problem with materials spinning on hook shank

[AlbaSurf]

I've looked all over these forums and site but I cannot find any advice for how to keep the fly materials from spinning around the hook shank. I tried wrapping more thread, making half-hitches every so often, etc, but nothing seems to work. It ends up that my whole fly keeps spinning around the shank. Quite irritating!

[wayneb]

Hi AlbaSurf;

Oh the frustrations of a beginner, I know them well.

a couple questions:
Are you wrapping the hook shank with thread prior to attaching any materials?

Are you using the pinch wrap technique to attach the material to the hook?

Are you first attaching materials with a few loose wraps prior to applying tighter wraps?

When you apply tighter wraps to attach material to the fly, the direction you pull the thread tight can make all the difference. Typically you want to pull the thread upwards but experiment a little and see what works best for you.

It's all about learning thread control and the only way I know to get good at it is practice. Some techniques will come to you quite easily, others take a while.

Most of these techniques are covered in the beginners fly tying section of this site, some of the techniques can also be found on you tube videos.

Hope this helped

Wayne

[ScottP]

Best advice I could give is learn how much tension it takes to break the thread, then back off just a touch from that; you'd be surprised how hard you can lean on it. Also consider how much material you're using at any one application - stuff like squirrel hair is really slippery and you're better off using just a little bit. Deer/elk hair wings on flies like an Elk Hair Caddis - you may want to start with the material on the near side of the hook and allow thread torque to pull it towards the top; like Wayne said, it's a "feel" thing that you get from practice. Don't throw anything away - ugly flies will catch fish.

Regards,
Scott

[Quill gordon]

While you guys where posting, I was looking for a Link......... LOL
Here is a Link that may 'tye everything together'............... sorry, just popped into my head!
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/alcampbell/ac051302.php
# Excerpt........ thread tension

While your bobbin tension should usually be set fairly light, your thread tension while tying will often be heavier than the bobbin tension. Certain tying steps require light and loose tension to keep the materials from spinning on the hook, while other materials will need a firmer tension. Better than half the time, you'll want to squeeze the bobbin or drag a finger on the spool to keep the tension fairly close to the braking point of the thread. That's the best way to insure that your fly is tightly tied.
Some folks intentionally break the thread a few times when they first start tying with a new spool or bobbin, or when they tie their first fly for the day. That's their method of determining how much tension the thread can take. If you're new to fly tying, it's a good idea to know how much tension is required to break the thread you're using. It's all part of learning. .................................................. ...............................................

[rons81]

When tying with slippery or soft materials, that cant be cinched down ( foam rubber), put a drop of head cement on thread base.

[aged_sage]

The fundamental problem is lack of thread tension. Put as much tension as you can on the thread without breaking it. This should go a long way towards solving your problem. And you do not need to first lay down a thread base on the hook.

Aged Sage

[William Fitzgerald]

Affter you put a good base of thread you have to use th pinch method of adding material. Pinch the material betweem thumb and fist finger place on top of the hook bring thread up between thumb ovr and down the other side==dothis a couple time to bind in place. BILL

[Bass_Bug]

....It ends up that my whole fly keeps spinning around the shank. Quite irritating!

If the whole fly is spinning around the hook it sounds like you're just not applying enough tension throughout the fly. If this is happening then it's likely you can pull materials out as well. After wrapping one material on, and you're ready for the next material, see if the first material will pull out, if it does, it's just not ties down tight enough.