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Hackle facing forward or slanted backward?
For reasons I cannot remember I always tie my griffin gnats with the hackle slanting forward. I don't remeber if someone told me to do it that way or I read it. They sure catch fish that way.
I have just started tying buggers and really like them , they look good but The question of which way to slant the hackle bugs me.
Traditionally for a dry the hackle slants forward and rearward for a wet fly. For a bugger you want it to slant to the rear though mine have a tendency to do whatever they darned well please to do.:D
Thanks I tie them as wets with either a full wrap of lead or a 1/3 wrap of lead depending on what action I want. 1/3 they undulate and full they run straight. They have always been the winner of whats your top ten flies threads so I thought I'd better get tying some and check out what everyone is raving about. :D
Supposedly, (whatever, THAT, means?), the hackle is supposed to slant rearward, to give the fly more "action", when stripped underwater, GnuBee. But, like Eric said, mine also, usually do whatever they damn well please and I've never seen any "difference in action"!?! After all, we're taking a dead chicken's feather, here, not tungsten steel fibers and when stripped, no hackle, tied forwards or backwards, is going to withstand the pull and not respond!
Tie the hackle in by the tip,(at the rear of the fly), so the hackle progresses towards the hook eye, smallest to largest, giving the 'bugger a nice tapered "leech look"!
You are right, about them "being a great go to fly" though. I can't think of any "brand" of fish that hasn't hit a 'Bugger. Don't forget to tie up some "cone head buggers" too! (careful, with the lead wraps AND a brass cone head together the fly gets too heavy if you're not careful!)
This chap might talk a little funny but I have enjoyed many of his video presentations on you tube.
http://learnflytying.co.uk/category/...ers-lesson-12/
Rick
Hi GBF,
Like you, I tie my Griffth Gnats with the hackle slanted forward. For buggers, I tie it slanted backward. I just like the look better but I bet the hackle would "work" more if the hackle had a forward slant. 8T :)