if you don't use a Whip finisher?????

I seem to be able to whip finish every fly by hand, no matter how large or small, wherever on the fly I want, and have done 32s. The problem is that many tiers use a hand whip finish that is difficult to start in the exact spot that you'd like it to start, hence the perceived "lack of precision" of the hand whip finish. I can put the thread wraps exactly where I want with Dave Hughes' method, one that not many tiers seem to use, inexplicably. I'm not really knocking the tool, but I will say this about finishing with crazy glue. Finish a #32 with crazy glue and see how you do. The glue, by its nature, is pretty imprecise, even if you do coat the thread only. By the way, I saw Dave Whitlock glue a number of flies together and they were just fine. None were small however. As to speed, nothing slows one down quite as much as having to pick up a tool.
Eric

I would once again point out that the tutorial on whip finishing by hand on Eric's site is THE very best such tutorial on the interwebs.

My philosophy boils down to two things. The first is that I learned to use a whip finisher, so I use it. Takes a second or two, put it down and you are done.

The second is that it works, so why mess with it? Other methods may well work, so why mess with them if they work for a tier, either? I have had less success with multiple hitches in place of a whip finish, possibly since I use unwaxed thread most of the time and do not use head cement.

There's no right and wrong to this, just different ways of doing it.

I use a retractable pen to half hitch all my flies...

I guess we can say different strokes for different folks. For the tying ? part, I don't tie smaller than 14. For finishing it's whichever tool is closer. If they're under material I hand whip.

Though thinking about it...if the fly really has a built up head I tend to make it a point to find the whip finishing tool. Don't know why, I just do.

I think the strongest finish is probably the 'Super-Glue' knot. It's neat, and I've never had one come apart, yet.

But, I usually whip-finish my flies, just because I have been doing them that way for 40+ years. Old habits.......

I really don't tie any more, but I must admit I'm thinking about it again. Al Campbell loved teasing me about finishing flies by hand, but I do not use a whip finisher at all. And yes, I can do it on size 32 as well, I think it is more exact. The late JC could use a whip finisher but preferred to hand finish as does Trav. It might be our combined backgrounds from where we all learned in Michigan right after the wagon train. :lol:

i use a materelli. lost most of right hand as a teen and have but 2 fingers. i've managed to learn to whip finish by hand but it's slow and difficult.

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Originally Posted by Gigmaster

I think the strongest finish is probably the 'Super-Glue' knot. It's neat, and I've never had one come apart, yet.

But, I usually whip-finish my flies, just because I have been doing them that way for 40+ years. Old habits.......

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I've heard many say this, but I always thought that most CA type super glues were NOT waterproof. Zap a gap advertises that it is. Maybe the ones that aren't waterproof that work tells us that we really don't fish a fly as much as we think that we do. Or maybe it holds up long enough for the life of the fly. :confused:

Rick

I whip finish w/ my fingers and I tie everything from size #20 trout flies to 4/0 pike flies. I would say most of my tying is for trout and the sizes I tie mostly are #18-6.