I hate my fat fingers!!!!!!!!!!

[smallieman]

Ok I need help. I need to us Partridge Hen hackle palmered the full length of the body. I cant figure out how to do this the hackle is so freaking small and I keep on breaking it. I have a hackle clamp and still nothing gots to be an easier way.

 

[Guest1]

Are you tying it in at the tip? Also, if the stem is brittle, you can soak it in warm water before you tie it in. It makes the stem more flexible.

 

[Jimmie]

It's probably not your fingers Smallie. Partridge seems to break easier than most. What's the fly?

 

[smallieman]

 

[Jimmie]

That's a beauty.

 

[futuramille]

One technique I use for soft stems is to first pull the feather barbs back toward the stem root. Tye the root tip onto the hook and then attach the hackle pliers to both the feather tip and the thread. Spin the stem and the thread together and then use the thread to wrap the feather onto the hook shank. the thread allows for the needed pressure and also adds strength overall.

You can also put the feather into a thread loop and spin it up that way...like a dubbing loop proceedure.

 

[smallieman]

what I dont understand is says to palmer the partridge feathers the length of the whole body but the feathers wont cover it with just one. Looks like I need like 3 or 4 feathers do I just tie them in and off as i need them?

 

[futuramille]

Yes, multiple steps/feathers, you can also use more than one feather at a time to get a more dense fly. As you palmer up the hook towards the hook eye, just keep tying off and on more feathers until you get the coverage needed.

Also, more than one feather at a time may provide the extra stregth you need without needing the thread though having the thread in there as well will help in making the fly last longer.