away as much of the stalk ‘and pith as possible. If you accidentally cut through the stalk, start again with a new feather. '® Now trim the butt of the hackle as if preparing to tie it in (though it will actually be tied in by the tip). This allows the hackle pliers to grip the stalk securely and also ensures a neat final winding-on turn, © To prepare the hackle tip for tying-in, pull down the first ‘few fibers with your left-hand thumb and index finger. Trim off some of the hackle tip, so that a small triangle remains beyond the waist, as shown. 9s« Tie in the hackle tip, by the waist, at the hackle position; then wind the tying thread in close turns to the hook eye. (s) ¢ The hackle shown here is colored on the left side. Colored on the /eft side (those from the bird's right wing) must be wound in the opposite direction to a normal hackle, because otherwise the colored part would be wound upside down. Hackles colored on the right side can be wound on in the normal way. ‘© Grip the prepared butt with hackle pliers and wind on, the hackle in close turns, working toward the hook eye. «Finish the final hackle tutn on the near side of the hook. ‘© Maintaining firm tension on the hackle, tie it off with three or four tight securing tums. (S) If the hackle looks loose, rewind it, maintain even firmer tension, and tie it off again. ‘© With the fingers of your left hand surrounding the s! and hackle fibers, twist your hand either clockwise or anticlockwise to stroke the fibers into position. ‘© Cut off the surplus hackle stalk and complete the fly. ‘© Note: Some tyers reverse the tying thread (| would first stop the thread with a wrap knot) so that the thread and, hackle are both worked in the same direction. Several half- hitches, or a tied-in loop, will reverse the thread again after tying off. nk Problems with Hackles However careful one is, hackles sometimes break, and the tying thread can accidentally be cut off with the hackle surplus. I hope that the following list of common hackling calamities, and the answers to them, will be of some help. Hackle breaks more than once: It may be old and brittle — if so, discard it. The hackle pliers may be being used at the wrong angle, or their jaws may be badly manufactured Tying thread is accidentally cut with the hackle surplus: Place a finger on the cut thread to prevent the whole dress- ig loosening. Grip the end of the thread with hackle pliers, unwind, and remove the hackle. Tie in a new length of tying thread with three turns of the cut thread. Take the new thread right around the dangling cut thread, then wind the new thread twice around the hook shank to tie in the cut thread. Cut off the surplus, then tie in another hackle. Hackies are too long: Singe the ends of the hackle with a lighted match. ‘No room left to tie hackles in: Use your left hand to support the hook in the vise. With the fingernails of your right hand, gently twist the body dressing and push it down the shank, If this fails, untie the body, then tie in and wind on new ribbing and body material. Tie off the materials (well before the hook eye) at the hackle position. (See also the diagram under “Proportions of a Fly” in Chapter 2.) 966 Wings Some flytyers will tell you they never tie on wings, because in their favorite fishing spot the fish seem to prefer wingless flies — and anyway, the wings would only become damaged with use. Both of these points may be true, but often that is not the whole story. Winging, as I know from personal experience, can be difficult to learn from books, especially the technique of forming split wings. Some flytyers never make it! As I wrote in the introduction to Chapter 3: “Once you have learned how to tie on a tail, you can use the same technique for tying on any materials that are to be tied on sop of the hook: all types of wings, toppings, detached bodies, and so on.” That same tails technique is referred to throughout this chapter. The only wing style that does not use itis the “No Hackle” wing technique (originated by Doug Swisher and Carl Richards), which is unorthodox but excellent, As in the last chapter, the techniques described in the following pages are divided into those for dry flies and those for wet flies. The dry-fly wing techniques shown are mostly for upright wings ~ made from feather fibers, hackle points, breast feathers, and hair. The dry-fly wings section also describes how to tie single and double split gs, and spent wings. These last, though normally considered as “dry,” might be better described as “drowned”. Spent wings are tied to represent natural flies that come to grief on the water, either through accident (being blown there) or design (female flies of some species die after depositing their eggs on the surface). Spent wings can be made from feather fibers, hair or hackle points (from which four-winged flies can be tied). The technique is the same for all, though spent hairwings require more, and firmer, turns of thread to split the wings. Jn all the dry-fly wing techniques described here (with the exception of sedge wings and No-Hackle wings) always tie on the wings first, then form the body. An alternative to tying wings on dry-fly patterns is simply to wind on another dry-fly hackle (of a similar color to the replaced feather wing) in front of, or behind, the main hackle. Though less realistic, this method has the advantages of improved floating qualities and extra visibility The chapter also includes techniques for tying the following styles of wet-fly wings: saddle hackle wings, matched wings, whole feather wings, peacock, marabou, and hairwings; together with techniques for wing cases, which I hope will be especially valuable because of the lack of information on this subject in most other books. DRY-FLY WINGS Upright Hackle-Point Wings Upright hackle-point wings are used primarily in patterns that imitate natural flies with mottled wings. They are also useful as substitutes for conventional single split wings, whose main disadvantage is that the fibers soon separate with use and become ragged (hackle-point fibers are already separated, of course). Dun-colored hackle- Point wings can replace starling or mallard split wings and, if treated with care, always spring back upright aftr jandling. The feathers shown in the following photographs are two Cree cock hackles colored cream, black, and pale ginger. This blend of colors makes the hackle a good substitute for the hen pheasant secondary-. mally used for the wings of the March Brown.‘© Wind close turns of foundation thread halfway down the hook shank, then return the thread halfway back in wide ‘tums to the wing position. (S) Select two medium-size cock hackles. Place one on top of the other (outside surfaces up), align the tips, and check for correct proportions. Hackle-point wings should be a litue shorter than the shank. Prepare the hackles by cutting off the surplus fibers (see 'Hackle-Point Tails” in Chapter 3) ® Place the wings, with their outside surfaces back-to- ‘back, on top of the hook shank at the wing position (point- ing forward over the eye). # Tie on the wings, using the wood-duck (tails) method, (s) aaa sir ied eee sea ep na ee a - aaa rere Seas Ger vere ueasa reat oe“ cece eet Een ~ | = : | hn ® (Steps 3 and 4 are optional.) To split the wings, gentiy pull the near wing toward you and take the tying thread ‘ver the hook shank, between the wings, and down behind the far wing. Release the near wing, Continue winding the thread under the hook shank and up the near side of the hook, behind the near wing. Gently hold the far wing and take the tying thread diagonally between the two wings (as shown), and down in front of the far wing. Wind en extra turn in front of the wings. (S) Co © Cut off the surplus hackle stalks. Stroke the wings upright. * Now tie up the rest of the fly as the pattern requires, winding the tying thread past the wings, not between them, (31 = now secure tread in rubber buton oF lave bobbin hanging 98Spent Hackle-Point Wings Hackle-point wings tied spent-style may be used in many dressings that imitate spent flies, including imitations of larger natural insects such as damselflies and dragonflies. There are two important things to note about spent- ‘winged flies. First, do not make the wings too long or they will catch in the hook bend when cast. Second, for the hackle, use a short-fibered one to ensure that the fly will sit correctly in the surface tension instead of being partly above it. ‘Spent hair or hackle-fiber wings are useful alternatives to spent hackle-point wings, and the tying techniques are very similar to that shown in the following photographs. Instead of preparing a hackle, prepare a bunch of hair or hackle fibers as described for these types of tails in Chapter 3. ‘© Wind close turns of foundation thread halfway down the hhook shank, then return the thread halfway back in wide ‘tums to the wing position. (S) © Select two medium-size hackles (the ones shown are dark Cree cock hackles) ‘ Place one hackle on top of the other (outside surfaces. up}, align the tips, and check for length and proportions. Spent hackle-point wings should be a little longer than the shank. ‘© Prepare the hackles by cutting off the surplus fibers (see “Hackle-Point Tails” in Chapter 3). ‘© Check again for length, as shown, with the waists in line with the secured tying thread. Holding the prepared hackles in your left hand (one on. top of the other and outside surfaces up), place them on the hook shank at the wing position, as shown. Keeping the wings in position with your left thumb, wind two securing turns of thread over the waists. (S) © Cut off the surplus hackle stalks. # Body and hackle: Wind the thread in close turns to the tail. Then form the body and tie in (but do not wind on) 2 hhackle just behind the wings. ‘¢ Wind the tying thread to the front of the wings. (S) ‘© Keoping their outside surfaces uppermost, pull the wings slightly apart so that the far wing is resting against the far side of the hook eye and the near wing against the near side, ‘© Gently pull the near wing toward you until itis at right angles to the shank ‘© To lock the wings in position, first take the tying thread Up in front of the near wing as shown, then over the shank between the wings, and down behind the far wing.‘© Wind the thread under the hook, release the near wing and gently pull the far wing out (away from you) at right angles to the shank. ‘¢ Bring the thread up behind the near wing, and between the two wings as shown, crossing the previous turn of thread. : ‘@ Take the thread down in front of the base of the far wing and under the shank. ‘* Repeat these criss-cross binding turns two or three times, finishing in front of the wings. (S) ‘¢ The wings should now be at right angles to the hook. if they are not, pull them back and wind several tums of thread around the shank hard up against the front of the wings. ‘© To complete the fly: wind the tying thread to the hook eye. (S) Wind two turns of hackle behind the wings, one tum over (between the wings) and the remainder in front of the wings. Tie off the hackle (S) and finish off the fly. ' If the wings are not as neat as you would like, check that they are tied in at the waist; if so, the fault is probably in the preparation. Four Spent Hackle-Point Wings ‘Some of the larger insects living near water have four wings. In some species, one pair is a little larger than the other. ‘¢ Prepare the hook shank as for ordinary hackle-point ings, finishing with the tying thread at the wing position. (s) ‘© Select four large cock hackles (those shown are undyed. black hackles). ‘© Check the size and proportions. The short pair should be just longer than the shank; the long pair will be about one fifth longer. ‘© Prepare and tie on the long pair. (S) ‘* Prepare and tie on the short pair just behind the long pair. (S) ‘ Split the short pair as shown, in the way described earlier in the chapter.