Straightarrow California

While hooking the fish is the ultimate goal, it is only part of the equation. As to hooking, all the discussion about angles and such are probably not really important when the fish clamps down on the hook thus possibly rolling it sideways. Timing when setting alone is, in my opinion, more important and we really cannot even control this a lot unless seeing the fish up close as it bites. More important to me is how the fly swims. I like straight eye for helping flies swim straight in the water, Up/down eye hooks tend to lever the fly in up/down angles. Other factors do play, weight in the fly, current, retrieve, etc. The construction of the fly to "lay level" as most food sources do naturally in the water, is what I strive for. Fishing in current and deep in the water can require a heavily weighted fly that will be fished under tension, making it swim level. A special note: on smaller flies the knot tied to the front can result in appearance of the fly being longer. For this reason I was shown use an up or down eye hook run the line through the eye, tie a knot that secures to the head of the fly blending in the size of the fly. This also is used to create "pull" from center of hook rather than the offset end of the eye of the hook. Not really complicated, just need to think a bit.

All replies helpful. Squirrel is slippery. I pre=trim ends with a taper to create taper for thread over the top. As you tie down after the "set wraps" the wraps grab different ends as you travel back and forth over the head. Many try to put too much on, also. One of my best flies uses very few fibers with similar small amount of dyed bear hair for a streamer. Size: #12- 4X long. I bet there are no more than 2 dozen hairs combined in the wing. Real skinny fly with tinsel body and wing only.

I do not see photo you refer to. Hook is supposed to be "loop eye" up or turned down in which you pry open slightly with a knife to enable placement of material inside as I described.

Somethings missing in the descriptions here is need for loop eye hook in which the wing is placed between the wire of the eye tips forward and up, butts downward and toward back of fly. The butts were then tied in to bottom of hook under the body. The hackle was tied in immediately behind forward facing wing and wound backwards toward stopped thread at front of body. Thread was then used to secure hackle and wound forward through hackle to reinforce proceeding to the front of the wing. The wing was then pulled backwards (hackle, also) and secured facing back very secure between the loop eye and the folding of the butts. A very durable fly which Haas guaranteed! A special tier!