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Hayemaker

Folding hackle for wet flys

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The easy way is to run a scissors blade along the stem to fold back the fibers from one side. I prefer the old spit and patience technique.

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I assume you are looking for the swept back look for a collar. I pull the fibers back with my fingers as I wrap the feather onto the hook and again when I take up a couple of turns of thread against them once mounted, then form the head of the fly. This video shows a combination of scissor folding and finger sweeping: https://youtu.be/avD9Y0HSrZ4

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We are in the scissor or tweezer edge camp. Never could master the finger fold method to get fast enough to stop using the scissor edge technique. Take care & ...

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The video shows almost exactly how I do it, however he has wimpped out! He did it with partridge, that is far to easy! Lets see you do that with woodcock!!! No really that is a good video of the technique. Woodcock is a feather you shouldn't try to do that with until you have had a lot of practice with the technique. They have the most delicate stems of any.

 

There is one tip I do have to add though. The easy way to separate out the tip, as shown in the video, is to catch the tip in your hackle pliers, then stroke the other barbs back. Once you have the tip exposed don't take the hackle pliers off. Use them as a handle to offer the tip up to the fly for tying in. Once tied in you can use the hackle pliers to hold the tip as you trim it out. Then, if you use them on the stem, simply put them on the other end. Though I fall into the other camp of just holding the stem.

 

Of course traditionally on North Country Spiders the tip is tied in as you start the thread and runs under the body. Not after tying the rest of the fly.

 

Cheers,

C.

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The easy way is to run a scissors blade along the stem to fold back the fibers

That's how I prefer to do it. Here's a Jay Nichols vid showing it twice, at 1:50 and 3:45

 

 

Simple; makes it easier to tame reluctant feathers.

 

Regards,

Scott

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