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williamfly

Tying off

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:dunno: I am new to fly tying,Im having a real problem tying off my flies right now im using A whip finisher. Is there a another way to tie off my flies without using a whip finisher, any links or diagrams would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :D

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I just use the end of an old "clicker" type ball point pen with the ink tube removed to tie a halfhitch or two with a drop of head cement. Works good & the fish don't seem to mind either. ;)

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I've been tying for 15 years and still can't whip finish a fly either with a tool or my fingers. What I use is a loop floss threader. Just lay it against the head, and make 3 to 6 wraps over it

Keep pressure on the wraps, holding the thread tight with one hand. Cut yourself a tag end with the other.

Maintain the pressure, and use the other hand to hold the floss threader in place against the head. Pull the tag end through the loop, and pull the tag end under the wraps. Trim and apply head cement. The directions read more complicated than it actually is. If you've ever built a rod, it's the same method used to finish a guide wrap. I've been doing it long enough that it's as fast as whip finishing, and I can do it down to a size 20. Or you can use a half-hitch tool.

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I've been tying for 15 years and still can't whip finish a fly either with a tool or my fingers. What I use is a loop floss threader. Just lay it against the head, and make 3 to 6 wraps over it

Keep pressure on the wraps, holding the thread tight with one hand. Cut yourself a tag end with the other.

Maintain the pressure, and use the other hand to hold the floss threader in place against the head. Pull the tag end through the loop, and pull the tag end under the wraps. Trim and apply head cement. The directions read more complicated than it actually is. If you've ever built a rod, it's the same method used to finish a guide wrap. I've been doing it long enough that it's as fast as whip finishing, and I can do it down to a size 20. Or you can use a half-hitch tool.

...actually, that is a whip finish, just done another way, more like a nail knot (which is another kind of whip finish.)

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aaack! this is frustrating! :huh:

 

somehow back when I was a kid I taught myself how to whip finish with my fingers. I can do it in my sleep, and could show anyone how to do it in person, in about 30 seconds. It's sort of difficult to put in words, but it's one of those smack-your-forehead things when you see it done, "IS THAT IT?" :wallbash:

 

I will see if my wife or son can take a series of pics in the next few days of how to do it.

 

Don't give up on it, the whip finish makes the best finish for the fly and is 10 times easier to do with your fingers than with the tool!

 

I'll get some pics up here soon.

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shoot- :huh: I just went through the process using an old piece of fly line for clarity... pictures ain't gonna cut it because of the way you need to roll your fingers around inside the loop... I don't think it would be clear in pics, maybe it would I'll see. Plus I THINK I tie my flies "backwards" from most other right-handers, which makes it easier for me to whip them off... I always make my wraps towards me over the top of the fly, if you were looking at the fly head-on, the wraps would be counter-clockwise. That's just the way it happened 20 some years ago when I started in this craziness.

 

DON'T give up on the whip finish, you can do it, and it is good!

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yup, watch the Borger video at the link provided by nyflyguy above. It shows the whip finish better than I could with pics. And yup, I've made thousands of flies backwards, if that video shows "normal" - good thing the fish can't tell clockwise from anti-clockwise....

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try this

 

take a larger plain hook and very heavy thread , like rod wrapping thread...start the thread somewhere near the middle of the shank then practice using that blasted spring thing for whipp finishes

 

if it still is cumbersome try tying the whip finish with out the tool but use two hands, not 1...in essence you are wrapping the thread around itself

 

then try 1/2 hitches 2 or 3 half hitches work well especially with head cememnt or the smallest drop of super glue you can place there with a pin ...

 

 

1/2 hitches are the easiest...ray bergman used a 1/2 hitch then called a jam knot so if you have access to "TROUT" then find the proper pages...practie with the heavy thread on the plain hook then, when you have the proper control use the bobbin and tying thred then work on a simple fly like a wooley bugger and leave pleantyof room for the head...

 

after you have three or four FIRM wraps of thread to hold down the hackle on the bugger then whip finish ...the resulting head wil have more than enough thread wraps to hold he fly together provided the wraps are taught and the materials are not loose

 

 

hwo do you get to carnige hall?

 

 

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Here's a short video I posted on YouTube a whie back that shows how to whip finish with both a materelli style tool, and by hand. I think it's important to be able to do it both ways since sometimes your tool won't be of any use when you're tying a whip finish knot further back on a larger fly. The one thing that really made it "click" for me was seeing it drawn out in a book called "The Curtis Creek Manifesto", probably one of the greatest beginner fly fishing/tying books eveer written(only $6 new). Anyways, heres a link to the video

 

Whip Finish How To with a Tool and by Hand

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I have been trying to get away from using my Whip Finish tool, and trying to do the same principle with my fingers, as has been described in the above links. I think I have more control as to where the tie-off point is. Plus, in case I forget my whip finisher, I will still be able to tie-off...it's tough though!

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earlier this week i was off...............

 

while wife and stepdaughter were going to get ultrasound for second grandbaby..........i got to sit at home goof off and practice tying.

 

i used the videos in this section to learn how to use the the whip tool. took about an hour and some hair pulling but finally got it. no probs. i thought it provides accurate placement and really allows you to put some tension on. (i know cause i had to cut the stuff off when going to practice more).

 

think i got it burned into the harddrive now.

 

camoham

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