FLYMPH FORUM

There are as many answers to this age old question as there are tyers.

I personally prefer to tye in game hackles by the tip and hen hackles by the butt although hen hackles may be tied in by the tip if I want smaller fibres and cann't get smaller hackles.

This is a good question. Like previously mentioned a couple of times there are no really wrong ways.
I never gave it much thought until the advent of youtube and reading numerous books on soft hackles and fly tying.
For me the most important points to consider are striving to get the proper length(hackle wise) and how fragile the tip of a particular feather can be.
I by any means am a expert but my tying seems to be getting better over the years.
Here is a interesting technique that Craig Matthews uses. I have no doubts in its effectiveness but I would take the extra time to wrap the hackle.Then again I dont tie commercially either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-m0RkIIaSc

Mathews tied a god awful fly.

Mathews tied a god-awful fly.

Head too short, small, and tidy for you?

Switching sides for the sake of discussion, the man's fly does approach the fish-approved, pre-chewed aesthetic . . . something the Sistine Chapel perfectionists here probably couldn't do if we held a pistola to their heads.

swellcat wrote:

Mathews tied a god-awful fly.

. . . something the Sistine Chapel perfectionists here probably couldn't do if we held a pistola to their heads.

You have no idea how difficult it is tying flies lying upside down on scaffolding ...

Bill, you're bright, clever, and have a sense of humor . . . in addition to being a brilliant tier/tyer. I value all of those things.

swellcat wrote:Bill, you're bright, clever, and have a sense of humor . . . in addition to being a brilliant tier/tyer. I value all of those things.

Second.