Hackle – fabricate a hackle

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From time to time you will want to tie a small fly but all the hackles and the recipe will say something like “Select a hackle that has barbules that are around the length of the shank of the hook. ” and you don’t have any hackles as small as that.

So you have two choices:

  • Use a hackle that is too big for the fly.

    • or

  • Create your own hackle.

    • and that is what I have done here,

The last time I came across this problem was when tying a TBH orange and partridge spider.

Process

 

A

Creating the soft hackle wing / legs.

  1. Select a hackle that has barbules that are around the length of the shank of the hook. Opps! “the smallest hackle I have is far to big for this fly … I’ll have to make a hackle”.

    2. [member Link=”p=3037″ Title=”Wet fly hackle”]

 make-hackle-a

 

B
  1. You can start with a complete hackle but what I have here is the butt sections that I trimmed off hackles when tying bigger flies.
 make-hackle-b

 

C
  1. Trim off a section from the feather or the scrap that has the number of barbules on one side that you want for your fly.
 make-hackle-c

 

D
  1. Create a dubbing loop at the position where you want to tie the hackle in.
 make-hackle-d

 

E
  1. Place the prepared section of hackle in the dubbing loop with the tips projecting out one side a distance equal to the length of hackle barbules you require and with the quill and the rest of the hackle on the other side of the dubbing loop.
 make-hackle-e

 

F
  1. Using sharp scissors cut the quill side off leaving the hackle tip inside the dubbing loop.

make-hackle-f

 

G
  1. Twist the dubbing loop until the tips are all locked in forming a thread and hackle rope.
 make-hackle-g

 

H
  1. Take as many turns of the thread and hackle rope behind the bead untill you have the desired amount of hackle in position.
  2. Before trimming the excess thread and hackle rope away stroke all of the wing / leg hackle material back and build up a thin collar between the hackle and the bead taking care not to force the hackle backwards.
 make-hackle-h

 

I
  1. Using a sharp blade remove the remaining thread and hackle rope.
  2. Varnish the collar and the bead taking care not to get any varnish in the eye of the hook or on the hackle.
  3. If you don’t varnish unpainted beads you will find they will tarnish very quickly.
 make-hackle-i