Wings Part II

Wings Part II

Error elimination and style modeling

by Jaroslaw Zych

PBinding wings - which I described in detail in the first part of the series - is a gateway to creating lures that will not have to be ashamed of. But now I would like to suggest some solutions that will make our fly a decoration of the box and an object of desire of other anglers ... and fish. At the same time, I would also like to point out ways that will protect us from cardinal mistakes that nullify efforts to make a fly look beautiful.

This episode of them is patronized by two main messages:

- Choose a model of wings not at random, but always match it to a specific fly pattern.   

- A fly looks only as good as its most poorly executed element, so don't underestimate the mistakes in the various stages of work, hoping that „somehow they will hide” and remove them on the fly.

Wings made from strands of rays, although they look very delicate and rachitic require firm handling. When grasping a strand to correct it or set it upright, it should always be a firm and firm grip. Gripping the wings too weakly with fingers or tweezers can lead to delamination of the rays or other defects. On the other hand, holding the strands too firmly, violently, when, for example: tightening the loop of the leading thread, will cut the rays with a thin thread. As you can see, the principle of the golden mean works here. A few dozen tied wings should be enough to consolidate correct reflexes and choose the right force and decisiveness in action. Sometimes, however, there are minor defects in the wings, even in the flies of experienced spinners. Fortunately, many of them can be corrected without any special harm to the overall design of the fly.

Here are the most common problems we encounter:

1. Uneven wing widths. If you notice this defect already after tying and vertically stabilizing the wings, and you do not want to tie them again, the only sensible way out of the situation is to taper the wider wing. To do this, we carefully, with a skewer, separate individual rays from the wider wing until the width difference is evened out. Unnecessary rays can be cut out at the base with scissors (we will mask the place of cutting with a blackberry). A less safe way to get rid of unnecessary rays is to slide them out (by pulling hard back) or tear them off (by pulling hard down). (Photos 1, 1a) Although then we get rid of completely unnecessary rays, there is a risk of damaging the entire band. More risk, but better result ... if successful !

Theoretically, it is possible to tie a single ray and attach it by massing to an already erected narrower wing strand. After several attempts, I succeeded in this art, and I find ... that it makes absolutely no sense! First, the attached ray at the base is separated by a coil of leading thread from the rest of the wing and will tend to separate. Secondly, the fly becomes really heavily weighted by the additional windings of the leading thread. Therefore, either use the method of removing the unnecessary ray from the wider wing, or ... at this early stage of working on the fly, tie new wings when the situation is critical.   

2. Delamination - if the rays have not moved but only split, then it is enough to massage the already plumed wings with your fingertips - similar to the initial preparation of the strands. However, if the wings have shifted after splitting (the strand has become double or rolled instead of single), then all that remains is actually to tie new wings. The exception is the situation in which one - two extreme rays have delaminated. Then we proceed as in the case of uneven width.

The splits can still be attempted to be repaired in such a way that the split strand at the very base is moved firmly against each other so that a single plane is created anew from the binding point up to the tips of the wings. Such a procedure is best done with two tweezers (Photo 2).

However, I know from experience that this operation is rarely successful. Keep in mind that even if you manage to connect the ends of the wings, while at the base there will be a delamination, then, after the first throw with such a fly, the wings will separate.

Recommended:

Flytying in practice / Elementary particles or analysis of components and construction of an artificial flytying.

All types of delamination and rolling are usually caused by:

• selecting strands that are too wide
• selecting strands that are too stiff
• Too weak a grip on the wings when tying the first fastening winding or when plumbing them,
• crimping the wings with the so-called open loop (the thread running to the winder does not adhere to the shaft)
• applying the strands not from the top but from the side of the stem, this tendency can be seen especially with the left wing (not the one you look at when tying them)

(Fig. 1c, 1d, 1e).

For the correct grip, see: (Fig. 1f)

3. Uneven length of wings. If one of the wings is too long, we firmly grasp the ends of the rays (the ends that joined the stack) and pull evenly, being careful not to tear out the entire wing. At the same time, with the index finger and thumb, we firmly grasp the root of the wing binding, not allowing the strands to twist or unravel.

When we want to lengthen the wing, we follow the same procedure with the difference that we pull on the wing tips. This operation, unfortunately, can be more difficult and risky. (Fig. 2, 2a)

When a single ray protrudes from the stacked wings ( it has moved parallel along the strand) then either remove it completely when it is an outermost ray (as described), making sure to match the width of the other wing, or cut off its protruding tip. You can also burn it with a glowing pick. Clipping (burning) is not the most elegant way and unfortunately deteriorates the quality of the wings. Although with a small amputation, we can practically mask its effects completely by gently massaging the tip of the wing. ( Photos 3, 3a )

Unevenness is best corrected on an ongoing basis, i.e.: the more time and care we take to measure the wings properly, the more certain we can be that they will not need to be corrected.

4. It can be said that the standard and non-invasive correction of the wings is to change their position on the hook shank. Wanting to move the wings closer or farther from the eye, we squeeze with our index finger and thumb nail the place where the wings are tied to the shank and move them. If the binding is so strong that it can't be moved or our nail is worryingly bent, we can push the binding with the tip of a flat tweezer or the so-called "after-pusher" (a tool that looks like a cosmetic spoon for undermining the cuticles - only that it is not sharp) Note: with this correction we always act with force on the binding site, never on the wings themselves ! (Photo 4)

On the other hand, turning the wings around the shaft (the axis of rotation is the shaft) is best done by firmly grasping the base of the binding, with the pad of the index finger and thumb, and turning the wings left or right (Fig. 3).

5. If you want to correct the position of the wings in relation to their vertical axis (circle them), it is best done by catching the wings from above, at their base with the fingertips of the index finger and thumb. An equally good way is to grab from above with flat tweezers. (Photo 5) (Applies to both single wing and pair correction)

I regard the capturing of wings with self-tightening pliers, promoted by some authors, as an erroneous and destructive action in most situations. First, the pliers catch the rays very tightly, and we have no control over the force of the squeeze, which can be so great that the strands are damaged. Second, the pliers tend to catch unevenly - the tips of the pliers catch the strongest, the farther away from the tips the weaker the grip. This can cause some of the rays not to be caught by the pliers at all. This results in delamination of the strands.

Keep in mind that wings, when put up, change their appearance. Some deficiencies may disappear - such as wavy strands tightened with leading thread, but they may also appear - such as delamination or uneven wing length. It is worth adding that most operations should be carried out as close as possible to the place where the wings are tied (their root).

At this point I will be tempted to make another very important digression: modern hooks, especially for dry flies, are often made of very fine print. And although advertising slogans talk about their incredible strength, let's not kid ourselves, these are not rebar, but delicate wires with diameters measured in tenths of a millimeter. Therefore, any operation in which there is a lot of pressure on the hook - especially close to the eyelet - because then there is an additional leverage effect - let's perform in such a way as to protect the hook shank and counteract the force that bends it. That is, for example, when you push the wing-tie cap with the pusher, block the possibility of bending the hook shank with the other hand.     

         Once we know how to tie the wings correctly we can move on to discuss their modification and fording .

Repeating after Wojciech Węglarski - a certain pattern of ideal wing shape is the silhouette promoted by Halford with distinctive tips. As the author rightly pointed out in the „Fishing Guide”, burning with a cigarette (trimming) wings from the top to give them the right shape is against the art of flytiering. If you want to get such wings, buy a larkspur (they happen to be available in specialized flytier stores) or a starling (readily available, for example, in Italy where they are massively thinned, as pests of vineyards). We can also get a similar shape from a properly massaged duck.

From the same strand we can tie wings of very different shapes. To make it easier to discuss possible modifications, let's look at the anatomy of the wing band itself (Fig. 4)

Wanting to get the most semicircular ends of the wings when tying them, apply the top edge of the strand to the shaft. The ends after massaging should be at a slightly sharp angle (spike at the bottom). (Photos 6, 6a )

When the angle is a little sharper it creates my favorite shape (Photo 6b).

A beautiful mayfly profile will be obtained when, with such binding, the ends after massing are cut at a very sharp angle, close to their anatomical, original position (spike at the bottom) (Photos 7, 7a).

It is worth using this method when tying dry March Brown wings from pheasant hen darts (Photo 8).

We will emphasize the mayfly shape of the wings even more strongly when tying them by applying the lower edge of the strand to the shank, but with the tips of the rays facing the elbow of the hook. Of course, the tips, after massaging, remain beveled at a sharp angle close to their anatomical original position (tip up) (Photos 9, 9a).

This is the opposite application of the wings than in the method described in detail (see part l) considered basic in these considerations. Keep in mind that there may be a defect in the large head.

         It is quite easy to tie wings from so-called difficult feathers (for example, the aforementioned pheasant hen's aileron) when we apply the lower edge of the strand to the shaft, while the tips after massaging remain cut at a sharp angle close to their anatomical, original position (tip up, blankets in front of the eye) (Photos 10, 10a). Unfortunately, the appearance of these wings is not particularly elegant.

In general, the rays in the wing band located lower, when putting them upright, will „shorten” relative to those located higher. (Fig. 5) And one more general remark: if the strand is set so that the tip after massaging remains beveled at a sharp angle close to their anatomical original position, such a wing is visually narrower than when the tip is perpendicular to the edge of the strand after massaging. It is worth keeping this in mind, and when making wings cut at an acute angle, we should separate the wider strand by 1-3 radii.

Finally, I would like to tell you one more secret, which will have an outstanding positive effect on the appearance of your flies. All operations such as cutting, moving the wings on the hook shaft, length adjustments, etc. should be done so that the manipulating hand (tool) is supported by the other hand or supported by a vice. One hand, especially raised high, is very vulnerable to all kinds of vibrations, exacerbated by fatigue. If you care about precision, remember to look for support. Here are examples (Photos 11, 11a, 11b)

When I teach someone to tie flies, I guess this is the principle I try to instill as the general basis for all flytier activities. Many people may consider it a cliché (and they will be right), but some flytiers even with many years of experience do not enjoy the benefits of having two hands. 

As I proceeded to refresh the above article, I wondered what the next step in this series should be. The original idea was to discuss the so-called Halford castle (method) and the very specialized methods of tying, putting and modifying wings.

After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that developing the topic of wings should be postponed until the entire design of the dry fly is discussed. Any modifications are usually for specific visual or functional benefits. Thus, it is worthwhile to first possess the knowledge of how the fly should be built from beginning to end, in order to later make modifications that give us the desired effect, and these modifications should be complementary to the whole composition, not a detached fantasy.

So, in the next installment of the series, I will move on to the next stage of the work, that is, the FIREWALL with the so-called „adjuncts”....

Other articles:

Young flytier's guide / Position, materials, synthetics, fly visionYoung flytier's guide / Making it easier to shoot and what you want to shoot