Counter ribbing through palmered hackle

[VERN-O 0]

for some unknown reason I cannot counter rib through a hackled body!!!

 

Can someone give me some advice???? it seems that if the objective was to trap as many fibers with the rib material....I would be a pro......uuuuugghhhhhhhhhhh :dunno:

[mtn 0]

Wiggle the wire through, or do it very fast or both, works for me.

[flytire 0]

keep the bodkin ready to pick out trapped hackle barbs.

[letumgo 0]

I find that it helps to wiggle the wire back-and-forth as you wind the rib. The wiggling helps the wire find a path down between the hackle fibers instead of matting them down.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I don't bother. I figure if I ever catch so many fish (even one...) on a fly that the hackle comes apart, it's done it's job. If I ever tie up some big sea-ducers or huge WBs for pike or something, I'll do it. I may be an oddball, but I can't remember one of my woolly worms or woolly buggers coming apart, ever. Now that I say that, I'll be somewhere with ONE of the size and color the fish want, and it'll unwind.

 

BTW I have also seen people counter-wrap with a piece of 3/0 or heavier thread instead of wire. Maybe that would be easier?

[kamloopstrout 0]

J,

When you wrap move the wire left to right as if you are moving the hackle out of the way with the wire. Be sure that you have not palmered the hackle to close together or you could have problems. The wire size does not matter it has to go into the same space, but be sure the wire is going the opposite way of the hackle.

kt

[ashbourn 0]

Could be the hackle. Some hackle just does not palmer well or take a rib well. You might want to try a few other capes or saddles to see if the hackle is the problem. I now mark the capes and saddles that palmer well and only use it for that.

Joe Fox

[Bruce Derington 0]

I'm not sure what your tying but take for instance Al Troth's Elk Hair Caddis that he ties. He palmers ribbing forward through the hackle wrapping it conventually. Counter wrapping ribbing forward is done primarily to keep ribbing from getting lost in the body material ie: say a pheasant tail body. Obviously it is used to protect the hackle as well as adding a segmented effect.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I'm not sure what your tying but take for instance Al Troth's Elk Hair Caddis that he ties. He palmers ribbing forward through the hackle wrapping it conventually. Counter wrapping ribbing forward is done primarily to keep ribbing from getting lost in the body material ie: say a pheasant tail body. Obviously it is used to protect the hackle as well as adding a segmented effect.

 

 

I didn't even consider it might be done for something other than structural integrity. My bad.

[GunnerDonn 0]

Unless you need the weight then just leave an ample pigtail when tying your thread to the hook shank and leave it in your material keeper until you need it. I find this crutial on dry flies where I don't want weight or extra bulk. I do like a good underpinning on my flies to keep them sturdy and a quality hackle properly secured does not need a backwrap most of the time.