Tying freeze ???

[yea-who]

Well I hit my first major slump with tying.
Over the last week or so i seem to be hackling thorax's like i never tied a dry.
The feather wants to twist and lay flat on me rather than on its side. I'm at the point where i gave up. I have been sticking to nymphs and parachutes. I can't even palmer a bugger with out the twist.
Its a little frustrating.
Any suggestions ? Or just stay away from humpy's, irresistables, elk hair caddis, BWO, adams, sulfers, and such, for now and only tie them parachute style.
But that dosen't solve the bugger and caddis issue.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Don't use hackle plyers. I somtimes twist it switching hands while coming over the top of the hook. Thats were i sometimes screw my up. To break this I go back to holding the hackle with my hands and running the feather between my thumb and index finger starting with the portion closest to the butt and runnin it to tip as as i palmer it.

 

[vern]

If your wrapping technique has not changed, is it possible that you are using a new neck, or a new remaining section of an already prime-picked neck?

I ask this, because hackle stems can very easily be twisted. It's an undesired genetic variation that sometimes makes its way into the market place.

 

[yea-who]

PACO I tried fingers. I think vern is right. I only have the issue with brown and a 2 year old grizzly neck that is well picked threw. Size 10 - 14 don't give me the issue, but the 16-18's do with the brown.

 

[osprey]

I'd use hackle plyers , but develope a pitch and catch method that holds the hackle in the same position through the whole process , i wish i could show you what i mean instead of trying to expain it , if you don't understand what i mean by pitch and catch and holding the hackle in the same position , ask for more specific and i'll try , the end and position which you tie the hackle in makes a big difference too.

 

[yea-who]

Osprey i think i grasp the concept you are explaining. I think how I am tying the hackle in might have some thing to do with it also. Besides What vern was saying above.

 

[wingshot]

Yea-hoo,

I've been there with hackle and sometimes you will find that it's the hackle itself that is the problem, not your ability to wrap it. Some less expensive capes produce poor feathers and they twist horribly. I like saddle hackle for palmering and for parachute patterns as opposed to a neck hackle. As far as hackle pliers go, I have several types but prefer the electrical test clip over all the rest. For me, it forces me to be gentle on the hackle stem (because it will slip) but I seem to be able to have more control using this tool. Tying slumps come and go and the best cure is to just keep at it until you have the muscle memory trained. Take some time to just wrap a palmered style hackle on a hook with just a thread base until you are satisfied and then move on to tying the complete pattern. **** Talleur has an excellent method for tying parachutes in his book, "Inside fly tying". It is a very useful book.

Jeff