Detached deer hair bodies

[wee bri]

I don't usually tie flies during the fishing season but I'm paying back a couple of favours.
I'm still using some of the detached bodied deer hair daddies I tied 20 years ago and I can't remember having the finger trouble I'm having at the moment but that might be a sign of impending old age.
I promised some of my friends I would tie up a couple of dozen of them as they don't tie flies of their own.
The first stage of this fly is to tie the detached body part before even thinking of putting a hook in the vice.
I start off by getting a bunch of deer hair and after stripping out the crap at the cut ends I put it in a hair stacker to level the tips.
I then use some tying thread and form a double overhand knot and while the knot is still open I slip it round the fine tips and tighten.
I repeat this at around 1/8th of a inch steps along the length of the deer hair until I have a tied up body section about one inch long.
So far I have spent about 6 hours at this and I've averaged one body section per hour.
Does anyone have any tips on a simpler method.
My hands are beginning to hurt.

wee bri..........

[garryh]

hi Bri i once saw a technique where you put a needle in your vice then got your deer hair and arranged it so the needle was in the centre of the deer hair and then bind it tightly with your thread and whip finish .then repeat all the way up the needle.once the first wrap is done both hands are free to tie with .slip the whole body off the needle when complete.hope this helps its easier to do than to explain.

cheers Garry

[haresear]

I used the needle trick when I last tied them many years ago. It worked fine and they were really durable.

Alex