Just need to know how many of you use your fingers or a hackle pliers?
I’ve been experimenting with both but, it seems to me to be easier by hand using my rotary vise. I bought the little English style hackle pliers and they just seem awkward.
Thanks for any input,
Rich
I prefer fingers until I’m tying 20 and smaller, then a padded hackle plier seems to work better than my fat fingers.
REE
Rich;
Tying flies, more so than anything else, in our “obsession”… is going to be a matter of personal preference.
Some tiers “get more feel, for what they’re doing” using their hands and that’s great…for them. Others like using a hackle pliers, and that’s what works for THEM!
I’ve always used a Tiemco hackle pliers and the occasional “rotating style” of hackle pliers, for the years I’ve been tying.
“English” style hackle pliers are a bit larger, (can be), that many on the market and one reason I chose the Tiemco…it’s smaller, pointed jaws and light weight.
But, it will still boil down to “what’s the most comfortable for YOU” and not what other tiers necessarily care for!
I, like REE, use my fingers except for the tiny stuff, then I usually use the padded hack pliers. I also have some with plain unpadded jaws which I often use with pheasant herls, and short pieces of wire, chennille, etc. I have large, calloused, metalsmiths fingers that a re kinda hard on the tiny stuff…ModocDan
I use my fingers until it get to short to wrap the hackle with them and then pinch the hackle against the hook shaft and apply the hackle pliers to the tip and then proceed to tie off.
I like using hackle pliers so that I can let the hackle hang from the hook when I secure it to the hook.
Depends on the length of the hackle, size of hook, how lazy I feel at the moment, how careful I want to be with the wraps, if I can find the pliers at that moment, etc. I don’t have a pat answer.
Deezel
NoLuck,
I always have the pliers handy. I bought a rotary vise so I don’t have to ‘wrap’ things by passing them around the fly. I use this feature to apply all my hackle, regardless of size. Sometimes I need a pair of the pliers, sometimes I don’t.
For ‘palmering’ hackles, if I’m using long saddles, I’ll use the rotary feature of my vise and hold it by hand. Once the hackle gets too short, so I don’t waste any, I’ll attach the pliers to the end and hold it that way.
I can’t see a value in using the pliers on a long saddle, you either have to put them on the stem someplace, which can cause a nick or a kink or a bend or…something not good, or attach them to the end which may be ten to fifteen inches from the fly.
I do use them on neck hackles, primarily because I’m going to use the whole feather and I can’t hold that tiny tip and get the wraps exactly where I want them.
I use the ‘standard’ english hackle pliers. I see no need for ‘different’ sizes in hackle pliers. I can hold #24 hackles in these, and I’m not likely to go any smaller…The ‘ring’ on the back end is large enough for my finger.
You do have to ‘finish’ making hackle pliers today. None of the commerical ones seem to have been completed by the factory…
Buddy
As someone already stated, it depends on the size of the hackle and the fly pattern. I use every method and tool that has been mentioned plus I will use the push pin test clips at times. I think using a rotary vise for palmering will give you the best looking end result and there are times, depending on the pattern I am tying, I use my rotary vise and then sometimes I will use my Regal Vise. Depends on my mood at the time. I do like using the rotary, but, sometimes having to hang the bobbin on a rest each time gets to bothering me and I will just grab the test clips and have at it. I really enjoy using my rotary and my Regal. With both vises, I think I like them because I can turn the fly to look at the other side or to tie a material on the bottom, front or back of the hook. I would probably use more of the rotary features more if I was a production tier. I do not think any tier will have just one way that they use. The tools all have an advantage and a disavantage. Use which ever tool works best for you at the time.
Keep hackle pliers handy so that if fingers get too unwieldy I can go to pliers.
ModocDan - I use Med and small hackle pliers but they keep cutting the thread - how do you pad them and what do you use for the padding? - the feather just spirls back so fast when it breaks, I find I can’t catch it before it does and I have to start again. Hoping someone can help me with this problem.
Jeanne
Most tyers use a piece of shrink tubing on ONE side of the hackle pliers to help keep the material from slipping.
Jeanne…Be sure the jaws are smooth…some have sharp edges and need to be filed or whatever…I believe that’s what Buddy was referring to when he said some pliers have to be “finished”.
I do most of them by hand. But on parachute and paraloop flies I use the pliers.
It might not make sens, but that is what I do.
Rick
Another trick, besides using shrink tubing on hackle pliers jaws, is to use a very small “o-ring”, slid over one jaw only. Hobby shops and decent hardware stores carry them that small, usually.
The O-ring, won’t damage or cut a hackle, either. While watching a couple of pro tiers, tie once, I noticed they had even added two, o-rings, to their hackle plier jaws.
They were pushed on, close together, to form a “rib effect” of sorts. Henry Hoffman, taught me this trick, as well.
I use my fingers when the hackle is long like Whiting 100’s. If the hackle gets short or small, I switch to hackle pliers. I’ve bought twenty or thirty different brands and types of hackle pliers over the years and have finally found two favorites that never seem to break the hackle or slip too badly. I keep these two carefully tucked away for their own protection. 8T 
thank you so much for all the advice about the hackle pliers and how to stop the feather from breaking, i will try the O-ring method 1st as i don’t know what shrink tubing is or where to get it. my head is abuzz with all this wonderful info you have given me.
thank you again
Jeanne
This should tell you all about Heat shrink.
Here is a picture I got from google, that you can see the shrink tube on the gripper.
Thank you so much everyone, all your advice is a great help. I now know what and where to look for and how to use shrink tubing. I now have 2 methods I can use and use them I certainly will.
Thank you again
Jeanne
Hey guys and Gals,
Thanks a ton for the advice. I am just getting started in this whole tying deal. I always knew if I ever did start to tye my own this would be a great source of knowledge.
Thanks again,
Rich
