Help

[Gene L 0]

I can't seem to tie a fly with hackle tip wings without them getting off center and rolling over the hook.  In other words,  the wings wind up tilted clockwise, not centered. Its hard to get them to stand up straight.   I've tried for a long time to set the wings up properly but they mostly tend t slide clockwise.  I'm right handed and looking for a solution.  I can generally get them but my wings tend to go off centered.  Getting hackle wings standing up right doesn't come easy.  Any suggestions for a solution of an old (not old in experience, just old age) elderly tier would be appreciated.  This fault is something that occurred fairly recently and it's driving me crazy.  Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

[cencalfly 0]

Tied a bunch of traditional Adams today.  Pic below is one of them.  Upright hackle tip wings.  Is this what you're talking about?  If so, here is the process for me.  I wrap a thread base first.  Take a paired set of hackle tips about a hook shank in length held dull side to dull side.  Here's the key for me; I take a pair of forceps and crimp/flatten the stems (?) of the hackle tips at the last fiber or so.  Place them so they are laying flat along the shank and protruding horizontally out over the hook eye.  Tie them in gently.  Thread back to the tail and tie in the tail.  Dub the body almost to the wing, lift the hackle tip wings up right and throw a few thread wraps at the base.  Tie in my hackle and then lay a thin layer of dubbing to the hook eye(ish).  Wrap hackle and be done with it.

Me - eyes and hands are far from what they used to be.  Good thing we casting to feeesh and not other fly tiers.  However, that's easier said than done. I have problems feeling my fingers and hands in general. Except for the arthritic and neurological pain.  It lets me know all the time it's there.  I have to step back and take a moment to focus.  Many moments if you will.  Or maybe not focus and just tie lie like I used to.  I don't know.  Not being able to tie like I did years ago is new to me too. Numbness, shaking, poor eyesight has led to a lot of bloodshed at the vice fore me.  Them hooks are sharp dang it. I wish I had a fix-all.  What's the saying?: It takes me all day to do what I used to do all day.

Patience and understanding in what I can and cannot do is very difficult for me.  It used to be so easy it seems.  Now I have this new journey/task.  

[flytire 0]

would this help?

https://youtu.be/tbaxw2j_82c

[Sandan 0]

Great vid Norm. To me it all comes down to thread control. Like how you're video tyer pulled straight down rather than across the bottom of the hook towards himself. $.02

[Gene L 0]

18 hours ago, flytire said:

would this help?

https://youtu.be/tbaxw2j_82c

Yes, that helped a lot.  Thanks.

[DFoster 0]

On 1/28/2023 at 11:44 PM, Gene L said:

Yes, that helped a lot.  Thanks.

 Gene if you're not using the stuff already you might want to try fly tying wax (not dubbing wax) when precisely gripping things is required.   It works really well at thread locking in place all kinds of materials including hackle stems.  I'm surprised at how many fly tiers here in the U.S. don't use the stuff. I keep a small disk on my fore finger as shown at the end of this vid.  If you soak the wax puck in hot water for a minute or two you can bend off a small amount about the size of a pea and flatten it out.  The rosin in the wax will cause it to stick to your skin.  Believe it or not the small amount of body heat from my finger keeps the stuff soft and tacky.  If you use it straight off the puck it's less tacky and a lot more firm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF0tRNJpCQI&list=PL-x7IXRms3aXO5wQ1ab2yk2zi1otsswvD&index=9

 

[Gene L 0]

I've got wax for tying, just put it away a few years ago.  It's Vinyeard, or whatever that wax in the video is.  I'll just add it to my pathetic routine.  Thanks for the idea.

[niveker 0]

In addition to using wax, sometimes a nice tight wrap or two of thread just around the hook shank, after you've secured the material in place, tends to stabilize it and prevent twisting around the shank.  But I think @Sandan hit the nail on the head about thread control, one aspect of which is thread tension, not just thread placement.    

[Gene L 0]

Kelly Gallop believes that thread control is the most important factor in fly tying.