Counter wrapping....why not all the time?

[BruceC2C]

This could b on the horizon of a stupid question
But,.... I feel like I am among friends...

If I understand correctly,
the primary benefits of Counter Wrapping is to give the materials a little extra security and durability.

If that is basically accurate, and that there really are no additional steps,
or other negatives....

Why not Counter Wrap all flies as " standard practice"

It is definitely likely that I am missing something.

 

[Tigereye]

Counter wrapping is usually employed with a second material over laying another as a means to reinforce delicate material underneath. Prime examples would be a fine wire rib counter wrapped over pheasant tail in the classic PT or tinsel/wire counter wrapped over peacock on a Prince nymph. Sometimes you see hackle counter wrapped with wire as on a wooly bugger. It can add a little bling but it is not the primary function.

When tying on sequential materials ie wings, tail, body, hackle as if on a Catskill dry fly it doesn't matter which direction you wrap.

A friend of mine wraps his flies counter clockwise as that's how he learned.

 

[poopdeck]

It also allows the rib/wrapping material to stand out a little prouder then wrapping in the same direction as the underlying material Where the wrap could fall into the groves and be less noticeable.

 

[redietz]

Several reasons why not to counter wrap ribs:

1) If the material you're trying to protect was wrapped front to back (common for a palmered hackle) or was itself counter wrapped (some people will wrap pheasant tail this way) counter wrapping a rib negates the benefit of counter wrapping in the first place.)

2) Sometimes you want the rib to sink into the body material.

3) Counter wrapped ribs are harder to tie down and more likely to pull loose when tied off because tying them off with non-countered wraps loosens them.

 

[fcarp]

Several reasons why not to counter wrap ribs:

1) If the material you're trying to protect was wrapped front to back (common for a palmered hackle) or was itself counter wrapped (some people will wrap pheasant tail this way) counter wrapping a rib negates the benefit of counter wrapping in the first place.)

2) Sometimes you want the rib to sink into the body material.

3) Counter wrapped ribs are harder to tie down and more likely to pull loose when tied off because tying them off with non-countered wraps loosens them.

I can’t seem to find a video but when tying off counter wrapped ribbing - sneak the thread over the rib and then you can wrap the thread “backwards” a few times to tie in the wire, then sneak it back around the wire and you’re back to wrapping normally. I thought it was Tim Flagler or fly fish food that did this but can’t seem to find the YouTube. It’s a good trick.

 

[redietz]

I can’t seem to find a video but when tying off counter wrapped ribbing - sneak the thread over the rib and then you can wrap the thread “backwards” a few times to tie in the wire, then sneak it back around the wire and you’re back to wrapping normally. I thought it was Tim Flagler or fly fish food that did this but can’t seem to find the YouTube. It’s a good trick.

Where counter-ribbing is appropriate, that's a good method, but it's still more work than simply not counter ribbing in the first place when there's no need to counter rib.

 

[poopdeck]

1) If the material you're trying to protect was wrapped front to back (common for a palmered hackle) or was itself counter wrapped (some people will wrap pheasant tail this way) counter wrapping a rib negates the benefit of counter wrapping in the first place.)

I interpret counter wrapping as wrapping in the opposite direction of the previous material and not a hard and fast singular direction such as clockwise or counter clockwise.