Iron Blue Dun Hook: Umpqua U203 #14 Thread: Danville Flymaster 6/0, scarlet Hackle: Partridge, grey Body hackle: Hen, grey Tail: Hen hackle barbs, grey Body: Muskrat Butt: Tying thread Video here - please view in HD, if able: Cheers, Hans W
Hans, I'm glad you showed that one... I've been thinking about tying a soft hackle with a collar through the thorax area and the pattern is exactly the inspiration I needed.
Very nice soft hackle and excellent video. Now I see how you achieved such a small head. Thanks for posting.
*chuckle* There are ninety-odd more videos - and most show small heads. You have a bit of catching up to do Cheers, Hans W
Hans, we'd rather you post the videos here one at a time... the advertisers like that (I still say a real bug has a head )
Hackling in reverse sure does present a nice head and reduce "bulkiness". How long has this technique been out there? signed, (only learned it in 2013 watching your videos)
That way of hackling, at least for wet flies, goes back many centuries. It has a number of advantages, and really no disadvantage I can list. I use the same technique for my hackled dries. That is much less common among the tiers I encounter (translation: I am pretty much alone on this, or at least I was until I started posting the videos ) Here is a short video to demonstrate it on a simple hackled dry: Cheers, Hans W
Wrapping hackles in reverse or counter ribbing has been used for centuries, many spey and dee flies are tied that way. Back when I tied a lot of them, I tied many that way. Tie the hackle in at the head, wrapped back to the rear and lock it down with the oval tinsel wrapped forward, works great. I've just not used the technique on small trout flies, I guess I'll have to rethink that.
Hans makes these ties look deceptively easy. After tying 3 of them I find a great deal of inspection goes into the selection of the partridge and hen feathers.
