Finishing a fly

[boutdoors 0]

Which method do you use to finish your flies? I have tried to use my whip finisher but can't seem to get the hang of it.

Robert

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

I just use my whip finisher or my fingers as a whip finisher if you can't use your whip finisher my suggestion is to take a bare hook and practice it till it becomes second nature

[Piker20 0]

Finger finish. Never got the hang of the whip finisher myself

[flytire 0]

half hitch tool is all i need. plain & simple

[SilverCreek 0]

Get a Matarelli style whip finisher or a knock off.

 

 

 

[mikechell 0]

I love using my whip finisher. Practice with it and look for videos. The main thing that threw me when I was first trying to use it was the thread movement. On SilverCreek's drawings (pretty good ones, by the way) ... look at figure 4. The thread from point C to point B must be able to "feed". If you are wrapping too tightly to allow more thread through the wraps, you'll bind up the tool and make it hard to remove. Keep the wraps just loose enough to allow more line through and it gets better.

[perchjerker 0]

Be sure to get the big model if you get a Matarelli. You can whip finish down to #32 hooks with it, as well as the tails on balsa bass bugs built on #2 8X Long hooks. You can do the wee ones with the small version; BUT, you can't do tails on bigger bugs. The price is the same; so you get more bang for your bucks with the big one.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Whip finish or half hitch by hand except that I use my scissors or a bodkin to hold the loop taught and prevent the thread from twisting into a ball while pulling the knot secure. I don't have much experience with smaller than 16 so maybe a whip or half hitch tool would be beneficial on that stuff.

 

Kirk

[Druce 0]

I finger'em all the way down to size 18 no pun intended

[SilverCreek 0]

Charlie Craven is one of the best fly tiers in the US and he uses a Matarelli whip finisher rather than hand whip finishing. He has written several books on fly tying including this one for beginners. It is one of the best.

 

 

Here he ties a parachute adams in 2 minutes.

 

 

When I learned to tie flies, I was taught the hand whip fishing and hand double hitches. However I can place the thread more accurately and under a higher tension with the Matarelli. At least for me, it makes for better flies.

[kentuckytroutbum 0]

Charlie's book is probably my all time favorite ( and I have a bunch). His photos are excellent, and his descriptions are accurate and to the point. His techniques are applicable to a great number of flies.

 

Bill

[lykos33 0]

boutdoors, You have got a lot of good info. My suggestion is to learn all methods,ie: whip finisher, finger style whip finishing, and half hitching...they ALL have their place and use. The suggestion about the large Whip Finisher is sooooooo true I have the little one and so many times wish I had the larger one...one of the reasons I learned to hand whip finish

Murray

[boutdoors 0]

Thanks for all the information, very usefull. Will practice using all the metods and will see which one works best for me.