Folding hackles

[baccala]

Any tips on how to fold hackle for soft hackle wet flies? The hackle I try in always flair out more like a dry fly.
Help!

Thanks
Tim

 

[Ronbo]

Hi Tim,
First make sure you are useing hackle that is suitable for soft hackles. Good soft hackle feathers are partridge, hen pheasant,starling or other hen feathers. For a stark look remove hackle from one side of feather and tie in so the feathers are curving back over the hook end. I also go at least 1 to 2 sizes larger than you would use on a dry.
good luck
Ronbo

 

[Burtbords149]

I tie in my soft hackles by the tip. This makes them curve towards the bend of the hook. When wrapping, push back the fibers from each wrap and put the next wrap directly in front of it. For a good soft hackle you don't need too many wraps either. Two or three partridge wraps if all you need. Good tying.

 

[AKSkim]

make sure you are useing hackle that is suitable for soft hackles. Good soft hackle feathers are partridge, hen pheasant,starling or other hen feathers. Ronbo

Ronbo, very good advice.

Hold the feather with the dull side down and strip the left side of the stem. Leave a small section on the stem at tip of feather on the left side.

When you tie it in, make your first wrap where the remaining barbs are on the left side, lightly pull the feather to the rear of the hook to capture barbs on both side of the stem.

Tie in and clip the excess of the tip of the feather.

When you wrap the feather around the hook, stroke the feathers to the rear.

With soft hackle, you only need 2, maybe 3 wraps before you tie off and clip.

You want to have the hackle sparse. You are looking for those feathers to give good action to the fly in the water. The more wraps, the more hackle, and the less movement.

 

[AKSkim]

Burt,

Got caught up in watching Rangers in 60 and took me about 20 minutes to get mine written and posted.

At least we are both on the same page!

AK Skim

 

[afishinado]

Here is a good tutorial on tying wet fly hackle. One problem I find is there is a limited amount of suitable feathers on a partridge skin, and often the most of the the feathers are too long to be useful, especially for smaller flies. The tying method shown on the link keeps the hackle sparse, as it shoud be, distributes just the right amount of hackle around the hook shank, and allows you to use a longer feather and adjust the length. Give it a try.

Charlie's FlyBox - Colorado's Best FlyShop and online Fly Tying Tutorials

 

[JeffK]

The key is in how you wind the hackle. Normally the hackle is wound with the feather perpendicular to the hook (vertical) and as you wind it flares outward.

For folded hackle you want the hackle to sweep backwards. You do that by winding the feather parallel to the hook shank. It is horizontal. One side of the feather is pointing back like it should, but the other side is facing straight ahead. That is where the folding comes in. The forward facing barbs are folded under the stem as you wind so that they face backwards. Folding before winding doesn't work well - you have to do it while you wind.

You can get a similar effect by winding a few thread wraps to force the hackle down when you make the head. However, the hackle behaves better if it is tied so it lies right naturally.

Tip or butt? It is easier to tie a feather in by the tip. Pull the part you want to use back. Snip the tip off leaving a little triangle. That way you wouldn't have to trim after you tie the feather in and it makes a neater head. Tie in with the butt facing back and the feather curved downward. Some feathers have weak tips that forever break - like starling. These are better tied in by the butt. Strip the fluff off and tie the feather by the butt facing forward over the eye with the feather curved upward as the first step. Then tie the rest of the fly and then wrap the feather. Small starling soft hackles are really, really effective and you need to tie them in by the butt.

 

[Matt Grobert]

Tim,

Lots of good tips here, etc. If you want to see it done and can make it, the International Fly Tying Symposium is this Sat and Sun in Somerset, NJ. Plenty of guys there can show you how to do it using different techniques and styles, so you can find the one that works best for you.

The info on the show is on the NEFF Home page under Upcoming Events.

Matt ><)))))'>

 

[baccala]

Thanks guys. Same technique for the collar or throat for say a Zug Bug or Lead wing coachman?

 

[JeffK]

A throat may be tied beard style. Snip the tip of a soft feather and then strip the fluff and a few barbs from the butt leaving a "vee" shape with just enough barbs for the throat. Push the vee across the shank near the eye leaving the beard a touch long and tie it with 2 or 3 loose wraps. Pull the stem carefully back until the beard is the right length and then wrap tight and trim. Traditionally the beard is tied under the hook shank, but for some nymphs let the two bunchs of barbs go out to the sides. The thorax will push them out. Another way to do nymph legs fairly quickly.

 

[baccala]

Thanks JeffK that is that way I learned to tie back in Jr High 30 + years ago. But lately some of the books I see have a collar like hackle, on the Zug Bug for instance. I have just recently returned to tying.

 

[JeffK]

There are many, many ways to put hackle on a fly. Do what works and is comfortable.

 

[Green Highlander]

The way I was initially taught was to tie the hackle in by the tip, dull side towards the fly, wet my fingers and stroke the barbules while holding the end of the stem. While stroking you pinch the barbules near the stem until the feather is in a V shape and then you wind it as a collar.

Then I ran into Warren Duncan while on a salmon fishing trip who showed me a much easier way which is now my technique of choice. Tie the hackle in by the tip, hold the stem and take a curved pair of scissor and run it along the stem on both sides and you can get the hackle to fold in about 5 seconds.

GH

 

[baccala]

Thank you Green,
I am certainly struggling with something I think should be easy, but I must pick your brain a bit more if you don't mind. Do I run the scissors down the the dull side then the shiny side or each side where the barbels stick out?

 

[flytire]

you can also fold hackles by using a block of hard rubber.

in the block cut a slit with a sharp blade. insert the hackle and the barbs will fold perpendicular to the hackle stem

 

[fishn50]

I use that rubber block idea to fold over CDC & then put it in a clip. It will definitely work on Hackles.
I like the method on the site Afishinado mentioned
Charlie's FlyBox -" Colorado's Best FlyShop and online Fly Tying Tutorials"
You can tie sparse with longer hackle so you can use the leftover larger feathers on the neck.........