Clockwise/counter clockwise

[Gene L 0]

About a month ago I was at a fly tying soiree where levels of experience varied.  One newbie member was wrapping the thread in a counter clockwise fashion when the leader of the room told him he was wrapping backwards.  The neophyte then asked "Why?"

No one in the room could tell him why.  I know a left handed tyer who raps the thread in a 'c-c position but no one in the room had an answer.  Probably it would be just as easy one way on another with practice.

So what are the reasons will you recommendations.  

[mikechell 0]

For me, wrapping away from yourself across the top allows for an easier trapping of materials.  I've tried both directions, because I thought seeing the material I am tying on while trapping it under thread would be better.  It wasn't, for me.  I can say that both directions are easy for me.  I've come off of figure 8s on eyes and realized I'm wrapping the "wrong" way.  Had to unwrap back to the eyes so I could continue wrapping clockwise.

[Jaydub 0]

It doesn't really matter as long as you are consistent. Tying off materials in the same direction as they are wrapped tends to tighten the wraps. 

Convention is over the top away from you. 99.99% of books and videos show that direction and that is probably a good reason for a new tyer to start off that way. 

[SilverCreek 0]

Here's another reason to wrap over the top away from yourself:

Some materials tend to "roll over" the top of the hook in the direction you are wrapping as the tight thread passes over them,

So to counteract that, some fly tiers place the material slightly off center so they are then rolled onto the top the hook when wrapped.

It is much easier to hold the material slightly to the side vise you are on and wrap away from yourself, than to hold the material slightly to the side away from you and wrap toward yourself.

[Sandan 0]

I'm a lefty. My thread hand is my left. The hook in the vise is eye to the left. I wrap over and away. That's clockwise....I think. As @SilverCreek said. It makes, for me anyhow, using thread tension to set materials in place easier.

[redietz 0]

36 minutes ago, Sandan said:

I'm a lefty. My thread hand is my left. The hook in the vise is eye to the left. I wrap over and away. That's clockwise....I think. As @SilverCreek said. It makes, for me anyhow, using thread tension to set materials in place easier.

That's counter clockwise.

Oliver Edwards ties left handed and wraps under and away.  Make for a nice video, because it shows up as looking like a right handed tyer would tie.   That's not why he does it, though.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

When I was teaching fly tying some years back  didn't care how my students wound their bobbins.  I always made a point that the fish we cast our flies to were the ultimate judges of our efforts.  The best looking fly - that doesn't perform properly - or that the fish reject,  belongs on a wall somewhere and not in your fishing gear...

 

I did try to point out that where you applied tension with tying thread on your materials had a direct relationship with how much torque the materials ended up with and whether or not they would shift from where you wanted them in relation to the hook's eye...

[Sandan 0]

11 hours ago, redietz said:

That's counter clockwise.

Thanks. Us lefty's have trouble with that kind of stuff. 

[DarrellP 0]

I do rib counter clockwise to strengthen the body.

[flytire 0]

39 minutes ago, DarrellP said:

I do rib counter clockwise to strengthen the body.

yes but you also loosen the tie in of the ribbing material with thread torque wrapping away from you

 

wrapping clockwise or counterclockwise only matters to that individual tyer. if the flies come out okay, who cares!

[Philly 0]

I was taught to wrap clockwise, so that's how I tie in materials.  Like Mike, sometimes I find myself wrapping counter-clockwise when tying in dumbbell eyes.  I'll just make a counter-clockwise wrap back over the eyes and change directions and continue to wrap clockwise.

[SalarMan 0]

4 hours ago, flytire said:

yes but you also loosen the tie in of the ribbing material with thread torque wrapping away from you

 

wrapping clockwise or counterclockwise only matters to that individual tyer. if the flies come out okay, who cares!

Correct on both points...period.

[utyer 0]

I am left handed, and started tying without any real instruction,  I began wrapping with my vise facing to the left, and I wrap counter-clockwise.   20 years later I was in a clinic,taught by Jack Dennis.  He looked at my flies, and said I tied just like a right hand tier, and he watched me tying left handed all evening.  That was the first time I even thought about the way I wrapped my thread and hackle.  After another 37 years, there is no way I could change now.  It ain't broke, and I don't need to fix it.