Hi John, What, specifically, are you having trouble with? Consistent wing length, uneven hair around the head, general messiness??? :-)
I try to pre-measure the length of hair that I want for the wing once it's folded back and clip the ends to even them out. Then surround the hook shank with the hair before applying a couple of thread wraps to secure it. I then cover the head area completely with thread (you can dub if you so desire), carefully working my way to the eye and then back to the tie off point. Now use your fingers to stroke the hair back and use a half-hitch tool or empty ball-point pen cartridge to clear the hair from around the eye and allow you to get a clean grip on the hair. This usually results in a uniform head with most of the hair strands flowing directly back into the wing. It's a good idea to clip the hair directly beneath the shank so as not to occlude the hook gap. This can be the final step in the tying process. Hope this helps. You must be tying some Madame X's and/or some Bullet Head Stones for the salmonfly hatch on the Deschutes, huh? :-) Regards, Monte John Martinez wrote: > Does anybody have any tips on tying bullet heads, the > tying technique where you tie on elk or deer hair with > the tips facing forward (toward the eye) and then fold > them back to make a round head and the tips, now > facing toward the bend, make a wing or collar? > > Tried it last night with deer hair (looked like the > fly had exploded) and with elk hair (better, but still > looked like something the cat had hacked up). > > If someone can point me toward a website or post some > instructions or tips, I'd certainly appreciate it. > > Thanks. > > -John > Oregon -- Monte Smith Brownsville, Oregon
