5 Tips for Fly Tying
Five bench habits from Christian Bacasa: the half-hitch tool, mixing your own dubbing, the wedge slice, and what to do when your thread breaks.
Half-Hitch
The whip finish is fantastic, but I’m always surprised how few people utilize the half-hitch. Half-hitch tools can be a lifesaver. Most of us crowd the head, and the half-hitch tool can save the day. Two wraps around the tool and slide it over the eye. This will often capture the overcrowding material and drive it back away from the eye while securing your fly before your final tie off. Add a whip or another half-hitch and glue it up. Half-hitching can also be implemented anywhere along the way when tying. Use one to secure materials from unraveling, or to secure your thread before using your vise’s rotary feature.
Mix to make the magic fly
Want a fly that looks like every other fly on the water? I like a fly that is slightly different than the other guy. Mix up your materials, become the mad scientist in his lab. Go extra or be subtle; it is your artistic preference. I, for example, love mixing in a touch of UV dubbing into my nymph patterns. Or mix and match wool for the head of a streamer. Come up with what you like then write down the ratio and create a little packet of your own so you can continue to tie that secret weapon throughout the season.
Wedge Slice
Scissors don’t just snip. Practice “wedge slicing” to avoid cutting the wrong thing in tight scenarios. For example, when you finish tying off a hackle, don’t snip the waste…wedge slice instead. Open your scissors and create that small v-wedge. Now the trick is to have what you are cutting under tension. Hold the hackle waste piece under tension and drive that wedge of the scissors over it. Don’t snip! Let the sharp blade of the scissors make the cut. This technique will prevent you from accidentally cutting the hackle barbs you actually want.
Hackle pliers for broken thread
Okay, you broke your thread. Now what? Don’t panic. Instead, take your hackle pliers and clip them to the broken thread on the hook shank. Doing so will maintain tension on the thread while you re-thread your bobbin. Now that you’re ready, start your tie again and lash down the old broken thread end. Clean up the former thread end with a ‘wedge slice.’
Try it with friends
Try tying with friends every once in a while. You’ll be surprised by what you learn from others and what you learn when teaching others. It’s fun too!
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