Wings. Selecting, preparing and tying in.

[scotfly]

This is a step by step I did on fly forums. Since not everyone visits there I thought I'd put it on here as well. Big thanks must go to Hans Weilenmann  http://www.danica.com/flytier/ who gave me a lot of help with this one.


Here, I hope, you will learn how to select your wing and how to tie it in using the “pinch and loop”
Instructions assume right handed tyers. Please read this tutorial thoroughly before you begin. This tutorial is in three parts. The first part deals with the selection and preparation of the wings, the second part deals with the mechanics of the “pinch and loop” and the third part deals with the proportions

Feather choice is very important. On some birds the wings have a very thick part to them which is of no use as a winging material.

These pictures show a feather with this thick part and one beside it which doesn’t. The difference is obvious.
As you can see, the one on the left in the first picture and the bottom one in the second picture are much thicker than the other feather shown.





The thick part is always next to the quill. An easy way to decide if a feather is suitable is to simply squeeze the feather between the finger and thumb as shown. If there is any “give” or “sponginess” then reject it for winging.
On larger feathers such as Swan or Goose, because the thick part does not extend all the way through the feather you may still be able to use part of the feather for winging.



Now onto the preparation

PREPARATION

First thing you will need is a pair of wings, in this case Jay wings.  I’ve pulled the two feathers, one from each wing, I will be using to the side.



This is one of the selected wing feathers with all the rubbish pulled off. You can see the piece I will using. As a general rule the piece you select should be roughly equal to the gape of the hook.  You have the choice of either pulling the section you need off or cutting it off. You can try both ways to see which you prefer, but don’t choose one way as the only way. As you progress you will find advantages in both ways, but an advantage for one type of fly may be a disadvantage for another.




Do the same with the other feather then place the two pieces together, back to back.



We’re now going to mount the wing using the “pinch and loop.” The picture below shows what  we are trying to do. As you can see the wing is sat on top of the hook shank with the thread circled all the way round it. Two things to note here. The needle is only placed in the dubbing loop for the purpose of this demonstration and I have moved my thumb to let you see what is happening between the thumb and finger, rather like a cut away drawing you often see in books. When tying wings in you do not remove your fingers until the wing is secure.



To achieve this, after judging the length, grip the wing on top of the shank between the finger and thumb of the left hand, this is the “Pinch.” Grip as tightly as you can. With the grip you are supporting the wing in four places, in front of and behind the tie in point and on the near side and far side of the tie in point.




Now take the thread up between your thumb and the hook/wing. To place the thread between the finger and thumb you will need to squeeze the lower part of your thumb and index finger together which will open the tips a little so that the thread can get in, but the wing is still supported. You are going to position the thread at the tie in point. I know of no way of describing how to place the thread other than practice.



Then take it back down the far side between your finger and the far side of the hook/wing. Again squeeze the lower part of your thumb and index finger together to allow the thread in, but do not loosen the grip. You will not normally have a loop like the one shown, I have exaggerated the length for the purpose of this tutorial.



You now have the “Loop” part of the “pinch and loop” which if you could take your thumb away would look like the picture already shown above. Remember the dubbing needle is only there for the purpose of this demonstration. When you are doing a “pinch and loop” the only tools you will be using are your fingers.



Next take the thread back up between your thumb and the near side of the hook/wing.



Then pull straight up. What you are doing here is collapsing each individual fibre directly on top of the next one from top to bottom. When you pull tight you will see the butts of the wing kick up.



Without letting go of your grip repeat with a second “pinch and loop.” Then release your grip.



Finally, take another couple of turns of thread to secure the wing and trim the butts to waste.



Always check your wing is parallel with the hook shank. If the wing is cocked or has rolled to one side the fly will not swim properly.



I have used a long shank hook for the purpose of this demonstration for the simple reason that it gave me a larger canvas (so to speak) to work on. This doesn’t show proportion…….

PROPORTION

As stated above, as a general rule the wing width should roughly equal the gape of the hook. The gape is the gap between the hook point and the shank.
The length of the wing, again as a general rule, should roughly equal the length of the fly. Some patterns may require a shorter or longer wing, or you may with experience adjust the length slightly for aesthetic reasons. The pictures below demonstrate the “normal” proportions you will be aiming for and how to achieve them.

Firstly hold the wing in the right hand and judge for length.



Then, without letting go or moving the wings transfer the grip to your left hand.



Then perform the “pinch and loop” as described above, which should leave you with a fly with similar proportions to the one below.





This is a technique you will need to practice, practice, practice.
Some important pointers for you….
The first “pinch and loop” should be placed at the tie in point and subsequent “pinch and loops” and thread wraps should work towards the eye. Never wrap to the left of the initial tie in point! (Again, assuming right handed tyer)  You will only ruin the wing. If you get it wrong, better to unwrap and try again.
Make sure you have a good, even base where you are going to tie the wing in. If the foundation for the wing is poor the wing will be poor.
The base and also different materials tied in before may  also contribute to the overall appearance of the wing, Keep a note of  how things are affecting the wing and with experience you will learn how to control how the wing will look after tying in.
The normal, I won’t say correct, way to tie your wing in is with the straight edge on top. If you prefer it with the curved edge on top, then tie it in that way.
Don’t forget …… This is a technique you will need to practice, practice, practice.

[Wildfisher]

Excellent stuff Dennis. Winging  is the weakest part of my own tying technique

[rabbitangler]

Saw a nice idea in a FF&FT a few years ago where the writer had hooks whipped onto sticks to use as gauges for slip width. You lay the shank on the outside edge of the feathers and the point splits the fibres at the correct width. Draw the hook through lip and you get a slip of the correct width, draw it through the other and you get a matched pair!!

[Clan Ford]

Brilliant stuff - just need to see if it works! 

Norm

[rabbitangler]

To be honest, I can't remember the last time I tied a paired wing fly to fish with, for competitions or showing someone how to do it yes, but to fish with no. I usually fish spiders/palmers if I need a wing I usually take a broad slip & foldit over then slide the two halfs until their tips match. Quick & easy and the trout don't read tying books do they???

[scotfly]

Thank you for your comments Fred and Norm.

Saw a nice idea in a FF&FT a few years ago where the writer had hooks whipped onto sticks to use as gauges for slip width. You lay the shank on the outside edge of the feathers and the point splits the fibres at the correct width. Draw the hook through lip and you get a slip of the correct width, draw it through the other and you get a matched pair!!

Good idea, though with experience I think unnecessary.

To be honest, I can't remember the last time I tied a paired wing fly to fish with, for competitions or showing someone how to do it yes, but to fish with no. I usually fish spiders/palmers if I need a wing I usually take a broad slip & foldit over then slide the two halfs until their tips match. Quick & easy and the trout don't read tying books do they???

Philistine!!  :lol: Seriously, It is a method I have used if I haven't got a suitable pair of wings. It's not a method I like or advocate though.

Thank you for your comments though, it's good for beginners (and the experienced) to hear others opinions and methods