Bead Head Soft Hackle

[Lthrnck03 0]

I tried my hand last night at tying a Bead Head Soft Hackle from Tom Rosenbauer's book. The body and tail I had no problems with, but the soft hackle with Partridge feathers was NOT EASY. Here are a couple of photo. All critique is welcome.

 

 

 

 

Now I'm not sure if it was my technique or the quality of the partridge feather....

[Markbob 0]

Couple of questions,

What size is that fly?

Did you get the partridge feather from a skin or a bag of feathers?

Did you try to palmer the feather or use another technique?

 

Typically the bead is in front of the hackle, that might make it a little easier.

[Lthrnck03 0]

Couple of questions,

What size is that fly?

Did you get the partridge feather from a skin or a bag of feathers?

Did you try to palmer the feather or use another technique?

 

Typically the bead is in front of the hackle, that might make it a little easier.

 

Its a size 12 hook. I got the partridge feathers from a bag(Orvis Kit). I attempted to palmer the hackle, but it just didn't seem to want to. The tying recipe is from Tom Rosenbauer's book.

[kentuckytroutbum 0]

I usually don't use a bead head with an emerger type fly, which I want to hang low in the surface film. As markbob said the bead is usually

at the head of the fly next to the hook eye.

 

When I'm going to palmer the hackle, I'll tie in the tip of the hackle, and then wrap forward toward the eye. I get smoother, more even

hackle, without "coning" (where the front of the hackle has a smaller diameter than the back).

 

For the soft hackle, you might look at Charlie Craven's technique of using tied feather barbs to create the hackle allowing it to spin

around the hook shank, in lieu of palmering the hackle. My $0.02 worth.

 

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=155

[Lthrnck03 0]

2nd tie...minus the bead head

 

 

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

looks great the bead is usually in front of the hackle right behind the eye though as for the beadless one you nailed it as for your technique on the hackle I don't think you were palmering it I think you were just tying it as a collar which you did well

[Lthrnck03 0]

looks great the bead is usually in front of the hackle right behind the eye though as for the beadless one you nailed it as for your technique on the hackle I don't think you were palmering it I think you were just tying it as a collar which you did well

 

I kept all of the hackle in pretty much the same place. Which having just watched a video on palmering, yes...i collared it. I'm still struggling with not crowding the head.

[JSzymczyk 0]

there is no Standing Order which says the bead must be in front of the hackle, and in fact you may have hit upon something really cool. I rather like the way the bead looks BEHIND the hackle, and there are several "established" patterns using beads somewhere in the body-- double-bead stone, san-juan worms, etc.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

looks great the bead is usually in front of the hackle right behind the eye though as for the beadless one you nailed it as for your technique on the hackle I don't think you were palmering it I think you were just tying it as a collar which you did well

 

I kept all of the hackle in pretty much the same place. Which having just watched a video on palmering, yes...i collared it. I'm still struggling with not crowding the head.

by putting the bead right behind the eye you wont be able to crowd the eye but like Joel said no one says you have to

[CrookedHook 0]

Tell you the truth I didn't even see the bead the first time I looked at it lol. Anyway I am with you guys, I know that second pattern looks really good and buggy, but I might try and tye one similar to the first with the bead behind the hackle and see how it reacts in the water. You may have a new pattern CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! What will we name it? I think that the bead behind the hackle might give the fly a bit more action by throwing off the weight and also causing the hackle to form over the bead causing a large body. Who Knows? I do like the buggyness of them both. Great Job!

[Soft-hackle 0]

Hi,

There are no hard, fast rules regarding fly tying, and I have seen beads used as a thorax on other flies. Personally, I have been tying and fishing wingless wet flies for many years and feel adding a bead to these flies inhibits their natural action in the water. Weight can be added, minimally, by adding some ribbing wire or tying on heavier hooks. Likewise, for fishing this type of fly in the film or just below, standard or light wire hooks can be used. I like the result of your second attempt much better without the bead. Keep tying and trying, you are on the right path.

 

Mark

[bluegill576 0]

I've tried this a couple times before. No real noticeable changes from the bead in the front and I think in the front it is easier to tie.

[Lthrnck03 0]

Tell you the truth I didn't even see the bead the first time I looked at it lol. Anyway I am with you guys, I know that second pattern looks really good and buggy, but I might try and tye one similar to the first with the bead behind the hackle and see how it reacts in the water. You may have a new pattern CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! What will we name it? I think that the bead behind the hackle might give the fly a bit more action by throwing off the weight and also causing the hackle to form over the bead causing a large body. Who Knows? I do like the buggyness of them both. Great Job!

 

I wish I could take credit for the recipe. It actually came from a book written by Tom Rosenbauer that came with the Orvis kit that I bought.

[Lthrnck03 0]

Here's the 3rd tie..with the hackle behind the bead.

 

 

[firedad 0]

In the year I've been tying flies I have spent a lot of time on the internet looking at different patterns and I've seen lots of soft hackles and nymphs with the bead behind the collar as an abdomen.