Little different method of winding partridge feather on an emerger

[Byron haugh]

An excellent video of Arrick's of Arrick's Fly Shop in West Yellowstone tying an AP Emerger.

He ties his partridge feather, for the collar, in a little different way than most.

He's a production tier, and if you watch, you will see that he "violates" the common rule on dubbing the thread, but his flies come out beautiful.

The partridge collar sequence runs from about 3:25 to just after 4:00.

Great tier!!!


http://youtu.be/M4q0nxmmI7I

[quivira kid]

Byron, what is the more common way of wrapping the partridge? That's a good looking fly for sure!

[Byron haugh]

One is to clean the fluff from the stem and tie it in at the stem and wrap like any feather.

Another is to strip the fibers off the tip, tie it in at the bare tip and then wrap using the stem.

Another, used for over-sized feathers is to clip the top of the stem as he did and then face the remaining fibers to the rear and spin the feather around the hook using the thread to distribute the material around the hook.

[redietz]

Or tie it in by the tip as the very first step, with the stem cupped up facing out over the hook eye. Pull it up to wrap when the rest of fly is finished.

I tie most feathers, other than dry fly hackle, (and always partridge) in by the tip (either first or last, depending on the fly) I've tried trimming the tip first like he did, but I usually end up pulling the feather out.

Which common rule do you think he violated in putting the dubbing on the thread? Yes, he did twist in both directions. but that was to distribute the dubbing.

[AlanB]

Interesting Byron, I've been using the hackle pliers like that for over 20 but leaving the tip on and using the pliers as a "handle" to hold the tip while I tie it in. I can see times when I would use that technique, but I would not use it on North Country Spiders. The few barbs tied down when tying it in would spoil the shape of the hackle.

The dubbing technique is ok if you understand dubbing. Many don't. Dubbing is based on the old art of felting. The fibres mat together "around" the thread. They don't stick to the thread. (In forming a dubbing noodle that is, touch dubbing is a different technique). That's why wax doesn't give any advantage - it is trying to do something different to what you are doing.

I was surprised to see him start the thread so that there was no tag end to cut off. That is something I usually do, unless I need the tag end for something else. If you cut the tag off you end up throwing away lots of thread. When you use a lot it makes a difference. If you leave it long to break it off I estimate you throw away more than you use. You need 4 to 6 inches of thread to grip if you are going to break it off. On a fly of size 10 or smaller you only use 2 to 3 inches of thread. It may sound penny pinching, but in production tying you have to. A penny saved is a penny earned.

If you have a very deft touch, you can take a bunch of oversized partridge hackle fibres and spin then around the hook shank as you might deer hair. Imagine a dot on your thread. Make a couple of loose turns, think about the path that dot takes as you pull the loops tight. Understanding that enables you to spin all kinds of material you wouldn't normally think of spinning. Another way is to hold the bunch on top of the hook shank and chase the fibres around the shank with the thread. Thats done by holding the thread under tension as you wrap, catching some fibres and pushing the others out of the way. A deft touch and practice are needed for both of these methods.

Putting more than two layers of thread on any part of a fly still goes against the grain with me. It just isn't needed in 99% of cases. Down the shank and back up, whip finish job done, tie another. All the winding back and forth I see in so many videos doesn't make the materials any more secure, builds up excess bulk, takes extra time and uses more thread.

Cheers,
A.

[Byron haugh]

AlanB,
That last method of " collaring" is the third method I tried to explain above.

The reason he starts the thread as he does is not to save thread, but to save time in production tying. No reaching for scissors and cutting the tag or snapping to break off. He also applies thread by keeping the bobbin holder very close to the hook shank.

I have seen many folks teach beginners how to apply dubbing to thread.......many expert tiers included. I don't recall anyone who has suggested any method but applying the dubbing by rubbing in the same direction.......
That is not to say you can't rub it back and forth, just that it conflicts with " conventional wisdom", but he produces very nice dubbed thread.
The other thing he does is to apply the correct amount of material. He is not wasting time removing some dubbing or adding more. He is a real production minded tier.

[AlanB]

Getting the right amount of dubbing for a body is just practice. There is a cheat though. Dub your thread, wind the body adding or taking off as needed. Once you are happy with the body undo it. Take a small piece of card. Put one corner be the top of the dubbing noodle. Mark the bottom of the noodle on the card. Each time you come to dub the body dub the marked length of thread. Soon you will not be using the card, don't throw it away. Write the fly name on it, the hook model and size, and also mark things like wing and tail size, thorax length, hackle size etc. on the card. Keep it, because in 6 months, when you come to tie the fly again, you will have forgotten the sizes.
Here's a mock up of one of mine that I use for Wally Winged May Flies I tie every year for a shop.
Fly Gauge.jpg

The dubbing technique he used I have come across in a couple of books. It works with some dubbings better than others. It isn't the easiest thing to teach as it comes with practice. Far easier to teach people one direction first.

...but to save time in production tying. No reaching for scissors and cutting the tag or snapping to break off.

To make up for the time spent reaching for the whip finisher?

Cheers
A.