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FreshH20

Wet Fly Hackle "More or Less"

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Two things, when tying the wet fly what is the best way to measure the size of the hackle. Sometimes the hackle seems really long compared to the body, just a little out of proportion. Second thing is, number of wraps, the appearance of the fly with 2 wraps appears sparse, although in a tub of water looks good. Is there any advantage to adding more wraps?

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For measuring, I just fan the feather out perpendicular to the stem and hold it up against the hook, looking for about a shank length most of the time. Proportions can be tough. I use partridge a lot for my wet flies, so I usually only get about 1 wrap and it seems to be okay.

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Really it depends on the wet fly doesn't it ? I tie a jade green caddis wet, the collar is soft hen in grizzly or brown or a combo of the two. It's tied on a size 12 wet hook, my goal is for the collar fibers to fall short of the hook point when swept back, it's really a collar with a bend to the rear. As much as I'd like to think this fly fishes better with hen, it does fine with cock too. Two turns of each color if using two colors, three turns of a single color if using one is how I tie it. But it depends on the feathers , some have more fibers than others per turn.

 

Most partridge and grouse feathers don't allow for more than a turn and a half or maybe two turns, so that's how that plays out in terms of wrap count.. If I can get two turns I will because I almost always pinch a few that end up trimmed away anyway. But if not, then it gets the turn and a half. They tend to be sparse but that's also part of what makes them work I think..

 

When it comes to classic wets, generally there are recipes to follow.

 

To see how long the fibers will look on the fly , as has been already said, just wrap the feather around the hook shank and eyeball how the fibers spread. In a general way I like 1-1/2 times the gap of the hook but if it's a longer hook then maybe longer fibers will do better. It just depends on what fits the recipe or your imagination.

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Hackle length is a bit subjective. Generally speaking, tips of the hackle should fall somewhere between the hook point and bend of the hook. Traditionally, hackle length was near the bend of the hook. Personally, I go a little longer for my Stillwater wets and a bit shorter for my moving water patterns.

 

Traditional wet flies were a bit more heavily hackled then what most tiers like today. Today we hear "keep it sparse". The idea of sparse came about when a wet fly was compared to heavily hackled bumbles and palmers etc. They were sparse when compared to these but not as sparse as you see some today. The amount of wraps really depends on the hackle as all have different qualities. Some traditionalists will actually count the barbs. Just don't go crazy and you'll be fine. Somewhere between 2 and 4 wraps are usually good.

 

The best advice I can give is to think purposefully. Where are you fishing the pattern, what type of water, how do you want it to behave, and what is it meant to mimic? Tie it purposefully, they don't all have to be the same.

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To answer your question as to how many wraps that would depend on the barb count a feather with a low barb count would take more wraps than a feather with a hi barb count, I have some feathers if I use 2 wraps the fly is diffidently over hackled and I have some that I can wrap 5 or 6 times and it still looks bare.

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Personally, I use the TLAR method for hackle - "That looks about right". :-) This is usually two wraps of a good partridge feather without stripping one side, If you strip the feathers from one side or you're tying a flymph, then 3-4 wraps makes sense. I prefer to keep it sparse for slow currents and will use my heavier hackled flies (and my uglies ties) on fast water. Big Picture - the fish don't care how heavily hackled or sparse it is, so long as it moves and looks alive.

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