Whip finish - cheating

[chadk]

(for new tiers. I know many of you can whip finish in your sleep)

OK, so I have the tool, I've practiced doing it by hand a few times, etc. But I just never got in the habbit for the longest time. I just did a few half hitches and called it good.

Well, I found another way to do it that I've been doing for a few months and really like it.

You can use a short strip of thread or better yet, a needle threader. When you are ready, lay the threader or strip of thread formed into a small loop, over the wraps you are about to fishish. Do you final 3 or 5 wraps around this wire\thread loop, cut your thread from your bobbin, pass the tag end through the loop, pull the wire\thread loop back through the wraps. Done.

Anyone else do this?

[Hal Eckert]

Yes I used to do that, but stopped, now just do the half hitches manually, never bothered with buying a whip finishing tool, not had any flys fall apart due to the heads unwinding either that I recall.

:beer2:

BG

[g_smolt]

ChadK-
That technique is what you use to finish rod wraps...Works like a charm, don't it?

Try using dental tape...the flat stuff. Works awesome, less deformation of the head than a bobbin threader.

One last note- when you get the hang of the whip finisher, you will be amazed at how much time they save.

Mark

[Sloan Craven]

That's a great tip chad! I wish I knew that back when I was using half hitches and other things to try to finish my flies.
For me the whip finisher was a "Ahhhhh." moment in which I couldn't use it one minute then 5 minutes later it was no problem.. so don't give up on that either."

[flytire]

3 half hitches and I'm done.