Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Skeena River Fishing Tip: How to Tie with Lady Amherst Feathers
When I first started tying big, west coast Steelhead flies, I was intrigued by several qualities of the Lady Amherst feather. First, its fibres were heavily mottled and helped create long, tentacle-like plumes that are common on many Steelhead flies and, second, it had good movement when swung on a tight line. However, it was also a material that I found exceedingly difficult to work with. I didn’t (and still don’t) like splitting the stems of feathers, and tying the fibres around a hook just didn’t create the hackle-like effect that I was going for. Moreover, the fibres tended to collapse and stick together. That all changed when I bought a deluxe dubbing loop twister and saw a video on youtube. By using the dubbing loop twister and one of Marc Petitjean’s material clips (in his Magic Tool set), I’ve been able to create Steelhead flies with flowing Amherst hackles that are both functionally and aesthetically appealing.
Getting ready to add the Amherst hackle
Step 1: Create a dubbing loop with your thread. To tighten the loop, be sure to wrap the thread around the loop 2-3 times.
Adding the dubbing loop
Step 2: Wet your fingers and isolate the fibres you’d like to use. Stroke the fibres from the base of the stem to the fibre tips, this will help isolate the fibres from one another.
Adding Amerherst fibres to the dubbing loop
Step 4: Attach the deluxe dubbing twister in the loop, and add the Amherst fibres. Try to keep the length of fibres extending past the outside of the loop to a minimum.
Step 5: While holding the material clip with your left hand, spin the dubbing loop twister several rotations. Release the material clip off the fibres, and the Amherst should spin around the loop, forming a hackle. Spin the dubbing twister again, further locking the fibres in place.
The Amherst hackle formed
Step 7: Tie off the dubbing loop, and trim excess Amherst butts.
The finished fly with two Amherst hackles - ready to fish for Steelhead!
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