Category: Tying Techniques

Fly Tying Techniques by Barry Ord Clarke

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The Feather Bender’s Tying Techniques giveaway

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If you are a subscriber to The Feather Bender, you may have noticed a new look to the site over the last few days. It’ been a long time coming, but its here now!  As a little celebration I will be drawing one lucky subscriber to win a signed copy of my latest book and a small box of flies tied by me. If you all ready subscribe, all you have to do is like this post and share it to one of the social media tags to the left. If you are not a subscriber, scroll down the column … Continue reading The Feather Bender’s Tying Techniques giveaway

Tying Techniques2 Comments

A little piece of fly tying history, safe and sound!

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I thought some of you would like to see this. Just the other weekend my wife was tidying her wardrobe, something that I try at all costs not to get involved with, but this time was a little different!  Stacked away in a drawer of an  old but not forgotten jewellery box, she came across a little piece of fly tying history. Way back in the mid 90’s Torill Kolbu visited and stayed with us a couple of days while we worked on some photography for some articles.  As a thank you to my wife Torill tied her a pair … Continue reading A little piece of fly tying history, safe and sound!

Step by Step, Streamers, Tying Techniques2 Comments

How to tie Magic Head Flat wing streamer

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Magic head flat-wing An extremely easy yet effective pattern for Bass and salt water sea trout. The modern flat-wing stile of salt water streamer was developed by the American fly tyer and artist Kenny Abrames. He recommends at these streamers are fished on the drift or with a extremely slow retrieve or a combination of both! When fished in this manner the flat-wing creates the illusion of volume with a rippling swimming movement even if they are so slightly dressed. Its important that have constant contact with your stripping hand and the fly line and let the current and wind … Continue reading How to tie Magic Head Flat wing streamer

Fly tying materials and fly tying tools, Tying Techniques2 Comments

Dry or Die

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Hackle traditionally arouses the greatest passion amongst fly tyers. Cock (rooster) capes of particularly good or rare colour and those with sufficiently short barb length to enable small dry flies to be tied have always been prized. In the 60s and 70s it was a common complaint that good dry fly capes where scarce – to the extent that many of the “traditional” natural colours were virtually unobtainable. Dyeing and other methods such as blending two hackles were used to replicate difficult colours specified in old patterns. Things have improved dramatically since then, due to the efforts of specialist breeders … Continue reading Dry or Die

Tying for Beginners, Tying Techniques12 Comments

Traditional dry fly – techniques

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Its often said “If you can tie a good dry fly, you can tie just about anything” this makes dry flies sound extremely difficult, they are not. There are many other patterns that look much simpler but are much more challenging for the tyer to master. The key to good dry flies: Quality materials Proportion Attention to detail Follow the step by step instructions Practice Follow these rules and you will be tying great dry flies in no time. Although you dont need perfect, great looking flies to catch fish, a well proportioned dry fly will float better and fish … Continue reading Traditional dry fly – techniques

Fly tying materials and fly tying tools, Tying Techniques7 Comments

Playing with Polish Quills

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Being no stranger to stripping and tying with quills, I was eager to try these new hand stripped peacock herl from Polish quills. At first sight I must say I was a little disappointed with the short length of the quills, they are approximately 6 cm in length, from end to end and have a usable area of about 5 cm. But I gave them a go and was pleasantly surprised that you could actually get quite a good length of body out of each quill. No doubt the shortness of the quill is reflected in where the herl is … Continue reading Playing with Polish Quills

Tying Techniques11 Comments

The feather benders tying room

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Now that the blog has become established and I have just reached 50,000 visitors and over 3000 followers I thought it only correct to take you on a little tour of the tying room. This is where it all the tying and photography happens. It may look like its a bit chaotic but everything I use on a regular basis is close at hand. Trying to keep order in the hook department is always testing, without order, everything falls apart, I can spend more time looking for hooks that actually tying the pattern it was intended for! But I have … Continue reading The feather benders tying room