Curved Side, While Also Dull, Seems To Provoke Disagreement

[jbrw]

I have noticed, at the expense of mild perplexity, the apparent contradiction among authorities for the proper application of hackle to the hook for dry flies. Skip Morris, in his "Fly Tying Made Clear And Simple" at p58 writes that the curved side of the hackle should face back toward the tail. Our own Al Campbell, in his section on "The Basic Dry Fly" writes that the curved side should face forward. If I read correctly "A.K.'s Fly Box" at p122, it makes no difference, and I would tend to agree, if the purpose of it all is simply to help the fly stand up in the surface film. The most important consideration for flotation would seem to be stiff barbules with ample floatant applied. But then, if Bill Logan's observations in the Summer issue of "Fly Tyer" are accurate, none of our efforts work quite as well as we might think in actual practice. Yet, we somehow manage to fool a fish or two with our fraudulent offerings.

Joe

[Jayatwork]

The term "curved side" is ambiguous. Aren?t both sides curved? I think almost everybody ties traditional dries with the dull/concave side forward. I have watched Skip Morris tie and know he does it that way.

[WarrenP]

The hackle barbules should generally curve toward the eye of the hook to prevent the fly from tipping on the hook eye.


The above statement is taken from Al Campbell's Beginning fly tying lesson. Look under "The dry fly" instructions and he states that the hackle should face toward the hook eye. Just wanted to point this out.

[jbrw]

Indeed, "curved" is ambiguous, but Skip Morris left no ambiguity when he wrote: "...the hackles should be on their sides, flat surfaces vertical, and the cupped side of the hackles, the concave side, should face back toward the tail." p58. Has anyone read Bill Logan's article "Sights Unseen" in Fly Tyer? His thesis is that none of our engineering assumptions about the dry fly actually work in practice, or perhaps do so by accident in presentation.

[WarrenP]

Everyone has their own thesis, thoughts, ideas and opinions. To each their own. Let's just all do our own thing if it works for us.

That is the great thing about fly tying. There is no right way, wrong way just whatever way works for you. Some read too much and get too deep. Fly fishing and tying should be something that is fun and simple and I intend to keep it that way for myself.

Now let's all go fishing.

[Jim Slattery]

For what it's worth, probably purely aesthetics, The old school Catskill tiers: Cross, Dettes and Darbees had the shinny side of the feather, the side you see when you look at a cape or saddle face towards the eye of the hook. For what ever reason, when tied and wrapped this way the hackle fibers seem to stand out at 90 degrees from the hook. When tied and wrapped with the dull side or inside of the feather facing the eye the feather tends to tie in on an angle towards the eye of the hook.
Hope this helps.
Jim

[Rick Z]

I am happy if it looks halfway decent on the hook. The ones that don't are my criplle variations.

Rick

[nen-bran]

Go WarrenP!!!!! I totally agree with you!! But personally, I tie mine with the dull side forward.

Nenbran

[jbrw]

Jim, thank you for your post and including your web sites, which I located and found very interesting and informative. This is one of the great benefits of the boards, as one thing leads to another. I have been interested in and have tied "spiders" or soft hackles for some time and have fished them to wonderful success in the west.

Joe

[bones]

In my experience, a saddle hackle tied in with the dull side toward the eye will end up having the hackle tips pointing forward of the eye. A saddle tied in the opposite manner has the tip pointing back toward the hook point. A neck hackle tends to be more perpendicular to the shank in both tie in scenarios. Saddles, IMO, are overrated for collar style dry fly use. The barbs are soft and "curled" to begin with and more so in the sweet sizes 14-16-18. Now for Parachutes, well...