Fascinating Facts about Fly Tying Feathers
by Thomas Whiting, Ph.D.
Fly tiers are some of the most knowledgeable people in regards to feathers because of their extensive and innovative use of them in the pursuit of the flies they tie. But there are many fascinating facts about feathers that are not known by even the most experienced fly tier. Therefore, the purpose of my presentation is to try and provide an interesting and informative glimpse into the world of feathers to enhance the fly tiers appreciation and use
of them.
First of all, what are feathers? I'm sure everyone thinks they know. But are you aware that feathers are actually just elongated, highly specialized scales? Birds evolved from reptiles some 60 million years ago, and in that time the humble scales of the lizard-like ancestor of the bird (archaeopteryx) have been transformed into the staggering diversity and beauty that we now know as the plumage of modern birds.
Second of all, feathers do not grow over the entire surface of the bird. I'm not referring, as an example, to the naked head of a turkey. Rather, feathers grow in discrete groupings known as feather tracts, or pterylae. And there are strips of unfeathered skin between these tracts, known as apterylae, which typically are covered over and obscured by the neighboring tract feathers. This concept of feather tracts is important to the fly tier in that distinctly different feathers often come from different tracts. As an example, dry fly hackle comes mostly from the capital or head tract and dorsal carvical tract, and sometimes from the dorsopelvic or back/saddle tract. True spade hackle, as in classic Coq de Leon feathers, are from the humeral tract, which is a relatively small patch of feathers situated over the first and largest wing bone, the humerus.
What we at Whiting Farms call our "Soft hackle with chickabou pelt" actually encompasses most of the feathers from the underneath side of the rooster called the pectoral, sternal and medial abdominal tracts. The various forms and functions of the different feathers from within these tracts have been experimented with by fly tiers and incorporated into a myriad of tying applications.
Feathers, to the bird, are for more than just insulation or flight -
Some of the major functions of feathers are:
1. Temperature regulation—tight to the body for heat dissipation, or fluffed out for insulation.
2. Protection of the skin—from abrasions and insults by their environment, and shade from UV light damage by the sun.
3. Flight—the primary wing feathers provide propulsion, the secondary wing feathers generation lift.
4. Aerodynamic contour—to streamline the body form to aid smooth passage through the air.
5. Camouflage—especially important in ground nesting species.
6. Sexual selection—particularly evident in males attracting females to mate with. Can be a survival disadvantage (i.e., the huge peacock train); the reproductive imperative over survival.
Minor feathers and their functions include:
7. Preen gland wick feathers—i.e. cul de canard.
8. Powder feathers—which intentionally disintegrate to provide feather to feather lubrication, electrostatic reduction and water proofing.
9. Ear openings cover feathers—rigid, grill-like feathers which let sound in yet keep debris out.
10. Rictal bristles—whisker-like tactile feathers surrounding the beak; i.e. nighthawks and other on-the-wing insect catchers.
11. Narial bristles—protect the opening to the nostrils.
12. Whisper feathers—serrated leading edge of primary flight feathers on owls which modifies air turbulence for silent flight.
Feathers have highly specific growth patterns, both on an
individual feather basis and over the life time of the bird.
First, feathers do not grow as hair does, which is characterized by a continuous extrusion of a relatively constant hair form. Feathers are also extruded by a follicle in the skin but are fundamentally much more complex in form than hair, having a distinct tip, middle and base, often with radical differences between each part. Unlike hair, feather formation continues only until completion, then ceases, until the feather is lost or molted and an entirely new feather is generated. Another important and little appreciated fact is that each indiviual feather follicle has the potential to grow several radically different types of feathers. It starts with the baby chick's natal down, followed by juvenile plumage, then the first basic plumage which is succeeded by the second basic or alternate plumage often called the "nuptial plumage". Dry fly hackle feathers are the male form of the latter plumage type. Although there are many species specific variations to these 4 basic plumage types, this is generally the format and demonstrates the multi-potential abilities of the humble feather follicle. Feathers represent an awesome evolutionary accomplishment when compared to the modest reptilian scale of their origin.
Tips and Tricks of Fly Tying
Splitting the Tail
The method I use to split a dry fly tail is called the "Scrap Thread" technique. It goes like this: Tie on your tail and wing material. Before you dub the body take a six inch scrap of thread pass it under the hook, grab the two ends and pull straight back on them. The scrap thread ends up under the tail with the fly tier holding the ends to the rear of the hook. Now just pull the scrap thread "up & over" dividing the tail in half. Bind the scrap thread to the fly's body, dub the body, and tie off. The amount of tention you put on the scrap thread as you tie it off determines how wide the tail is split.
Parachute Hackle
I've discovered a solution to a problem with parachute hackles. If you ever had trouble getting your tippet material through the eye of a small parachute fly because a stray hackle fiber was blocking the opening, then this tip is for you. Clean an extra long piece of hackle stem of it's fibers and tie it on the hook shank directly in front of the wing. NOTE: the wing should have already had a thread "parachute" base wrapped on it. Bind the bare stem to this base so the hackle is positioned at the top of the post/base. Dub your body first behind and then in front of the post making sure the thread ends up hanging directly BEHIND the post, not at the eye of the hook as usually is done. Wrap 4-5 turns of hackle starting at the top of the post and ending up at the body. Hold the left over hackle at an angle down from the body. Pick up the bobbin and wrap three turns of thread around the POST, then pull the thread forward to the eye (not a fragile hackle stem), and tie it off using a half hitch tool. Place single or double hitches/whips coming from under the hackle, trim the thread and go fishing.
Down the Hill
Down the Hill-again, when tying a trude style fly you can avoid the hackle feather slipping as you wrap forward over the drop off point where you trimmed the excess material from the wings. All you have to do is leave your bobbin/thread hanging at the start of the drop off point. As you wrap the hackle forward the weight of the bobbin against the thread "holds" the hackle back and keeps it from slipping. Each turn of hackle forward brings the tying thread along with it so you can easily tie off the fly after wrapping the hackle.
Up the Hill
Up the Hill-is the technique for tying nice looking trude flies without the hackle slipping as you wrap over the point where you trimmed the material for the trude wing—that location is kind of a drop off point where the feather will slip as you wrap the hackle forward. If you tie your hackle on the hook just behind the hook eye and wrap the hackle from front to back you will not experience the feather slipping problem. Just be sure to wind the thread back before wrapping the hackle—that way you can tie off the hackle and then wind the thread forward through the hackle and tie it off at the hook eye. This technique is also good for using feathers that have longer fibers near the base than they do near the tip. Check the tip for another way of dealing with this problem.
Reverse Fly Tying
Reverse tying is a method of tying your fly bodies that is much faster and also improves the durability as well. Basically all you do with this technique is tie your body material on the hook at the front and wrap it toward the back of the hook. Then you tie the material off at the back of the hook and rib forward with the tying thread. When tying woolly buggers as an example: tie the chenille and hackle on the hook at the front; wrap the chenille back and secure; and then palmer the hackle back and secure it well. Last rib forward with the tying thread and finish off the fly. If you are dubbing a body you can also use the tying thread for the rib—on a green drake you can tie the fly with yellow tying thread, dub from the just behind the wings to the start of the tail, and last wrap back with the yellow tying thread forming the rib.
Making Peacock Chenille
With just a little time and effort the fly tier can really improve the durability of a peacock body on a fly. Start by tying several peacock herls on the hook by the tips. Pull the herl in the line with the tying thread and secure the herl and thread together with a hackle pliers or an electronics test clip. Bring the tying thread back to the hook and take several wraps to secure it and the peacock in a dubbing loop. NOTE: it's a good idea to make the second side of the dubbing loop a little bit shorter than the first. Spin the hackle pliers or the electronics test clip and watch as the peacock chenille is formed starting first near the hook and then advancing toward the pliers/clip as you place more twists in the thread/peacock herl. You will find your peacock fly bodies much more durable using this technique. The same technique works well with other types of fragile feathers.
Selecting Fly Tying Hair
Selecting hair is a matter of deciding what you are going to do with the hair. You have two basic operations with deer or elk hair—wings or tails and spinning. The best hair for wings and tails on flies like humpies, Wulffs, compara duns, etc is located (a strip about a foot wide) on the animal along the back bone, down over the shoulder, and down over the rump. The best hair for flaring or spinning is located on the rib and belly of the animal. Seldom do we get the opportunity to select hair from a complete hide. Usually we are searching through a group of 3"x5" plastic bags in a fly shop hoping we will get usable hair and later finding the hair does not fill our needs. Here's what you look for when selecting hair that is already packaged. The hair fibers located near the back bone of the animal has a dark grey band in the middle of each—the hair fiber is colored starting with a dark point on the tip followed by a tan (deer) or cream (elk) section directly below the dark tip. From there the hair fiber enters a dark gray area which eventually fades to a light gray area where the hair fiber joins the animal's hide. For wings and tail you need hair that is at least 50% dark grey in the middle if the hair. On the other hand if you are spinning hair you want hair fibers whose middle section is mostly light grey in color. REMEMBER—dark gray hair, wings & tails—light gray hair, spinning or flaring. This method is about 90% accurate; there are always exceptions to any guideline.
Folding Hackle
Folding Hackle is really simple if you use the Joe Ayres foam block method. Start by getting a block of foam (the kind you find wrapped around computer equipment to protect it in shipping) about3"x3"x10" long. Cut 1/2" deep slots in the foam—you should be able to get about a dozen slots in a 10" piece of foam. To fold the hackle all you have to do is insert the feather's stem in the slot and the hackle is folded. I like to fold a dozen at a time and then tie flies.
New Life for Feathers & Flies
Steam brings mangled flies and materials back to life. Often ruffled flies can be returned to like new condition by holding them over the spout of a steaming tea kettle. Damaged quills can often be reconstituted to near new condition or at least much better condition. Peacock herl comes to life under the jet of steam. It's amazing to watch the herl unfold, give it a try!
Doubled Soft Hackle Technique
by Baard Fredrik Linge/ Photo: Edvard Bergene
There are many techniques of tying the soft hackle. During years of fly tying, I have been stuck to one method that is a bit circumstantial but gives a neat result. This is a well-known technique that is used for several years, and is written about in the classic fly tying literature. It can be used on all kinds of body hackle, and is recommended when tying the front hackle. Below you will find the technique described point by point:
-The barb length of the hackle is dependent of what fly you should tie. You can use this technique on salmon flies, spey flies, streamers, steelhead flies, zonkers, and nymphs among other flies. It only requires a soft hackle.
-In this case I have chosen to use a genetic fine-stemmed saddle feather with soft barbs. See picture 1. On the roosters' back, you will find the saddle feathers below the ordinary hackle.
Picture 1
-The first thing I will do, is to strip the barbs from the base of the feather. Strip the barb from the longest barbs You want to use. I will recommend you to let some of the fluffy part stay on the base of the stem.
This will make it easier to hold the feather when tying it on the hook shank. See picture 2. The feathers should be tied in with the tip to the hook shank, so cut some of the topmost barbs on both sides of the stem as shown on the same picture. This will avoid the feathers to slide so easy in the tying point when pulling it. Sometimes it is difficult to grasp the feather tip or base with the thumb and the index finger in this stage. Then the hackle plier will do the job.
Picture 2
-Hold the tip of the feather with the thumb and index finger and with the same fingers on the other hand, stroke back the barb gently towards the base of the stem. Then you will see that the barbs become perpendicular to the hackle stem.
-Now the hackle is ready for next move. All the barb on the upper side of the stem should be folded down forced to be parrallel to the lower barbs. See picture 3. Position the fingers as shown.The shiny side of the feathers should be pointing away from you. With the thumb begin sliding down the index finger, then the topmost barbs are folding down. In the same motion as folding the barbs down, pinch the folded barbs with the thumb and the index finger
Picture 3
while pulling up with the left hand. This will create a bend on the stem as shown on picture 4. This folding motion causes the barbs on top of the feather to be broken and creased against the right thumb, thus forcing them parallel with the lower barbs. Continue this process, progressing towards the base. Now the hackle is ready to be tied in.
Picture 4
-After these movements the result will look like the feather on picture 5.
Picture 5
-The hackle should be tied in with below the hook shank with the shiny side of the stem pointing down and the barbs pointing backwards against the hook bend. See picture 6.
Picture 6
This doubled feather ia a good basis for tying a body hackle or a front hackle.
Odd Tips While Tying in the Hackle:
Do not allow the feather to twist when tying the hackle in the shank.
When tying the front hackle, let the turns be tied tight in front of each other. Do not allow the next turn to cross the previous turn.
Finally I want to mention a useful tip I have experienced during my fly tying: I will recommend you to have clean and dry hands when tying flies. Dirt or sweat often causes discoloration of shades on the fly tying material.
Use talcum powder on your hands or have a towel to dry your hands with.
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