Al & Gretchen Beatty

Beatty Tips for the Buszek Library

Tip #1

At first, the idea of adding “tying information” to the Buszek Library after a fly tier like Wayne Luallen has added his plethora of knowledge seemed most daunting. His text and videos covering a wide range are absolute “gold” for any fly tier looking for spot-on fly-tying information. If you are a fly tier of any skill level, a quick review of Wayne’s section of the Library will be time well spent. We suggest all of you visit the Library to read, learn, absorb, and/or review as there is something for everyone.

On the other hand, if you are looking for specific information on improving your “score” if entering a fly-tying competition or working your way through the Fly Fisher’s International (FFI) Fly Tying Awards Program (Bronze, Silver, & Gold) read on. We may very well have information you find valuable.

We both have been evaluators for the FFI Fly Tying Awards Program since the first day when Frank Johnson (program originator) evaluated our offerings for the three levels. We were the first to receive the Federation of Fly Fishers (now named FFI) Gold Award with Johnson acting as our evaluator. NOTE: To get the program started, the British Fly Dresser’s Guild had evaluated his flies. As we passed the Bronze, Silver, and Gold parts in the program, we accepted the job of Evaluator for that level. Together, we have evaluated several hundred other tiers, many who have gone on to become Evaluators themselves. Today, we have stepped back from evaluating other tier’s patterns and now function as Reviewers for those fly tiers “going for the Gold!”

After evaluating several thousand flies for the FFI Fly Tying Awards Program and other fly-tying competitions, we can say without a doubt one of several items causes more lost points than any of the other problem areas combined. It is what we call “waste management” and no we are not talking about the large trucks that visit your street or road every week emptying your refuse bins. We are talking about the materials (waste) remaining after the fly’s completion.

“Waste management” can be a problem in any part of a pattern’s construction but it is more evident in the fly’s head than anywhere else. Why? We think it’s because the head is the last part of the fly to prepare. There is no place remaining to hide or camouflage the leftover (waste) material. All too often it ends up in the head buried under “too many” thread wraps OR left exposed to really mess up an otherwise great-looking pattern.

If you’ve faced the dilemma (most of us have), we use several ways to help manage that waste. We’ll start with one of the best we’ve found to date. We call it the Tie Wrap System and the text/videos that follow will explain the process in detail.

Tie Wrap System

We’ve used the Tie Wrap System (TWS) in one form or another for years and just didn’t think about it being anything other tiers would find interesting. Simply stated it performs two functions, it anchors the material while hiding its waste. Below are instructions and a video links to explain the process.

TW-1: The first step is optional, but many tiers find it helpful in completing the process. We like to add weight to our bobbin by adding a lead sinker to the hole in our spool of thread. We purchase drop-weight sinks at our local outdoor store (Cabelas/Bass Pro, Sportsman Warehouse, or Scheels). They are used by some spin fishers to present their “offering” to the fish on or near the bottom of the water column. Watch the video below (https://vimeo.com/1005537987?share=copy). You may find the next step much easier with the weight in place but using it is up to you.

TW-2: The Tie Wrap System is not the answer for ALL “trash in the head” problems but it helps in almost any situation involving a hackle wrapped around the hook shank that culminates in anchoring and trimming that feather. In other words, it’s not perfect but it helps about 80 percent of the time. Simply stated a fly tier executes the TWS by wrapping the feather around the thread and then wrapping that thread around the hook to finish anchoring it in place. We repeat: When using the TWS, the feather is wrapped AROUND the thread; the thread is NOT WRAPPED AROUND the feather prior to wrapping them on the hook. The result is a hackle application with the waste end hidden in the already-wrapped feather barbs rather than under a thread head. NOTE: When wrapping the hackle around the thread (twice) be sure to gently slip the strand between the feather barbs until it reaches the feather’s shaft (rachis). Do so gently to avoid misaligning any hackle barbs.

Many of you will immediately ask, “What direction do we wrap the MATERIAL around the thread? Clockwise? Counterclockwise?” The answer is simple and complex, “Wrap the feather AROUND the THREAD so it ends up BETWEEN the TIER and the THREAD with the waste end POINTING toward the hiding place/wrapped hackle (to the left assuming a right-hand tier). REMEMBER: Feather goes in front of the thread while pointing at its eventual hiding place. Then wrap the thread-captured feather around the hook to finish anchoring in place with the waste buried in the previously wrapped hackle. If this still sounds confusing, click watch the video below (https://vimeo.com/1005540418?share=copy) to review a short video on the anchoring and tie-off process.

TW-3: In TW-2, the hackle is wrapped forward, and then tied off. But what happens when the hackle is reversed wrapped from the front of the hook toward the back? In this situation the wrapped hackle is to the right of the waste end, therefore, it must be wrapped around the thread in the opposite direction of the hackle in TW-2. The rule still applies: REMEMBER: Feather goes in front of the thread while pointing at its eventual hiding place. If our written words leave you confused, watch the video below. (https://vimeo.com/1005542995?share=copy) link to review a short video on the process.

TW-4: How does the TWS work for wrapped peacock or ostrich? The process works the same as it does for a wrapped hackle. Watch the video below (https://vimeo.com/1005544771?share=copy) detailing how it can be used for a peacock application on a fly like a Royal Coachman where we have two applications of wrapped herl separated by a section of body material like floss or thread.

TW-5: If some of your parachute flies end up with the hook eye clogged by the waste from the wrapped hackle, then tying the feather off at the post rather than at the hook eye is a viable alternative. If tying off the wrapped hackle at the base of the parachute post might be an option for you, then watch the video below (https://vimeo.com/1005572094?share=copy) to review a video detailing that process. If you select this option for your parachute flies, you have two choices for tying off the thread. You could whip-finish around the parachute post or at the hook eye. We demonstrate both so you can select what works best for you.

Bending the Rachis (BR)

The Tie Wrap is not the only way we anchor hackle feathers. We also use a system where we bind the feather to the hook with two turns of thread. Then, instead of cutting the feather off and trying to hide the waste end under several turns of thread we bend the rachis back at a 45-degree angle. The repositioning of the rachis allows us to wrap several turns of thread that jam against and up over the bent shaft forcing it back into the newly wrapped hackle. Then we can trim the waste rachis by breaking it with our scissor blades, knowing it will be well hidden in the hackle application. We often refer to this process with the slang term “Dog Legging the Hackle (DLH).”

BR-1: Wrap a hackle application and tie off per normal with two turns of thread over the feather’s shaft (rachis). This stops the feather from unwrapping. Next, we pull the waste part of the feather (rachis & barbs) back at a 45-degree angle and place several jam-type thread wraps over the bent feather. Doing so creates a neat appearing head with no unwanted bumps under the thread wraps. Finally, apply a whip-finish, trim the thread, and break the rachis off rather than trying to cut it. Watch the video below (https://vimeo.com/1005574529?share=copy) link should you want to better understand the process.

BR-2: Why “break” the rachis rather than “cutting it” as mentioned in BR-1? Breaking the rachis (shaft) leaves the adjacent hackle barbs intact where they can help camouflage the waste end. When you cut off both the shaft and the barbs, you must then hide the large blunt end. In some cases, this is a good option and in others it is not. Take a minute to review this Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/1005576206?share=copy) video on our channel to observe the difference and choose where/when you would use one or the other.

Bending the Barbs (BB)

Bending the Barbs process is almost identical to the Bending the Rachis method with one small difference. When using the BB process, you break the rachis before wrapping back over the waste end. Why? Because, you can sweep the remaining hackle barbs back and anchor them as needed, swept back or straight across depending on the situation, while camouflaging less waste.

BB-1: When Bending the Barbs, we have found temporarily placing three thread turns at our “tie down” point works better for us. Then when breaking the rachis, we are less likely to accidentally pull it out from under the thread wraps when breaking it off against the scissor blade. Now, before wrapping back over the broken rachis end, unwrap one turn of thread, sweep back the adjacent hackle barbs, and wrap over the end of the shaft while bending back the remaining barbs. If this sounds confusing, watch the video below (https://vimeo.com/1005577854?share=copy) will provide clarity.

Closing Comments

These are just a few of the techniques we use to produce better looking flies. They are not the only options available to you, the fly tier. You are the person wrapping the thread and materials. It’s your job to make them do what you want them to do, not the other way around. Have fun!!!

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