Tying wet fly throats

[gt05254]

Here's the method I use for tying in throats on my atlantic salmon wet flies:
First, take one or two hen cape hackles, clean off the fuzz, and snip to create a v-shaped feather:


tie in under the hook, concave side facing down:



Grasp the stem and pull thru the loose loops until you have the length you're looking for:



cut off stem, tie in, and move on to the next step:


For me, this is far easier than wrapping a hackle, then pulling it down and binding it in and trimming the top. Plus, you get a smaller head this way.

There is a long and pic-heavy SBS on my blog on how I tie my Celtic Beauty, with the above steps included.
Gary

[busbus]

Wow! I like it. I fight this all the time and jab the hook into my fingers as I turn the hook upside down and try to place the hackle on. I need to remember this!!

[mcnerney]

Gary: Very nice tip, thanks for sharing!

[jaybo41]

That's a wonderful technique and SBS gary! Thanks for putting that together. I've often wondered how to put a throat on a fly like that. Very similar to Kelly's leg technique. Very good stuff!

[gt05254]

Gentlemen, thank you for the good words. And very glad you found it helpful.
Gary