How To Tie A Bucktail Streamer - Tutorial - Part 3

Place a hook in the vise and start waxed tying silk (See Diagram 3, page 15) (A) 1/8" from eye of hook Fig. 1. Take five or six turns and cut off end (B) Fig. 2. Wind tying silk (A) closely and smoothly down hook shank as Fig 3.

(A complete understanding of the next step will have a great deal to do with the success of the beginner's greatest difficulty, that is, putting on the wings; the procedure is the same for all flies, study Fig. 4.) Hold tail material (C) between thumb and finger of the left hand, slide the fingers down over the hook, so that the tail material rests on top of the hook, with the hook held firmly between thumb and finger as Fig. 4. Now loosen grip just enough to allow tying silk (A) to pass up between thumb and tail material, form a loose loop over material, and down, between finger and material on the other side.

Now tighten grip with thumb and finger and pull loop down tight; repeat once more, see Fig. 5. (This knack of holding the material and hook firmly together, until the loose loop is drawn down tightly keeps the tail, or wings, on top of the {17} hook, and at the same time keeps them from splitting or turning sidewise.) Now that the tail is in place, with two turns of the tying silk (A) tie in ribbing (D) Fig. 6.

Now take six or eight close tight turns with the tying silk towards the eye of the hook, with two more turns tie in the body material (E) Fig. 7. IF USING TINSEL FOR BODY MATERIAL, BE SURE AND CUT THE END TO A TAPER BEFORE TYING IN as (E) Fig. 7; this tends to make a smoother body and prevents a bunch where the body material is tied in.

Next wind tying silk (A) back to the starting point, take a half hitch and let it hang. Now wind body material (E) clockwise (all windings are clockwise) tightly and smoothly back towards the barb, to the extreme rear end of the body, pull tight and wind forward to within 1/8" of the eye, wind back and forth to form smooth tapered body as Fig. 8 (tinsel bodies are not tapered). (If using silk floss, untwist the floss and use only one half or one third of the strands, do not let it twist, wind tight, and it will make a nice smooth body.)

Take two turns and a half hatch with the tying silk, and cut off end of the material (F) Fig. 8. Take one tight turn with ribbing (D) over butt of tail close to rear end of the body, also one turn under the tail if tail is to be cocked.

Wind ribbing spirally around the body and tie off with two turns and a half hitch of tying silk as Fig. 9.

Take about three dozen hairs of colored bucktail, cut off butt ends to the length wanted for the finished fly, not more than one half again as long as the hook.

Place these on top of the hook as Fig. 10 with butt ends about 1/16" back of the eye (this is held the same as when putting on the tail, Fig. 4). Pull down two or three loops, Fig. 11.

Now take about 175 hairs of other colored bucktail, place this on top of the first colored bucktail the same as Fig. 10.

Repeat the same operation as Fig. 11. Before finishing the head put a drop of head lacquer on the butt ends of the hairs to cement them in place.

Next, finish by making a smooth tapered head with the tying silk, take three or four half hitches.

Now paint the head with two or three coats of lacquer and the job is complete.

That is unless you wish to add jungle cock cheeks, or other combinations of feathers. This of course is done before the head is completed.

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