Preventing feather twist

[FishnPhil 0]

Am I the only one that has this problem? Any tips?

 

Tying up some buggers and ESLs and with the longer feathers they have a tendency to want to twist which faces the hackle in the wrong direction.

 

I can post examples of what I mean if it helps, but am guessing this is common and people have all kinds of tips and ways to solve it.

[Charlie P. (NY) 0]

Two things will help;

 

Folding the hackle (there are YouTube videos on "folding a hackle" that would beat me trying to describe the process).

 

Using a rotary vice.

 

 

Here's an Orvis video on folding a hackle like I do it. You'll just be palmering from the back forward for the bugger tie.

 

https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/video-how-and-why-to-fold-hackles-for-tying

[flytire 0]

Does it really matter?

 

I just unwind it and retwist the hackle with my fingers

 

The hackle can be tied convex side forward to the eye or backwards to the bend

[whatfly 0]

Agree with Flytire, for big Woolly Buggers and ESL's, I just let it go it if wants to twist. This is mostly a function of the quality of feathers you are using (probably strung rooster saddle) and while you would get better results from better hackle, for these patterns cannot see how it would matter. YMMV.

[RickZieger 0]

I run the back of a pair of siscors over the stem. before wrapping and this seems to help.

 

Rick

[Flicted 0]

You could also strip one side of the hackles if it bothers you. I doubt a fish will refuse it because it has a few hackles out of place.

[mikechell 0]

If your vise is rotary, use that feature. I think the hackles on my wooly buggers look much better since i did.

[FishnPhil 0]

I am using a rotary vice but the feather still twists. Are you sure the fish won't care? It looks funny to me because the barbs angle forward instead of backward (eye of the hook is forward). I would think in moving water this will make the fly behave differently, wouldn't it?

 

 

[flytire 0]

I use a rotary vise and it probably has nothing to do with hackle twist.

 

The problem is in the hackle stem not the vise

[Flicted 0]

It is the stem that you are fighting. If rotary has any affect, it is that you can control how the feather is presented to the hook where it is more likely to roll when you are wrapping it hand-over-hand. You can rotate the fly, if the hackle rolls, you can back it off and impart a twist to get it to lay how you want. But folding the hackle and stripping one side are the easiest ways to control the roll.

 

Now if your barbules tilt forward instead of backward, you are tying the feather in with the wrong side facing the hook. Flip the hackle before you tie it in and see how that works.

[mikechell 0]

The hackle curve facing forward. Just call them tenkara flies and pretend you INTENDED to tie them that way.

[Jaydub 0]

A couple of things might help.

 

Tie in the tip of the hackle at the rear of the fly. Then stroke the fibers back as you wrap forward.

 

or

 

Tie in a wire rib at the rear. Wrap the body forward. Tie in the hackle by the butt at the front of the body and wrap it back to the rear. Then wrap the rib forward through the hackle.

[flyty1 0]

If you are tying flies for fishing, don't worry about it - fish don't read fly tying books! If you are tying for wall hangers, keep experimenting! I for one will keep my fly in the water - which is the only way I know to catch fish on my fly!!!!!!!

[Mike West 0]

This may sound stupid simple.... but you make the materials do what you wanna do not what they want to do.

Pay attention as you are wrapping it. If it starts to twist use your hackle pliers and twist it the opposite way,its that simple.

 

???

[Guest]

+1....Duh