Trucos de montaje

Peacock Chenille
By Steven H. McGarthwaite

Before I start on how to construct Peacock Chenille, I want to express my thoughts on Peacock Herl sold for fly tying. The bagged Peacock Herl sold in stores, loose or strung, is worthless, its only use to a fly tier might be for making quill bodies. The barbs on the stems are inferior and the results from trying to use it are not worth the time, money, or effort.

I recommend you consider purchasing Peacock tail feathers. They are available at fly shops, but I find better quality Peacock Herl at Craft Stores. I also find some of the best Ostrich Herl there too. You will get better results by using the best quality material you can find.

Chenille is created by a process where two strings/or wire strands, are braided/or furled to hold material in a compact shape to form a yarn like component. Chenille can be constructed by using the Dubbing Loop Technique.

  • Construct Peacock Herl using 3-to-5 herls, aligning them together at their tips.

  • Tie in the herl at the starting point for your Peacock Herl Body. Leave a tag portion of the herl to secure to the hook shank by ribbing forward and back with the thread. The ribbing of the tag herl helps to keep the hook shank diameter uniform for construction of the fly's body.

  • Return the thread back to the starting point.

  • Wind the herl (as a group) around the hook shank so it is extended outward from the hook shank, make sure that all herls remain taut.

  • Clip off the base end of the herls so they are matched, then extend the thread beneath the herl to match the length of the herl.

  • Attach hackle pliers around the herl group and the thread and return the thread back on top of the herl, and under the hook shank, wrapping the thread in the opposite wrapping direction on the hook shank. Loop the thread around the herl and thread loop, to secure the herl and threads at the hook shank. This wrap around the dubbing loop will return the thread to the normal wrapping direction.

  • Ribbing wrap the thread forward out of the area to be worked on.

    Hook Clips work great for this step see Tying Tips "Hook Clips."

  • Start twisting the thread and herl in a clockwise direction, this is done so the chenille does not unwind as the chenille is wrapped forward.

DO NOT try to twist the thread and herl so the whole length is twisted. If you try to twist the whole length the chenille will break at the hook shank where the herl stems are the smallest diameter.

  • The Chenille will first form next to the hook shank where the herl stem diameters are the smallest.

  • Twist until the chenille is formed in the front section nearest the hook shank.

  • Make wraps around the hook shank, chenille on chenille, until the tight wrapped front section chenille is wrapped around the hook shank.

  • Twist the remaining thread and herl, the remainder of the chenille should be tight before continuing the wrapping.

    Start the Chenille construction by tying the herl in by the tips allows the rear portion of the fly's body to be of a smaller diameter. This will result is a tapered body increasing in size as the chenille is wrapped forward. Creating your own Peacock Chenille will reinforce the individual Peacock Herls and make them almost indestructible. ~ Parnelli

    Please check out the Fly Tying Section, on the Bulletin Board, here at FAOL too.

    If you have any questions, tips, or techniques; send them to publisher@flyanglersonline.com

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