Since first seeing this fly in one of my books, I have been intrigued by its simplicity and uniqueness.
I do have a question about the step instructions. Perhaps I could figure this out if I were actually at the vise tying one of these, but how does one tie a whip knot at the back with the tag end of the thread, when the front end of the thread is hanging from a bobbin behind the eye of the hook. Perhaps I could tie a few half-hitches right on the shank by threading the end of the thread under a couple of the wraps and adding a bit of glue, but I can’t figure how to do a whip knot.
Peter, try this: let the bobbin hang up by the head. with your left hand’s thumb and index fingers hold onto the tag end. Use the whip finisher in your right hand just as you normally would but pretend that your left hand is a bobbin, letting thread slip through your fingers under a bit of tension. Hope this helps.
I just got off the phone with Marvin. I asked your question and yes, the bobbin holder thread is cut at the end of step 3, the tail whip finish is made using the tag end, and then the bobbin holder thread is reattached near the eye to complete the remainder of the pattern.
Marvin suggested that likely he left out this cut-thread part when he provided Al & Gretchen with the tying steps text.
Thanks. In my mind’s eye that appeared to me to be the only way to do it. But the step photographs seemed to imply otherwise. Thanks for asking the question on Marvin.
What we can learn here is that Diane is a rank beginner with a large imagination. But feel free to give it a whirl. Try not to get yourself all tangled up!
Diane is not a rank Beginner, she was in the Beginner’s Only Fly Swap last year that I was Swapmeister of. Believe me when I say she is not a Beginner, she is new to the art of fly tying, definitely cannot be considered a beginner!
Cutting the bobbin holder thread, whip finish the tail, then re-attach thread is probably the most efficient approach, but here are two other ways to try.
Finish the fly as per normal (sans the tail whip), then do the balloon part and whip.
With bobbin holder still attached after wrapping the woodduck hackle, take the hook out of the vise, turn it in your fingers so the eye points to the left, bunch the woodduck barbs and do the whip finish over the bend of the hook.
Flytying is all about having choices, and taking the one which tickles your fancy
Or… forget about the thread tag. Just tie the thing like a wet fly, tying off after making the head and cut the thread.
Then, tie in the thread at the back of the hook, sweep back the barbs and tie down, tie off with whip knot. (This solves one of my problems… I need a bobbin in my hand to be able to tie a knot comfortably.)
To belabor this some more…
Hans, in your #1 and Peter…if it’s done that way wouldn’t it be difficult to separate the first encasing woodduck fibers from the following partridge hackle…tendency would be to tie down the partridge too?
I got one of these flies from M2S in a swap last year. I now tie alot of them and catch alot of fish. Easy to tie and very productive fly. The way I figured out how to tie it was backwards but it works for me. Scott
