Hackle gague

[Sandan 0]

Well I think my biggest reason to get a gague is that it will keep me from removing feathers before realizing its the wrong size. Which has happened a few times. I tend to forget I removed them, and dont get them out of storage the next time I tie a different size. So it will keep me from using up as much hackle. But maybe Im wrong?

You don't have to really pull the feather from the skin to gauge it. Personally, I never used a gauge, I started with the approx.1.5x gape method. Now I think determining the hackle size by looking at the shank length is better. Like a TMC 100 has a different gape than a Firehole 419, both in size 20. After a while, you'll grab the skin, bend a feather and just "know" if it's the right size or not. Tie a bunch in the same size you'll get a feel for what's good and what's not. Then go to another size, etc., etc., etc. Just my $.02

[edit] When I do pull a hackle that's the wrong the size I leave it out on the desk i use to tie one. That way I don't forget I've got a certain size hackle I can use without getting another one. Usually that is. [/edit]

[Sandan 0]

 

While Im not great at dries, I have tied many many many other flies all which include palmering hackle. I have tied quite a few dries already as well, but more simple patterns (Matts midge, griffiths, and hoppers) Ive also tied a few Adams dries. But lately Ive gotten into some parachute style Flies which require a bit more precision in my thoughts. While mine arent yet as good as some of the other dries Ive seen posted on here, I have gotten down the even and clean hackle placement. Sticks out strait, captured properly without stray fibers over the eye, etc...

 

As for gagueing the other materials, I measure most everything against the hook shank. Somehow thats easier than measuring hackle against the gap. However they probably arent perfect, luckily though fish arent as picky as I am, or most tiers I know. Ive csugt quite a few on a small deer hair with a hackle head fly Ive been tying a few of lately.

 

 

Like Flytire and Crackaig, I do not use hackle gauges. What I take with me is a white 3X5 card that I use as a background against which to examine the hackle. I just eyeball them and with experience you can be spot on. Just like I can look at and feel a section of tippet and know what "X" size it is. I know that those of use that have fly fished a while can tell the "X" size of a tippet. Well, tippets are one thousandths of an inch difference. If I can tell 1/1000 of an inch difference in a tippet, I sure can tell a size 16 hackle from an 18, from a 20, from a 22, etc. on a feather. It is not that hard to do.

 

Take the hackle and bend in in front of the 3X5 card. If you need to start, at least try to guess the hackle size suing this method before you actually measure it with a gauge. You will soon develop your "eye" so you won't need a gauge anymore.

 

And I will say that you are wrong about parachutes requiring more "precision" that palmered hackle. Differences in the length of hackle on a parachute really do not affect the angle the fly sits on the water as a standard dry fly. So the hackle can be oversized and in fact I tie my parachutes with slightly longer hackle than a palmered dry fly. BUT you do need to decide whether to wind the hackle concave side up or down and you have to be consistent in that so that your flies sit the same way. Concave down will point the hackle tips down and the fly will sit a bit higher. Concave up and the fly sits lower.

 

You also have to decide whether to finish the fly by tying off the hackle and fly off at the head of the fly or finishing the fly by whip finishing the hackle off on the post.

 

I want my parachutes to be IN the film so I wind the hackle concave facing up and whip finishing on the post.

 

This fly is finished off at the eye.

 

 

This fly is finished off on the post.

 

 

Great post (no pun intended, well maybe a little). I prefer to whip at the post too. Most times. Whether I whip at the post or the eye i do like to tie the hackle off at the post with a couple of wraps above the tag end and a wrap below the tag end to lock it in.