John Geirach once wrote that 90% of “new” fly patterns or “new” tying techniques in magazine articles are never meant to be fished or used. They are in there to just fill up the pages.
Joe
Just a beginner but I’ve found a gallows helps when tying parachutes. Grab the material with an extra pair of hackel pliers hanging from the gallows.
jgoding;
I’ve never used poly yarn but going to start thanks for the tip!
Some good ideas for aplying glue here too! Being a novice I always worry about my flys holding up.
I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!
Cactus AKA “Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)”
I always cement my posts but no wire. I wish I had a bunch of those old hooks with the built in post. Would have been fun to mess around with. Once you get the hang of them the stay pretty strong. Probably do not need cement but I don’t tie as nice as 2 shoes. By the way I almost always use turkey flats.
<*(((((><
Jim in CO
Mikey
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, so I will stick with how I have been doing it
lets go fishin
Antron Midge
…fly tying is the next best thing to fishing; it is the sort of licking of the lips that eases a thirsty man in the desert
Arthur Ransome
Mikey,
my technique for building the cranky cripple is, I believe, a derivation of the wire technique. [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/080904fotw.html:3c1ca]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/080904fotw.html[/url:3c1ca]
Properly and firmly applied it is absolutely solid and good for a couple of dozen fish.
I first saw the nylon loop method on TV, tied by Stewart Canham who built the USD flies for Brian Clarke and John Goddard.
The same technique is explained with diagrams but using fine brass wire, by Jacqueline Wakeford in her excellent instruction manual ‘Fly tying techniques??’
I have adapted the method to my own taste and find that an excellent emerger can be produced quickly from a minimum of materials, the ribbing being also the loop. the hackle can supply the tails and the rest is fur and silk.
This is one of those flies that is easy to tie without a vice.
For the beginner, a dab of varnish on the loop makes sure the loop is locked fast. If using wire the trick was to pull it home, trapping the hackle firmly, then break off the wire by flexing it to and fro, leaving the tag short, helping to ensure all was secure… cutting off the waste wire would ruin this effect.
The cement/varnish is of course totally superfluous if you make them tight enough, which they always should be.
but then your flies are better than mine anyways, so who am I to talk ???
Best
Roy