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New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? #13146734 05/07/19 03:08 PM
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MiggyFishing Offline OP
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Hey guys,

I just started tying my own flies a couple days ago - this was my first attempt at tying a woolly bugger. I'm surprisingly satisfied with the way it came out BUT I feel like the hackle barbs are a bit long. I've also tied a couple of woolly worms and have come across the same issue where it feels like the hackle barbs are a bit long considering the size of the fly, especially compared to the other buggers I had bought from a store. Is this a problem of selecting a particular feather? How can I correct? Or is just my impression that the barbs are too long?

Some other meaningful info - the size of the hook is size 12 and the hackle is extra long saddle hackle from Orvis (I'm under the impression "extra long" is referring to the length of the feathers and not the barbs?).

[Linked Image]


Thanks in advance for any help!
Miggy


[Linked Image]
Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13146753 05/07/19 03:23 PM
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karstopo Offline
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Maybe, but I'd fish it and see. You could tie up some with shorter hackle and fish them all to get to the size you like. I frequently play around with the length of the marabou tails, the amount I use, the length of the hackle, the color I use, the closeness of the wraps, etc.

Don't they make hackle gauges? If you want to adhere to some recipe, you could select a feather that matches the recipe for the hook in question.

Personally, I just wing it and go with a feather that seems about right. I can guarantee the fish aren't measuring the hackle. Woolly buggers are suggestive of different forage and aren't really designed to exactly mimic anything specific.

Fly recipes for the most part are just starting points. I would put the woolly bugger squarely into a fly pattern that begs to be tinkered with.

Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13146822 05/07/19 04:13 PM
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MassAction Offline
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I don't have much to add other than your first attempt at a wooly bugger has placed you light years ahead of me in fly tying ability. Nice work.

I learned to have my hackle start at about a hook gap in length at the back and grow slightly larger as you progress toward the hook eye. This should naturally happen if you tie in at the tip of the feather and wind your way towards the base. But like karstopo said, there are not hard and fast rules. They do make hackle gauges, but they tend to be geared for trout flies and are really only beneficial for small hook sizes. I found it easier (and more versatile) to simply lay a feather across the fly (as though you were palmering it) before tying in to find a pleasing starting point.

Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13146958 05/07/19 06:36 PM
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Glitchmo Offline
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You'll get different opinions. Some people like short, some people like long. My opinion is -- that looks good and it will definitely catch fish.

If you want shorter hackle fibers, you can buy woolly bugger packs. Saddle hackle of that type is more commonly usually used for things like deceiver tails.

Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13146986 05/07/19 07:04 PM
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MiggyFishing Offline OP
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Greatly appreciate the feedback and kind words on the fly everyone. grin Being new to this, I hadn't even heard of hackle gauges - after a little research, seems like a neat tool when trying to be precise. The idea of laying/palmering the feather across the fly before tying in to "measure it" is great too, will definitely put to use next time I tie one up.

Although not intentional when I tied it, I think the longer fibers give it a more buggy look which is usually never a bad thing for the fish I plan to use it on (panfish). Excited to test it out and land my first fish on a fly I tied myself (will keep ya'll posted!).


[Linked Image]
Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13147246 05/08/19 12:02 AM
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MiggyFishing Offline OP
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So first time out and it did really well! Caught about 7 sunfish and a small bass. So rewarding catching these fish on something you tied!

Attached Files 3EEBF7A3-93B6-425B-AD60-54790E5A2D46.jpeg

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Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13147540 05/08/19 03:31 AM
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Linecaster Offline
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The fish judged your fly and gave you a pass with an "A". You can measure your barbs by holding the tip of the feather then with thumb and forefinger run along the stem which will then cause the barbs to seperate and stand up. A rough guide would be to measure the barb length to the gap of the hook. Slightly longer than the gap is the norm and as suggested above start at the smaller end and as you palmer forward the barbs end up longer in the front. Personally I like to give a wrap or two extra before tying off , making a collar of soft hackle, just my preference. With having said all that well done on your first fly and the fish it caught.


In the beginning God created. Gen. 1:1
All things were made by him and without him was not anything made. John 1:3
Re: New Fly Tier Question - Hackle Barbs Too Long? [Re: MiggyFishing] #13147607 05/08/19 08:08 AM
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karstopo Offline
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How fun is it to get so many nice fish on a fly you tied? Yea, it’s pretty fun.

Woolly buggers are great and so versatile. Like Linecaster said, the fish are the ones you want to make a good first impression on and they approve. Tie woolly buggers long or short, put a bead on them or not, use different colored hackle, marabou and chenille. Or tie them in near perfect proportions following traditional recipes. I try to do a little of both, experiment on some and follow tried and true proportions on others.

An olive woolly bugger is hard to beat, though. If I was in some sort of survival mode and could only bring along one fly, that fly would likely be a size 10 olive woolly bugger.

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