Whip Finish?

[Crackaig 0]

 

Do you fish with a hand-line then? Just joking.

 

 

No but I do have direct hand to line contact. Once, when coarse fishing, some kids came along and were showing interest, as I was explaining my set up to them I lifted the rod into a fish. One said "How did you know you had a bite, you weren't even looking at your rod." "Easy," I said, "I have my finger on the line and can feel the fish mouthing the bait." Simply having direct contact with the line is much more sensitive than the bite alarms many people use for that kind of fishing. I find the same applies with thread (and other materials) I usually do a better job when I can feel what is going on. "handling" tools don't convey the same feel to your hand.

 

Use whatever method you like, for me what I put are the advantages that I find for using a finger whip finish. Much of my time at the vice is work, over a couple of dozen flies those few seconds that you don't mind spending per fly add up. Which of us doesn't want to finish work early if they can? That's why I learned to cock my wrist over and do a horizontal whip finish under the hackle of a parachute. It saves about 10 seconds per fly, not having to re position the hook in the vice. Not important to you, but it adds to over 2 3/4 hours per 1000 flies. Come POETS day there is a couple of hours made up for free.

 

Like many aspects of tying you tailor the way you do things to what suits your situation. I would, though, point out, that if you are unable to do the whip finish by hand you can not tailor the method to suit. You are just stuck with what you can use. You can only choose between two or more alternatives. If you can't do one of the alternatives then there is no choice in the decision to use the other.

 

Cheers,

C.

[Christopher K 0]

Like Crackaig I do it by hand mostly to save time. Although I will agree with Cheech in that you don't get the same tension with your fingers and that usually a good coat of cement is required, of course when tying to sell you always should cement heads.

[mikechell 0]

Honestly, I once left a Matarelli in my hand(I tie with scissors in my hand) and could not find it until after I whip finished by hand.

LOL This is a common situation after a certain age. If I could remember shit ... I'd be able to remember the number of times I couldn't find my glasses, that were sitting on top of my head.

[tjeeper 0]

When I first learned to tie flies, the instructor taught me to whip finish by hand. I hand whipped my flies for 20 years. Last winter, I attended several fly tying shows to pick up new ideas on flies and materials. I was impressed by the precision and speed of the show tiers who used whip finish tools. Especially on flies size 18 and smaller. So, I bought a materelli and taught myself to use the tool. Now, I use the tool about 90% of the time, and only hand whip on big flies and in special situations.

[Crackaig 0]

They say as you get older the memory is the first thing to go... I can't remember what they said was the second thing to go.

Cheers,

C.

[tctrout 0]

The finish is a critical part to the fly, regardless of a tool or hand. I was taught by hand over 25 years ago, and have never strayed far. Occasionally, I will use a cylinder (such as a pen tube) to use, allowing me to push fibers back when tying a Catskill-style dry fly. My uncle demonstrates this @ the 17:40 mark of the following video:

 

 

I do understand that there are other situations in which a whip-finish tool can be utilized, thus I demonstrate both the hand and tool techniques in this video:

 

 

Personal preference is a major factor, though keep in consideration the instances in which a tool would outperform your hand. I hope this helps, and always enjoy teaching beginning tyers this important step in fly tying.

 

TC

[flytire 0]

when I began tying in 1981, I had a Thompson whip finisher in the kit the instructor provided. it was easy to learn how to use the tool and I used it for a few years.

 

I don't remember the where, why or when I stopped using it but for me a few half hitches now finishes off every fly I tie (3-4 half hitches pulled extremely tight and cemented).

 

a half hitch can be placed anywhere along the length of the hook (yes a whip finish can too)

 

the basic thing is to use whatever method is the most comfortable to YOU.

 

there is no fly tying commandment that is carved in stone that says the whip finish is the ONLY knot to use!

 

tyers preference!

[mikechell 0]

They say as you get older the memory is the first thing to go... I can't remember what they said was the second thing to go.

Cheers,

C.

Whoever said, "Memory is the first thing to go ...," just can't remember what went before that.

[Crackaig 0]

I certainly don't, I have enough trouble remembering the faculties I've lost this week.

Cheers,

C.

[Bruce Derington 0]

You guys crack me up!

[tidewaterfly 0]

Personal choice, that's all it is. As others have said, do what works best for you. I never got the hang of the whip finish tool, so I do it by hand. I can tie fairly fast, but I think that too is something that comes with doing anything the same way, repetitively. Whether you choose to whip finish by hand or use a tool, the more you do either, the better you should get at it. It's the "practice makes perfect" thing. But, If what you're doing isn't working, try something else.

 

I also tie with my scissors in my hand, because that's what I've gotten used to & am comfortable doing. I don't do it every time I sit down to tie, but if I'm going to be tying a bunch of flies, the scissors will be in my hand.

 

Any of this is only right or wrong for us each as individuals. We're all different! Even the type of tools we all choose varies & has to fit us individually. Again, do what works best for you. It doesn't matter what someone else does, unless you're looking for advice to try something else. Then, of course you can get opinions, but still have to decide for yourself.

 

BTW, I'm right handed & have always tied left handed. That's what works best for me.

[Sundance 0]

When whip finishers first came out there was a kind of superiority complex among those who did it by hand. They almost had the attitude that the tool was a crutch for the klutzes who weren't good enough to be "real" tiers. Fortunately that kind of snobbery has faded. When teaching I ALWAYS teach the hand method first, tell students it is good to know because in a few cases it works better, but then introduce them to the Materelli and point out that many demonstration tiers (and even many commercial tiers) use the tool with no apologies. Personally, I did it by hand for 20 years but now do it almost exclusively with the tool. Like some commercial tiers, I also am increasing my use of super glue in place of a whip finish. That works especially well on parachutes and flies that finish in the middle.

[cphubert 0]

I agree with Cheech "do whatever you have to do to create a durable fly" some never get the tension by hand as I get older I find a tool more convenient.