Hackle problems

Nate540

Nate540

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2014
Messages
135
Ok guys need a little help. I'm very new to this. I'm having all kinds of trouble with my hackle rolling over. I tie it in shiny side up pull it vertical so the shiny side is facing forward and start to wrap. By the time I make one wrap it rolls over to face the shiny side backwards. I have tried all kinds of things like stripping the topside a little to get it to start better and just simply twisting it to try to keep it forward. I've twisted it sometimes 2 or 3 times and it still wants to roll over. I'm using Whiting saddle and cape hackle. Any help would be great I'm about to throw my vice out the window.

Thanks

Nathan
 
I'm somewhere between a novice and an intermediate tier. I have found that wetting my fingers and sweeping the hackle toward the bend of the hook before making a wrap helps me to keep everything on track.

I've also found that I had to practice a lot and view a lot of on line videos to learn a proper technique.

I recommend videos from Jim Misiura and Ralph's Fly Box. Keep at it. In the immortal words of Allen Iverson, "Practice..."
 
UncleShorty wrote:
In the immortal words of Allen Iverson, "Practice..."
Click to expand...
talkin' 'bout practice.

Do you tie in the stem crosswise? That cured my problems.
 
bare%20stem_zpsgfn6izwo.jpg



i only tie in the bare hackle stem as shown above and begin to wrap forward

there are times when you just simply have to man handle the feather to make it wrap the way you want

try grasping the feather closer to the tie in point rather than the tip to get it started

i dont believe trimming the hackle, leaving little stubs of fibers does anything

stubs_zpscfmtupny.jpg


and yes practice

whiting capes and saddles are nice but they are not magical
 
See in the above picture how the stem is tied in on this side and needs wrapped across?

I tie mine in on a diagonal, from the side to over the top so that the stem is already halfway wrapped before I even start.
 
Try doing the bare stem thing as mentioned and also try grasping the hackle a little closer to the tie-in point.

You may also have a steady pressure problem. The hackle shouldn't be flipping over if you are keeping a steady pressure on the feather as you wrap. You don't want to apply a lot of pressure (and possibly break the stem), but it has to be steady and uniform until you complete the wraps.
 
Usually, as rule if you dont trim to the short webbing as Norms pics demonstrate, the quill is much too thick and will fight you. Also, tying dry flies, i would tie in dull side toawrd the eye.
 
duckfoot wrote:
See in the above picture how the stem is tied in on this side and needs wrapped across?

I tie mine in on a diagonal, from the side to over the top so that the stem is already halfway wrapped before I even start.
Click to expand...

the stem was tied in on the diagonal

so after you tie in the stem what happens to the butt end of the feather?

post a photo
 
I don't think it is. It looks to me like it's tied near side all the way back and then angled up.

I'll try to find a video of what I'm talking about. My camera doesn't take great close up pictures.
 
ok whatever you think
 
thats exactly how my hackle is/was tied but at a slightly steeper angle and more stem exposed. even if you dont think so

i tied on a bare hook to make a point about bare stem

fly_zpsixbruwpx.jpg


he did the same thing as i did. he tied the hackle stem at an angle to his near side of the hook shank and wrapped the remaining stem along the hook shank

put 10 people in a room and youll get 10 different methods and none of them will be right or wrong

since this guy is not matt grobert, this method would be completely wrong in your eyes

https://thefeatherbender.com/2013/02/12/fly-tying-course-6-dry-fly-hackle-prep-and-traditional-dry-fly/
 
Pretty standard. Im one if those guys that leaves clipped fibers on the butt. :)

 
Nate540 wrote:
Ok guys need a little help. I'm very new to this. I'm having all kinds of trouble with my hackle rolling over. I tie it in shiny side up pull it vertical so the shiny side is facing forward and start to wrap. By the time I make one wrap it rolls over to face the shiny side backwards. I have tried all kinds of things like stripping the topside a little to get it to start better and just simply twisting it to try to keep it forward. I've twisted it sometimes 2 or 3 times and it still wants to roll over. I'm using Whiting saddle and cape hackle. Any help would be great I'm about to throw my vice out the window.

Thanks

Nathan
Click to expand...

^ Your problem is likely not the hackle, nor the way the hackle feather is tied in. It may be the way you are winding your hackle.

Try practicing your hackling technique on a plain hook. Wrap slowly and focus on keeping steady pressure and handing it over (like the video above) without torquing or twisting the feather as you wrap.
 
The stem should wrap in front of the prior wrap so that there is no overlap. You'd be surprised how omitting this little detail can cause twisting.
 
nfrechet wrote:
put 10 people in a room and youll get 10 different methods and none of them will be right or wrong

since this guy is not matt grobert, this method would be completely wrong in your eyes

https://thefeatherbender.com/2013/02/12/fly-tying-course-6-dry-fly-hackle-prep-and-traditional-dry-fly/
Click to expand...
Exactly. Nothing's better or worse, I just pointed to something that may require less "manhandling" as you put it.

Anyway, it's Easter and I have no ambition to argue about tiny feathers on an electronic device.

Everyone have a nice day and be thankful there's no snow.
 
I would practice with a few different tie in techniques, and see if one solves your issue. Sometimes stripping a few barbs from the side that will be wrapped against the shank helps settle things.

Does it appear that the barbs are "cupped" toward the dull side? I've had that on some Whiting saddles, and the only remedy was to tie them in dull side forward and use them for Griffiths's Gnats, BiVisibles, etc. If tied in shiny side forward, they'd twist all around and be useless.

If you have a local shop, they may be able to give you some hands on pointers.
 
For standard dry fly collars, "cupped" or dull side forward would be correct. Not sure I follow?
 
Thanks for all the help guys I have lots of things to try now.

Thanks again
 
Reminds me of when I was learning to tie dries. I had quite a few that had such "imperfections". I was a bit embarrassed with them so I gave the worst of the lot to my son who was just learning to cast. Figured he's put most of em in the trees so no big deal. Well he out fished my 4 to 1 that day using my "rejects" while I used the ones I thought were better tied.
 
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