haziz 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 When wrapping dry fly hackle, do you orient the shiny (convex) or dull (concave) side of the feather towards the hookeye? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moshup 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 Shiny side front most of the time but not all of the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dflanagan 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 I’ve always tied dries with the dull side of the feather forward. Is that why my dry flies don’t float very long? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 Can't vote. I wouldn't know a dry fly hackle from any other hackle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moshup 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 3 hours ago, dflanagan said: I’ve always tied dries with the dull side of the feather forward. Is that why my dry flies don’t float very long? I was told or I read somewhere that back in the day when genetic hackle was nowhere to be found that many tyers tied their hackle dull side forward because it was believed that it floated the fly better than shiny side being forward. I don’t know if this was actually true or not . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark Knapp 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 I tie them with the convex side forward (toward the eye) so that the barbels curve slightly toward the bend. In my mind, it's easier to wrap subsequent wraps without trapping barbels from the previous wrap if they curve to the rear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redietz 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 41 minutes ago, Mark Knapp said: I tie them with the convex side forward (toward the eye) so that the barbels curve slightly toward the bend. In my mind, it's easier to wrap subsequent wraps without trapping barbels from the previous wrap if they curve to the rear. And it's easier to tie off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DFoster 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 7 hours ago, Mark Knapp said: I tie them with the convex side forward (toward the eye) so that the barbels curve slightly toward the bend. In my mind, it's easier to wrap subsequent wraps without trapping barbels from the previous wrap if they curve to the rear. Same here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandan 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 I like shiny side out. So does Charlie Craven. Pat Dorsey likes it the other way around. Who's right? Both Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samsonboi 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 13 hours ago, Mogup said: Shiny side front most of the time but not all of the time. Same. Certain flies for skittering I like the other way around, like bivisibles and spiders. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TSMcDougald 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 I was taught to wrap dry flies with the dull side facing forward. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 I do like Mark and Redeitz. I don't know about shiny and dull sides but look at the curve of the feather. On dry flies it is convex side forward. On parachutes it is curved side up. On soft hackles it is curved side back and usually tear off hackle on one side. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 Only fly tyers care. Fish not so much 😀 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark Knapp 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 11 hours ago, redietz said: And it's easier to tie off. Yep 2 minutes ago, flytire said: Only fly tyers care. Fish not so much 😀 and Yep Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2020 Here's the deal. Hackle fibers have a natural bend. The shiny size is convex and the dull side is concave. Back when there was no genetic hackle and dry flies were tied with necks from India or China, the dry fly hackle was not very stiff. If the dry fly was wound with shiny convex side forward the hackle fibers natural bend is back towards the rear of the fly. When the dry fly was cast, the more flexible non genetic hackle fibers would be bent even further back and the hackle would be angled back and the tips angled on the water surface. So the common practice with to tie the hackle in dull side forward. This resulted in the natural bend of the hackle facing forward. Then when the dry fly was cast, the hackle fibers were forced back which made them more perpendicular to the water surface rather than less perpendicular. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites