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

[Eric-WD]

I always find questions about such tools as Whip finishers etc. to be interesting, every one throws in there Ideas on the subject with out information which might be highly useful. for those of you who don't use the whip finisher. What size hooks do you primarily tie on. do you get into the 20s or do you tend to tie in the 1/0 range?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Eric

[ScottP]

For most trout flies, except streamers, I use a double half-hitch and head cement and I can't remember the last time I had a fly come apart. For streamers and saltwater I usually hand whip-finish.

Regards,
Scott

[lastchance]

I normally hand whip finish all of my flies until I get down below size 20 hooks. Sizes 22, 24 or maybe even 26 requuire a Materalli Whip finisher. The only other time I use one is when my hands get really chapped and dry. Trying to whip finish with dry hands just tears up the thread for me. Picking up a whip finisher after every fly I tie gets tiresome to me. Just my way of doing things. There's no best way--just what suits you.
Bruce

[greenock]

Whip finish all my flies with my hand. Only because when i bought a kit to start tying 3 years ago there was no whip finisher in it. Bought one a while back but can't get to grips with it.

[Normand]

For most trout flies, except streamers, I use a double half-hitch and head cement and I can't remember the last time I had a fly come apart. For streamers and saltwater I usually hand whip-finish.

Regards,
Scott

ditto, except i half hitch everything

does a certain range of hook sizes require anyone to use a whip finisher??

[Steven]

I tie bass bugs to size 22s.

[kglissmeyer]

Never did get the hang of a whip finisher, but then I learned to hand finish when I learned to tie. I do three double half-hitches by hand on most flies. Down in the smaller range (ie: 18's and smaller) I use a half-hitch tool, which is nothing more than an old mechanical pencil tube.
Been tying for almost thirty years now and this method works for me. I don't glue most flies due to the finish knot, with the exception of when I use mylar as a wing-case or something similar and I'll add a drop of cement.

Kelly.

[Buddy Sanders]

There's no 'requirement' to whip finish any fly.

Why folks 'whip finish' is two fold.

First, for years, everyone has been bombarded with the idea that whip finishing a fly is an issue of quality/skill and thus all good fly tyers do it. Probably not true.

Second, a properly done whip finish ends with the loose end of the thread covered and held tightly under several wraps of thread. This protects the thread from catching on stuff and helps keep it from being cut by a fish's teeth. Whether that is a valid reason to do this is up to you. Many whip finishes are done backwards, with a portion of the tag end laying exposed on top of the wraps, which defeats this second purpose. Still a pretty secure knot, though.

A quarter hitch, what most folks call a half hitch and what you make with the half hitch tools sold today, is not very secure by itself. It was designed to come loose easily, and it does. Two of them done with opposing loops makes a true half hitch. You can see you've done it correctly if the thread direction is reversed on the second one. Again, not very secure by itself. It's designed to hold under tension, but come undone easily without the lines tangling (it's an old sailing ship knot). What most of the folks who use 'half hitches' do is string several quarter hitches together in a row. A lot of these is a 'timber hitch', but only two or three is just two or three quarter hitches. Each knot in itself isn't all that secure, but two or three of them isn't bad. Add in a bit of head cement, and it's fine for any fly that's going to be fished.

Probably the strongest knot available to fly tyers for securing the tag end of their tying thread isn't a knot at all. It's what they call the 'Zap Knot' or the super glue knot. Wetting a small section of the thread with a CA glue and then just wrapping it into place and cutting it close is certainly more secure than a string of quarter hitches or probably even a whip finish or two. As long as you don't mind dealing with the glue.

The only requirement for a finish knot is that it holds up to your fishing expectations and you can execute it to your satisfaction.

Buddy

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I mastered the Materelli in about 2 minutes but the other one baffels the heck out of me. I have tried following a video instruction showing exactly how to do it but out of 20 tries I only managed to fluke it once.

I used to do all my finishes with 3 or 4 half hitches or quarter hitches whichever they are called. Then enough glue to repair the rip in the Titanic. My flies fairly dripped with glue. Made em shiny and they caught fish.

Now however I use the Materelli for everything, its quick, simple and never comes undone so I no longer use glue on the heads.

I have never had any trouble tying flys down to #22 with a 1/2 hitch.

For dry cracked fingers and thumbs I use Yosemite Fly Tyers finger treatment. The stuff works very well.

[Clay]

I really don't think that it is an either or situation or at least it isn't with me. I teach to use a half hitch tool, a martelli whip finish tool, hand half hitch or what Buddy calls quarters and to do a whip finish by hand. To be a complete tier it is just more options available to you.

My mentor doesn't like glue, says that this fish smell it. I've caught a lot of fish with smelly flies and I like the durability it offers.

Even the hand half hitch I like to teach to do it with a bodkin, just using your finger and finally using the point of the scissors that you already have in your hand because you don't sit down your scissors.

Watched a man that I admire as a tier for a couple of hours this past weekend at a show: Dennis Potter. He preaches durable flies yet never uses a whip finisher. He does use a half hitch tool.

Some patterns are easier to finish with different tools so by being familiar with many techniques give you options. If you have more difficulty with one or the other the next time at the bench just work on the one you don't do well. Keep working on it until you do it well.

Rick