Learn to use your fingers and you wont ever have to look for your finisher again—Ive been tying for over 40 years and never owned a whipfinisher.
Take Al Thomas up on the offer at the Backpackers Shop and I’ll join you.
I hand whip finish, and changed the way I do it several years ago. I use a method I found in Dave Hughes books, which for me works better than the conventional one, and more mirrors a whip finish tool. I’ve got a tutorial here: http://traditionalflies.com/index.php?handwhipfinish
Both methods are fine, and by all means take up Al Thomas on his invitation, he’s a real pro.
Eric
Never used one myself…
half hitches and cement. My chainbead head wooley buggers last until I lose them and I abuse the heck out of them. Never come undone.
I know current thinking unequivocally states that the PROPER way to finish a fly is with a whip finish but a PRACTICAL alternative still remains—three half-hitches and a dot of head cement. I used the half-hitch method for twenty plus years. I can now whip finish heads by hand or with a whip finisher tool but I still finish some flies with half hitches particularly if the thread resists when tightening the whip finish (See the 3/0 Uni Thread thread). Just my 2% of a dollar. 8T 
Try applying the head cement to the thread & then tightening it up. Haven’t had to pick cement out of the eye in a while
I have several iterations of the Materelli from an original about the time they were introduced, to an import with rough wire, to the best, a Norlander. The original is a fine tool and I would never have known the difference if I had not been given one of Norm’s to use.
The point is longer and reduced to a constant diameter section at the bend. It is smoother and faster and better, IMO&E.
The particular technique depends on the fly, the mode and the mood. When production tying the hand whip is fast and solid.
When presentation tying I usually place a loop of thread on the back bottom “corner” of the fly head as I finish the wraps. The cut end of the thread is run through the loop and pulled in most of the way. It is trimmed before coming out the back side and the thread end is then pulled under the wraps. Then the loop is released and pulled from just one side.
This buries the thread end, preventing nubs and makes whip placement exacting. It is not for every fly, but when being careful counts it is an aid.
art
Rare but it does happen. Just poke the end of another hook in the eye and you’re done.
I just purchased the original Materelli,the real one, and was able to whip finish the first try. The instruction sheet that comes with it is very easy to follow. There are some imitations out there but if you are going to buy one take a look at the wire size you will see the difference.
The proper way to finish a fly is with a whip finish. You can do it by hand, but the tool is so cheap, why bother? It does a much neater, faster and more consistent job. Get the Materelli style. It works much better.
Here is a youtube vid on how to tie a whip finish with your hands…it’s easy to see and straight forward
You’re going to have to explain that to me, Hans Weilenmann, Alice Conba, and the literally hundreds of tiers who have whip finished by hand starting in the 1800s. It’s no neater, certainly no faster, and I seriously doubt that it’s any more “consistent” using a tool than whip finishing by hand, unless of course you’re not very good at whip finishing by hand. I’ll have my fly done by the time you’ve located and picked up your tool.
I will say this for a whip finish tool. It comes as close to whipping by hand as you can get.
Eric
Allow me to rephrase…It’s faster, neater and more consistent for ME. I know where my tools are, so I don’t lose any time finding them.
I am a full-time pro guitarist, and I have rough calluses on my fingers, that fray and tear the thread. I have to use a tool.
http://www.truveo.com/matarelli-whip-finish-101/id/3441446463
I have never been able to figure out how to use a whip finishing tool either. I did find this video just now, and I think even I could do it after seeing this video. I need to order a Matarelli Whip Finishing tool…
Really? IMHO, this depends on the person doing the whip finish more so than which technique you use. Some people find it easier to whip finish by hand, others prefer the tool. To make a blanket statement one way or the other is pretty presumptious. There is no “shame” in using a tool to whip finish.
I don’t tie very many size 22 flies, but I watched a pro use a whip-finisher and it was just a small ‘blur.’ I developed a new respect for the tool at that time. I have one, but still whip by hand. Always.
Ah, but the beauty of a fly shop. This one out east near Boston, where a friend took me to. It was a slow Saturday afternoon and he was tying softies, or spiders, and was having no issues whatsoever with the feathers. At that point I was fighting over just which end of the quill to use for a tie down, for my flies just looked awful (no comments from the swappers!). In about ten minutes he had me wrapping fine flies. He was also doing the hand method. I had seen others do this at shows and in demonstrations, but my efforts were frustrating to say the least. For some reason I could get one out of a dozen good knots with a whip finisher, which I concluded quite early was a piece of junk. I had resorted to using the ball point pen method, and that isn’t exactly fool-proof, but much less frustrating than the whip finisher. At the same fly shop the man then instructed me on how to use the hand method. When I returned to Minnesota I took a bare hook and practices, just like he suggested, and wow, what a difference. I had fun tying flies again. I’ve used the hand method for years now. When I first started tying flies as an emerging teenager in the 1950s, I simply used a half hitch and lots of glue. I tied flies like this for many, many years with a lot of mixed results. Meaning that on flies I didn’t lose it would eventually come unknotted unless I used a lot of head glue. I wish we had a local fly shop. JGW
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING – no one whip finished by hand in the 1800. Im not quite that old, we didnt even have a vice to hold the fly. Try holding a hook in your fingers and whip finish by hand. You will never do it. We held the hook,added material and a half hitched,material and another half hitch.
I'll teach anyone even a child to use a Materelli in 5 minutes--four whips no head cement and Im thru. BILL
When all else fails, you could get your own Sri Lankin sex slave to show you how to all you “fly tying virgins” !!! LMAO
I think we all need to do our “whipping” anyway we have confidence in and stop “whipping” each other and after we finish “whipping” our flies, we all just go “whip” some fish! What you say…
I honestly love all of you and all the members on this great site and do not know how I could get through a day without you all. I wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!