jamesbrock3 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 I am stuggling to understand how to do whip finishes by hand. I have been forced to just tie a simple square knot and super glue it to keep it secure. I have tried looking it up on youtube, but I can't seem to transfer right handed whip finish to left handed whip finish. Can somone help me with whip finishing by hand for a left handed person? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 im not sure you can tie a square knot googling only shows right handed try visualizing the right hand process and adapt it to left hand Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woodinfliezz 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 im a lefty to man im not good at doing a whip finish but i can try to make you a video showing the left hand when i get home like i said im not good at it but mine seem to hold up pretty good Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woodinfliezz 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 p.s. i learned by watching right handed people do it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hairwing 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 James, Watch your videos in a mirror. A right hand image on your screen will turn "left-hand" in the mirror. Works best if you go full screen. The image will be perfect of a right hander doing it left handed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peterjay 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 If you have Photoshop, (or another quality photo editing program) you can grab an image and flip it horizontally to get a mirror image. Just find a step-by-step article, grab the pictures (with permission of course) and flip them. If you can't do it yourself, PM me your email address and I'll do it for you. I'd guess you can do the same to video, but that's beyond my expertise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
utyer 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 I have a set of left handed whip finish pictures using the Materelli style whip finish tool. The pictures are numbered, and I noticed that they get slightly out of order when posted. They read left to right by each row, (row two starts to the right, and row three are the last two steps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 if you get confused, try 3 half hitches and head cement and be done with it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eastern fly 0 Report post Posted May 22, 2013 I have a set of left handed whip finish pictures using the Materelli style whip finish tool. The pictures are numbered, and I noticed that they get slightly out of order when posted. They read left to right by each row, (row two starts to the right, and row three are the last two steps. utyer has it right there. I do it with a tool and by hand. Its messed up that the world thinks everyone is right handed. Kevin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stippled Popper 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2013 Learning to use a whip finishing tool is hard enough for the right handed tier. Stippled Popper Enterprises sells a special whip finishing tool for left handed tiers. It is only $85 retail. It is on sale now for $75. . . Just kidding! The half-hitch and head cement is a workable alternative. Applying a bit of head cement to the thread before wrapping the half-hitches as suggested by flytire will improve the hold of the half-hitches. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bighornbuster 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2014 My theory on this is h\that if my flies are any good at all they will either be broken off in some trout's jaw or relegated to the fish chewed version section of the box long before a few half hitches will fail. I do agree, however, that a whip finished fly is a little prettier. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2014 I am stuggling to understand how to do whip finishes by hand. I have been forced to just tie a simple square knot and super glue it to keep it secure. I have tried looking it up on youtube, but I can't seem to transfer right handed whip finish to left handed whip finish. Can somone help me with whip finishing by hand for a left handed person? Do you want to say you can whip finish by hand OR do you want to ALWAYS whip finish by hand. If you are not going to always whip fishing by hand, why obsess over it? As long as you get a good whip finish, it doesn't matter how it is performed. I use a tool although I know how to hand whip finish. I am just faster and more precise with a tool. The goal is to get a tight whip finish with the thread wraps laid adjacent going toward the hook eye. I can do that faster and easier with a tool than by hand. You will see some well know fly tiers hand whip finish and others will use a tool. My friend, Gary Borger uses a Matarelli as does Charlie Craven. Davie McPhail, one of the best fly tiers in the world uses a Matarelli whip finisher. Check out any of his Videos. Lee Wulff used to tie flies by holding the hook in his hand but millions of fly tiers use a vise and THEY DON'T FEEL GUILTY about not holding a hook in their hands. I feel the same way about the whip finish. If you can perform a great whip finish with a tool, your time is better spent in practicing other ways to tie better flies rather than learning a hand whip finish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phg 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2014 ...umh, this post is over 9 months old.... Just sayin'.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boa3 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2014 Utyer, thanks I was struggling till I found your instructions. Bo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
utyer 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2014 Glad to see they helped out another "lefty," and that you were able to find this old post. If I had 3 hands, I would do one on left handed hand whip finish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites