Tying Gartside's Magic Minnow

[melk]

Hi all,
With the snow coming down and the spring in the distance, I've been going through Jack Gartside's "Fly Patterns for the Adventurous Tyer". The Magic Minnow is getting to me! I understand the body, watched the Jim M video, but he seems to have the same difficulty. I get that the hackle is tied on pretty side up on top of the shank. But, when I try to "wind the feather around the shank and forward, twist and fold the hackle fibers to the rear, always being sure to wind on the flat side of the stem and not on its edges to avoid a willy-nilly spider like effect with the hackle pointing every which way.", I get most of it okay, but still some spidering. The picture in the book almost looks like the wing was tented. What is the magic to twisting as you wind the hackle? Since I get most of it looking okay, should I be more careful on the last wrap or two?
Happy New Year to you all!
Mike

[ScottP]

Mike,

I had similar problems when I first started tying Heron flies using woodduck flank as "hackle". Best solution I came up with was to tip tie the feather, run my scissors backward only along the top side - helps tame the feather for wrapping. Here's a few pics from the Rolled Muddler SBS

prep wooduck flank; tie in by tip (run scissors blade backwards along the top side to aid in wrapping wing)






wrap wing; tie off/trim



If I did the scissors along the bottom, too, it always turned out like a bird's nest (not the fly, a tangled mess), but if just along the top, when wrapped it retained the natural curve I was looking for.

Regards,
Scott

[melk]

Thanks very much Scott, I'll give that a try. Looks like it will work great!
Mike

[ScottP]

Mike,

Your welcome. Sorry I can't show the actual scissors trick but I'd need a third hand to hold the camera; btw, the woodduck flank is tied shiny-side facing out.

Regards,
Scott

[LEBENGEEK]

Mike,

Your welcome. Sorry I can't show the actual scissors trick but I'd need a third hand to hold the camera; btw, the woodduck flank is tied shiny-side facing out.

Regards,
Scott

ScottP,

Is this the scissor Technique you use? I found this, might help melk out.

5:15 sec
hope it helps.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw_aZY_f1xE

[ScottP]

ScottP,

Is this the scissor Technique you use? I found this, might help melk out.

5:15 sec
hope it helps.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw_aZY_f1xE

That's it! Great link; he has some other interesting flies, too. I picked it up from a vid by Jay Nicholas but this illustrates it just as well.

Regards,
Scott

[melk]

Thanks LEBENGEEK, what language is this in? Fortunately pictures are easily translated!
Mike

[Rick Z]

Tied a couple today. Took a much longer feather than nee3ded. Cut base off, will use for tails ect, and wrapped the rest for the body.

Rick

[LEBENGEEK]

Thanks LEBENGEEK, what language is this in? Fortunately pictures are easily translated!
Mike

Hi Mike,
I believe the gentleman is speaking Swedish. Hope it helped.

Alan

[melk]

Hi Alan,
Thanks, I am curious about languages.
Mike