I tried tying a March Brown tonight and I need some help. I had a lot of trouble with the paired down wings using the fibers from a paired set of partridge wing feathers. The fibers or barbules or whatever they are called held together as well as turkey wings do until I tied them to the hook; then they split apart. The same thing happens when I use turkey feathers as well so I am pretty sure I’m doing something wrong. Any tips or suggested sites that show a “how to” on tying wet flies? I looked at Al Campbell’s tying tutorial and his down wing isn’t paired.
Thanks.
I’ll try and post a picture when I get a chance of the failures so you can see what I’m talking about.
Match your wing slips and pinch them together inside to inside where you want them to be tied down. Hold the paired wings on top of the hook. This next part is the trick to it. Loosely loop the thread up and over, then up and over again. Hold the thread between your fingers with everything else. The thread should be coming up out the top of everything you have pinched tightly together on top of the hook. While still pinching things together, pull up on the thread sharply to tighten things up. Pull up, not down. It does not work as well if you pull down for some reason. You want the thread to pull the slips straight down, crushing them at the one point only. Wrap at least two more turns over the tie down spot before letting things go. If you have done this right, you will have a very nicely formed wing. Trim the butt of the wings, add any hackle and wind on the head. Whip and cement.
Dry flies are done the same way except you hold the slips outside to outside. Once the wings are tied down, you lift them up and forward and put a few wraps of thread behind them to hold them upright.
Thanks Kevin, I almost had it right but pulled down instead of up and probably let go too early. I’ll give it another go and see how they turn out. I think I’ll practice with the wings only before doing a whole fly and decidingi it isn’t worth fishing after the fact.
You might be surprised how well those ratty looking wings catch fish. Around here, we get a white moth whose wings look a lot like the crushed mess we have all created at one time or another. They might not catch fishermen, but they will likely still catch fish.
I spray my turkey tail/wing feathers with “Folk Art, Clearcote” in a spray can, found in most art and craft stores. I get mine at Joanne’s. It holds all the barbles togeather after it’s dry. Works for me.
Thanks for the encouragement guys. Here’s the photo’s I promised. Once I get a chance to tie again I’ll post the ones using Kevin’s technique and that will hopefully look better I realize ugly flies still catch fish but I find that I tend to use them less if a prettier fly is available. I know I shouldn’t choose my flies that way, but that always seems to just happen.
Upload to Photobucket. When you hover over the picture, a menu with several different links pops up. Click on the “img” link. That copies the link into your clipboard. Come back here and pase the link into your post. Simple as that.
I realize ugly flies still catch fish but I find that I tend to use them less if a prettier fly is available. I know I shouldn’t choose my flies that way, but that always seems to just happen.