I have been tying some purple and starling soft hackled flies and am wondering what methods are used to tie in the hackle.
I am tying in using the tip but I have seem others and articles recommending using the butt end.
What works best for you?
Northwoods
(when winter has passed us by!!!)
[quote=“Northwoods”]I have been tying some purple and starling soft hackled flies and am wondering what methods are used to tie in the hackle.
I am tying in using the tip but I have seem others and articles recommending using the butt end.
What works best for you?
Northwoods ,
Can’t answer your question directly since I haven’t tried his recommendation yet but Donald Nicolson has a great post on this…[I couldn’t find it on a quick search] but I’m sure he’ll chime in…seems to me it’s the way to go and I’m going to give it a try.
He ties in by the tip but goes from the hook eye back…seems like many advantages.
Northwoods,
I was taught and have always heard that soft hackle is tied in at the tip. I never even considered tying in the butt section first until your post. May be I should give it a try. :idea:
ive always heard to tie it in buy the tip . some times I will strip one side of the feather also .
I have always tied them in by the tip. But I have seen instructions with the butt tied in, such as in Daves Hughes book Wet Flies. I would try both ways an see what works best for you.
Always tie em by the tip and strip one side. These flies are supposed to be tied sparse. Just tied some partridge and yellows a few weeks ago and they really came out nice.
Bob
Mostly I tie by the butt because I like shaggy flies. If I want sparse I go by the tip. Try both ways and you will have flies to look at to know which you favor.
I sort of judge it by the size hook, and the size of the feather. If it’s a big hook and I wat longer hackle, I’ll tie from the stem end. If it’s a tiny hook, I’ll tie from the tip. If in between, I’ll use the mid section of the feather. And I always strip one side. Read once that the proper count of hackle is no more than 17!!
Darn it Betty, you would have to tell me that.
Now I gotta go and glue on an extra barb on all my 16 barbers! :roll:
I wasn’t aware of any “rules?”
I’ve done it all the ways mentioned. it’s really a matter of the affect you want to achieve.
Bump for Donald …he seems to be onboard…
Someone called? 
I do both, generally I tie in a hen hackle by the butt,
sometimes stripping one side but often with hen it is better to leave both sides on. With game feathers, I tie in the tip and wind a couple of turns but often I tie in partridge by the butt and strip one side.
You just have to judge what is best for the particular hackle and fly. Hans Weilenmann has a nice little instruction series on his site for tying in partridge.
I just found it http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenma … merger.htm
At the bottom of the page is the step-by-step.
I must apologize… I was mixed up on who tied from the eye backward…Maybe Donald you do too???
Anyway this is what I was referring to…
http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/hwhackle/index.html
Donald, I couldn’t find it on your link???
I noticed someone say “these flies are sparse”.
Trouble with words, softhackle includes - North country spiders, Stewart spiders, flymphs and whatever you want to tie using a hackle that is classified ‘soft’.
So you can tie them as sparse or as full as you like.
The NC spider only a max of 1-3 turns,
The Stewart spider is palmered about a third down the hook,
The flymph is what you fancy.
These are just my personal guidelines, there are no carved in stone rules.
Most hackles I wind back from the eye, I am trying to think of a specific fly I wind the other way, can’t at the moment but there is probably at least one.
Great tips…I just started tying soft hackles and I like the idea of tying them in backwards…other than being careful any tips on winding as fragile feathers like partridge tends to break every now and then.
I often break a soft hackle, especially the gamebird hackles, the only advice I can give you is chose your hackle, i.e. it is best to obtain whole skins or wings, then you can select your hackle for size and colour on the skin or wing. Also you will find you’ll have a source that will last a long time. I don’t how easy it is for you to obtain wings, skins etc. through hunting friends or from material suppliers in the US, but I am sure there are plenty of people on this site can advise you. One of the best sources I know for hen skins is Denny Conrad of Conranch, who is a sponser of this site.
Also Whitings do some useful hen skin, Brahma hen, which can be a useful substitute for some gamebird hackles.
Even a simple pattern like a softhackle can drive you crazy with a string of duff ties, but there is only perseverance to over overcome. An investment in good hen and gamebird skins is worth it in the end. Finally a bit of traditional Scottish advice-
Ye only get what ye pay for.
Donald thanks…I can’t agree a buddy gave me a full skin…I tried Hans’ way and tied it in backwards…the pliers he used…are now mini test clip adapters…which I bought but hadn’t used and they worked incredibly…the fly came out nice.
Nice sparse hackle there, the best way to get a feel for a particular type of fly is to look at as many as possible by different tyers, that is where Hans site is so useful, browse through it. It is very interesting how different the same fly can look.
Those who have read this far down the thread show both interest and perseverance. So here is the reward… three very nice sets of wingless wets, of recent swaps I have participated in. Well worth a look:
http://www.danica.com/flytier/softhackle_swap_2006/softhackle_swap_2006.htm
http://www.danica.com/flytier/flymph_swap_2006/flymph_swap_2006.htm
http://www.danica.com/flytier/ibf_swap_3/ibf_swap_3.htm
Enjoy,
Hans W
Great Hans, a better example of different tyers styles you couldn’t find.
Only one thing, who’s this individual whose taking my name in vain, I’ll catch up wi’ him yet, adding an ‘h’ will no’ conceal him.