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Jpm5107

Wrapping double hackle on dry flies

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+1 on phg's comments

 

 

I have a few things that have helped me with tying parachute patterns:

 

I often use a fluorescent color for the post as a sight indicator.

I try to tie the hackle in so that some of the hackle stem becomes part of the post (for extra stiffness).

I wind the hackle from the top of the post to the bottom always winding counter-clockwise (keeps the hackle from un-winding when tying off).

Instead of trying to whip finish, I use multiple double half-hitches on the hook shank behind the eye (most beneficial on small flies).

 

Give these guidelines a try - they really have improved my tying and fishing!

Nice little primer for novices and good refresher for fossils like me, thanks for posting

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Thanks for the tips flyty1.

I've always had trouble whip finishing parachutes on the hook shank but i'll have to give half hitches out.

When I do whip finish I always trap hackle on the hook shank so I normally just whip finish on the actual post instead of shank to avoid this.

 

Anyways, thanks again!

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Hi Jpm5107,

 

You've gotten some good information from the other members. We'll only offer what has worked for us. We usually wrap one hackle at a time IF we are applying a standard application (around the hook). If that is a mix of colors like Grizzly with Brown on a standard Adams then we make sure to wrap at least one turn less of Brown (on larger flies, two turns front and back) in the back and in front of the wings. We wrap the brown first and tie it off SHORT of the hook eye. Then when we follow with the Grizzly it is the one we wrap all the way to the hook eye. In so doing, you are only trying to hide one hackle tie off at the eye rather than two. Also, many of our customers want a Grizzly/Brown Mix to appear even in color (the same percentage of wraps) which really requires the tier to put LESS turns of Brown than they do of Grizzly because the darker Brown color will overpower the Grizzly making the fly look like it has too many turns of Brown.

 

When wrapping a parachute application we wrap both at once and tie them off at the post rather than at the hook eye. Take care & ...

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Thanks for explaining what you do Al Beatty! I'm going to give that a try and see how it works out with some adams. I never though to end one of the hackles early to create a neater, smaller head at the end with one hackle stem tie off as opposed to two.

 

Thanks!

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I followed BT's advice on this one.

 

Thanks Al and Gretchen, here is how it worked out for me on a Wonder Wing that I tied after reading your excellent e-book!

 

There is one situation where I will occasionally wrap two hackles at same time, that being when I pull two from bird at same time, they fit hand-in-glove, and I need a bushy collar of a single color.

DSC01449.JPG

DSC01454.JPG

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Get one of them and compare them to a modern genetic cape. You'll wonder how anyone ever managed to tie a decent dry fly....

 

I can try to take some pictures, later today, to illustrate the difference. I still have some of the old capes. They make great streamer wings....

 

Ain't that the truth- Theodore Gordon would sh** a brick if he could see a Whiting cape.

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Get one of them and compare them to a modern genetic cape. You'll wonder how anyone ever managed to tie a decent dry fly....

 

I can try to take some pictures, later today, to illustrate the difference. I still have some of the old capes. They make great streamer wings....

 

Ain't that the truth- Theodore Gordon would sh** a brick if he could see a Whiting cape.

He would have thought he had died and gone to heaven and to be honest if I was away from tying the past 25 yrs and now given a Whiting Neck I would say the same.

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Al Beatty's advice is spot on.

 

I tie two hackles in like Dave Brandt does (Al Beatty does the same). One at a time, flare forward, leave sufficient room for both hackles and lay the second hackle in-between the wraps of the first, wiggling and working the second hackle in as you go.

 

I leave a 1/16" gap behind the hook eye...ala Catskill style. I think it makes for a prettier less crowded fly. Dave Brandt's video on tying Catskill dry flies is really really good at showing that method. Del Mazza's video on the same flies is just as good and maybe even better because he explains "why" he does what he does.

 

If you go to the Somerset fly fishing show, check out the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild booth as well as Dave Brandt's. They are usually there at that show. Dave was traveling to other cities' shows but not sure if he's still doing that. He used to come to the Charlotte show where I live but they moved that show elsewhere.

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I have to be careful I've been tying since the70's and just got some of the new genetic hackle and tend to make them too bushy,,few wraps is all you need.

I too remember tying with the old indian capes which I find now have some great tailing feathers.

 

+1 on phg's comments

 

Besides the wonderful quality of the genetic capes and saddles available today, I tie and fish almost

exclusively parachute patterns for my dry flies. Among the advantages of the parachute style fly,

these can be tied with an oversize hackle and really don't require as much hackle as the radially

hackled conventional dry flies. I have found that even the old India capes can work well for the

medium size patterns (sizes 12 to 18).

 

I have a few things that have helped me with tying parachute patterns:

 

I often use a fluorescent color for the post as a sight indicator.

I try to tie the hackle in so that some of the hackle stem becomes part of the post (for extra stiffness).

I wind the hackle from the top of the post to the bottom always winding counter-clockwise (keeps the hackle from un-winding when tying off).

Instead of trying to whip finish, I use multiple double half-hitches on the hook shank behind the eye (most beneficial on small flies).

 

Give these guidelines a try - they really have improved my tying and fishing!

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Well I don't think I ever gave a update on my hackle wrapping form the winter tying so I'll give one now. After trying each one of the methods people suggested, I've found wrapping two hackles at once to be the easiest. Sometimes it can be a pain with one hackle twisting when the other one doesn't, but overall, it seems to work out best that way. Thanks for the help everyone! Hope spring fishing season is treating you well.

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