Seems like nothing is new in fly tying. I have never seen this done anywhere, but it is probably not new.
Anyway, I find that it helps me get a neater head on hackled dry flies. Often, my hackle is not the best and the barbules do not always splay at 90 degrees to the hook shank. In addition, the stems don’t always cooperate.
The result is often some errant fibers at the head. You can try to clip them if you have sharp enough pointed scissors, or, worse yet, you can use your hand to “draw back” the fibers. When doing this, and then wrapping thread, you often get an unwanted “swept back” row of barbules.
Anyway, I have had good success using this method. I strip/cut barbules to leave a bare stem about an inch or so above the tie in point. When wrapping, you finish the front hackling with only a bare stem to tie down.
It seems to work well and only takes a few attempts to judge the correct length of hackle barbules to leave for the hackling.
Byron,
I’ve been hackling my traditional dries with the shiny side of the hackle forward, as described in Charlie Craven’s book. Easier to finish the head on small flies without need for hackle guards. I suppose traditionalists might argue this “wrong”, but fish approve. Thanks for a good idea. I’m going to give it a test drive tonight.
Good fishing,
Arnie
Yes I have, Byron - but it is not one I favor. In the rare event that I wrap dry fly hackle towards the eye I use a different method to tie off the hackle tip. Which? The same technique I use to tie off ribbing, and other materials. There will not be any barbs sticking out over the eye.
Flytying is all about choices - and different tiers may arrive at different techniques which work best for them
If you want poorer grade hackle to “stand up better” with fewer flyers at the head, dub a slight thorax after tying in your hackle and wrap over it. On many patterns I prefer this method regardless of hackle quality.
Ralph,
I often do that with "unruly " hackle. The fact remains, that when you tie off the hackle, you really can’t help but mash the barbules at your tie off point.
With the method above, when you tie the hackle off, you are doing so on a bare stem with no barbules to trap.
This is especially true when tying a parachute. Tying off a bare stem is much cleaner…I believe.
In practice, it is quite easy to estimate and doesn’t vary.
Am positive it would work for you.
It reminds me of something I noticed Fran Betters doing. Most tiers leave the tie in end of the hackle longer than necessary. The next step, before winding the hackle is to clip the tag end of the hackle stem. Fran’s were all the right length not requiring the additional step of clipping the stem.
Ray,
I understand, and as I mentioned, you can draw fibers back with your non-tying hand. You could even use a hackle guard. But, I prefer to have a cleanly hackled front. This is especially valuable when tying off a parachute.
I like the natural look of hackle without the front ones sort of swept back. You know what I mean?
parachute? now you talking! I don’t care about clean heads with traditional hackle, there aren’t many errants to make me blush. but parachutes? I can see this being an AWESOME idea for those tricky little tie downs…
Instead of considering a hackle guard why not simply tie off with a half hitch tool that will let you push any errant barbs back to whatever extent you want?
I was going to mention this use as well, because I have done that and also taught it at a seminar. In Schollmeyer and Leeson’s ‘Tying Emergers’ it is outlined on page 190 for the (the fly I taught).
Unfortunately, when we were tyingg/teaching (normal) parachute flies at the club last night I forgot this little trick!
![emergers-parasol-6[1].jpg](/uploads/default/original/2X/f/f5274efcaf08407be873666daf02b57154350b9c.jpeg)