Un-helpful tips

[Flyandtie1]

I read a fly-tying tip that was saying you could save time by not wrapping the whole hook shank with tying thread and just starting the thread at the back of the fly, Taking a few wraps and start tying in your tail...
Turns out that tip is crap because the thread base is no longer there, there is nothing to protect against material slippage!

SO, I tied up about a dozen or two woolly buggers with this (time saving) tip,,,only to find that the stupid things slipped after one fish...what a waste of time!

Why hadn't I figured that they would slip against a bare hook....

well heres a picture of the slippage masterpiece:

anyone else have any tips that didn't help them that they want to share? (help others from making the mistake...)

[DShock]

Chris,
Thanks for your example of what not to do. A job isn't worth doing unless it's done right.
Doug

[dudley]

Starting the wrap at the tail is exactly what you would do if you were spinning hair.
As usual..... it depends

[Normand]

I read a fly-tying tip that was saying you could save time by not wrapping the whole hook shank with tying thread and just starting the thread at the back of the fly, Taking a few wraps and start tying in your tail...
Turns out that tip is crap because the thread base is no longer there, there is nothing to protect against material slippage!

maybe you didnt understand the tip. from your quote above you only talk about tying in the thread at the bend of the hook to tie in a tail at not the whole fly! dont blame the tip.

1. you can tie in by the eye but just spiral the thread back to the bend in open turns.

2. you can tie in the thread at the bend of the hook and build your fly by wrapping the shank with thread as you wrap the materials forward to the eye.

[J Castwell]

Talk about time. When I started it was recommended to coat the hook with head cement FIRST! I still do unless I am spinning hair. And I start my thread at the head normally too.

[Flyandtie1]

Made no sense...

[ducksterman]

Not really....

You gotta "grab" the tag end ...where ever you start...

I do it both ways depending on my mood...but at the bend you still have to give the tag end "due respect"....

[Flyandtie1]

idk how to explain it better... pictures would help, may get to that.

[flybinder]

Lord Castwell;
You're not alone, in the "coating the hook shank with cement first and still doing it", department. I, too, have been doing that for the past 20 some odd years, too. I make my own cements, so I made a slower setting one, flexible, that works great for this!

A "thin swipe", down the shank of the hook, then begin the fly. Things "stay put" to say the least and I use far less thread, on each fly, not to mention saving a great deal of wasted time, wrapping all that thread down the shank.

On "Peacock bodies" this method works even better, because I don't have to use reinforcing copper, or brass wire, counter wound, to keep fish teeth from tearing up the fragile bodies!

[Wild One]

I start the thread at the bend of the hook on a lot of flies, especially small nymphs and dries. This helps keep the bulk of the body down and looking more natural. I haven't ever had one do what yours in the picture did Chris.