> Hi Gang: What tricks or suggestions do you have for tying a reverse hair wing > on a steelhead fly of slippery squirrel tail? I've got it pulled back over > the body and am trying to form a head but the thread keeps slipping off and I > can't seem to secure the thread enough to form the head. Any ideas?
Hi Marguerite, Squirrel tail! One of the most difficult wing materials out there. It's hard, slick, and doesn't compress well. Other than that, it's easy to work with. :-) It does make for a beautiful wing, though. A few ideas for you based on my experience: 1. Don't crowd the head 2. Think sparse, as too much hair is nearly impossible to manage 3. With the method you're employing, try to flatten the material out across the top of the shank as you fold it back over the body. Build a small thread "dam" in front of the wing (remember point #1) so that your thread will not slide off the wing as you bind it down. A drop of thin cement here doesn't hurt, either. 4. Don't over do your thread wraps. 3 - 4 snug turns is all it takes to hold the wing in place. Any more are just shaping the head. Hope this helps. Regards, Monte -- Monte Smith Brownsville, Oregon http://community.webshots.com/user/nwflytyer
