Shortening hackle length

[Malcolm]

I was tying up a few flies tonight - traditional northern spiders - in very small sizes. The problem I was coming up against was that the flies I was tying demanded smaller hackles (partridge in todays case) than I have. Has anyone come up with a technique for tying in long hackles short? I don't want to just pinch out the tips because that loses the finest bits of the hackle?

malcolm 

[Malcolm]

Thanks,

The trouble is that partridge hackles suitable for a size 18s and 20s don't exist! so i've been manipulating short dressed hackles by tying in above and below the hook and then spreading them around while the tying thread is still loose. I've since had had the glimmer of an idea coming to me about using a dubbing twister except the fibres will be everywhere! I need another glimmer!

Malcolm

[Clan Ford]

Malcom,

Col's suggestion is how I try and tie my wee partridge hackled spiders - sort of works altough I never get the balance spot on, always seem to end up with clumps of hackle rather than evenly spaced   I have occasionally come accross some wee feathers that are about right but they are only good for a few flies before I'm on to the bigger stuff.

Norm

[Malcolm]

Col, CF

I've used Col's method but had the same problem of them not being quite right., still flies are for catching fish , right?

[scotfly]

Malcolm, the way Col has described (dabbler style) is the easiest and quickest way.
You can also do it with the split thread dubbing loop, a little more fiddly though.
I'll do a step by step on the method next weekend.

[.D.]

With partridge on 20s and smaller I'd go with the above i.e. two forward pointing bunches of "tails" on opposing sides of the shank. Tie them in as the first step in the fly. Preen them back as the last, but for whip-finishing.

Its well worth considering some of the "genetic" hen necks and saddles for small spiders. The Whiting Brahma saddles are quite "gamey"  - the tips of the feathers will give you a couple of suitably sized turns of hackle for an 18 quite easily. And they have far more robust stalks than partridge or grouse, say.

Grey Partidge wings also yield nice small speckled hackles, not quite the same as the body - but I note in the initial post you just use partridge as an example :wink:

Cheers,

.D.

[Malcolm]

I've figured out a really simple way to do it and it works, just tried it. No doubt it's an established technique but here it is.

Tie the hackle onto the tip of your dubbing needle and tie off.

Present the tip of your dubbing needle to the eye of the small fly which should have the tying thread on the bobbin up near the eye.

Smooth the hackle from the dubbing needle over the eye of the small hook and tie off at the desired length. The Dubbing needle is still attached at this point so cut away the excess fibre with a scalpel and bury the remaining protruding ends in a few turns of silk. The magnifying glass on my tying lamp came in useful here!

The trickiest bit is to hold the dubbing needle while manipulating the hackle but I'm sure it'll be easy with a bit of practice.

I'll look forward to the split thread technique Scotfly. I couldn't figure a way to get the hackle fibres to stick to the thread, I wondered if varnishing them in place would work?

Thanks for the reply .D I have used a grizzle hen Keough cape as a partridge substitute but it's not quite the same. Maybe the Whiting is softer?     

[.D.]

Whiting Brahma hen saddles:
http://www.lakelandflytying.com/239/Hen_Saddles.aspx

Soft, with some nice muted dyed colours too.

Stronger stalks than partridge or grouse back and neck hackles - so it's easier to access (and wind on!)the smaller barbs at the tip of each feather ( the feathers are fairly uniform in size with the bulk of the fibres on each stem more suited to larger flies 10-14). They're also a little less delicate in real fishing situations as well.

Definitely worth a punt :wink:


Cheers,

.D.