JoeBillingsley

The whole story of the fly by van Klinken. Interesting. http://www.flyfishinggazette.com/html/flytying/flytying_dries_klink3.htm Joe

Here is a quote about hackles from Hans van Klinken himself: "For parachute flies you can use large hackles very well. I have tied a whole bunch of Klinkhåmers especially with what seems an oversized hackle at first. I don’t know what it exactly imitates, it could be a spider but I can assure you that it works well. I don’t know why but when I am in a group and when we put flies together mine seems always bigger." Here he is tying it himself: http://globalflyfisher.com/video/hans-van-klinken-ties-his-famous-dry-fly-klinkamer Joe

I put a dab of super glue on the shank and then wrap the herls. Makes them pretty indestructible, or as indestructible as peacock can be. I do the same with pheasant tail fibers, too. Not too much glue that it bleeds completely into the fibers. Joe

I'd also like to see included in these charts the pros and cons of using the different threads, especially for beginning tiers. I saw a chart like this one many years ago in a magazine when I first started tying (there weren't nearly as many different companies making thread back then) and it was a no-brainer which thread to buy. GSP was a lot thinner and much stronger than all the other ones - what could be better? I didn't know that it was difficult to use for a beginner because it was so slick. It didn't hold materials as easily as UNI or UTC or Danville threads, my not-so-good whip finish knot wouldn't hold and the scissors I owned back then wouldn't even cut it. I would have liked to have known all that before investing in it back then. I remember looking at the chart and wondering why everybody didn't use it. Joe

If you strip the fibers from the side of the stem, like netabrookie said (and I prefer to do because on many feathers the fibers on the "bottom" part of the stem are sometimes much "wispy-er" than the thinner fibers toward the tip), they will be of various lengths. Here is the technique demonstrated very well by the Fly Fish Food guys. Joe

After you tie in the feather fibers and the tail seems too long or if just some of the fibers are too long, tear them off by pinching them between your fingernail and the "pad" of another finger, if that makes sense. Cutting them with scissors makes the tail look blunt and unnatural. I'm not sure if the fish care, but it looks better. Joe

Performance Flies sells "Genuine Hare's Mask from England" - http://www.performanceflies.com/product-p/v-hm-nat.htm Joe

Very impressive hackling for your first parachutes. For me, and I believe most tiers, making the hackle on a parachute look acceptable is the hardest part to begin with. Once I saw the technique of tying the hackle off on the post many years ago it all came together for me. Getting your proportions right, I think, is just a matter of tying a few more and getting used to being a little more exact with measuring than with nymphs. Very good! Joe

I have tied and fished a lot of Roy Christie's EasyPeasy USD flies and nothing looks more realistic on the water (or on the finger), at least to the fisherman. A step-by-step: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/103104fotw.php Joe

At least on most trout flies, my answer would be no, most times they are not "needed". Many finish a parachute fly on the post and lots of nymph patterns are finished behind the thorax. I think it's what ever looks good to the tier, or if you're selling them, to the buyer. Two of the very finest tiers around, Hans Weilenmann and Davie McPhail, finish their flies very differently. Hans uses as few thread wraps as possible while constructing his flies and finishes his with only a "three-turn whip finish" at the eye and usually nothing else. Davie uses a lot of thread constructing his flies to "tidy up", as he says, and sometimes uses a multiple-turn whip finish to finish off the neat heads he puts on his. Who is going to tell either one of these masters that they are wrong? Not me! Joe

notbob, Not knowing what your eyesight is it's hard to make a real recommendation, but I'll give a word of warning about the really high-powered magnifying glasses - if possible, try them first before spending a lot of money. I ordered some cheap 8X magnifiers on line ($9.99 for two pair. For that price I figured I had nothing to lose) a year or so ago but I had to get so close to the hook to see anything with them I couldn't tie the fly because my face was literally in the way of wrapping materials around it. They are way too strong for me.....for now, at least. I have a pair of the Orvis 5X and they work well for me. Joe

Makes terrific wings. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb4hH1CutFonqVSaQBrx0Sg Joe

I like all the ones mentioned. I also found this tier a few weeks ago. He does some very neat things with wings and his videos are sharp. Here is his YouTube link or it's flyfishingwithsmhaen: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb4hH1CutFonqVSaQBrx0Sg Joe

I had to join Etsy a few years ago to buy something (don't remember what it was. Probably thread of some kind) but it was free and painless. Joe

A little more information. Not a good review and discussion on it. http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/thread/6332 Joe

Then there is Taylor Streit's "S**t Fly". It's a Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear without the tail, rib, or wing case. He says many times he's used a GRHE that keeps catching fish after those components have been torn off by fish. So he just dubs Hare's Ear from back to front and ties off. Joe

Hard to come up with anything simpler than the midge larva. The Teeny Nymph adds only one more material. To keep from having to guess about the length of the pheasant tail fibers, sometimes I tie it backwards and tie off at the back of the fly.....or tie in a ribbing and wind the pheasant tail back and catch it with the rib like hackling an Elk Hair Caddis. But that adds another material. You could tie the pheasant in at the front, take the thread back to the back, wrap the pheasant back, catch it and rib with the thread back to the front and tie off. Eliminates the wire rib. Joe

Take a look at some of Davie McPhail's patterns on YouTube. He ties several caddis larva patterns with resin and they are great. I can attest that they work. Joe

Silver, What about using it with Bug Bond? Done any tests on it? Joe

Excellent! Thanks! Joe

I tie way too many different patterns, but it's fun. Many times I have stood on the bank of a stream and see a pattern in one of my boxes and asked myself "What is this? When did I tie it?" Joe

Many years ago, when I was just beginning to tie flies, I attended a fly fishing conclave and mistakenly asked if a whip finish wasn't just a series of half hitches. Wow. I was afraid the tiers there were going to call security. Joe

I also mostly use a Stimulator. Almost all of my trout fishing is done in small, pretty fast moving streams and I'll use one down to a #16 with no problem. It's as effective a dry fly as there is in those streams most of the time and a #16 will support all but the heaviest of large nymphs. For example, a #14 Copper John is absolutely no problem. Joe

Randy, You do not need either tool. Sometimes they are just a little easier than manipulating the fibers with your fingers only. Make sure to keep what's left of the fibers on the feather stem that you don't completely use up to use for CDC dubbing. Waste not want not! Joe

Randy, You could, yes, but the tips of the hemostats might be a little thick to be able to fold the feather over so the tips are together as easily as the Winder does. Give them a try and see. Joe