Frustration to the max

[skiptomylu]

Boy I am starting to hate palmered hackle, LOL! I like it a lot, but only when it's a few and got a guy wanted a bunch with no tail. Says he kills the big jumbo crappie in Miss on these, but I got to say I don't charge enough to do these. Looks pretty simple, wouldn't think it would take too much longer to do that, but it does!

I have a shoulder issue and usually the pain goes away pretty fast as long as I can use the rotary function some tying and not hold my right arm up a lot, but this is torture as all the wrapping and still even using the rotary function to the max, it's murder. Every time you get one all finished except trapping that hackle and when you do it breaks. Can you hear me screaming from here? Not only it breaking, as it can just slip right out of the hackle pliers and that really get me going especially after 2 or 3 times it does that. Oh and none of this happens until you are so close to a whip finish that you think it's done.

Ok enough venting and on with tying. Sorry guys, but had to get some of this anger out, so thanks!

Skip

[river slabs are better]

would you post a pic of those whenever u get a chance. i think those would be
intresting to see. no rush though. good luck

[skiptomylu]

Here is the little devil and one other I decided to make my self by adding in some synthetic hackle to the real one.

Skip
The one making me crazy...


The one I am glad is just for me, LOL...

[skeetbum]

Those are real different. I have to try palmer again. Last time it was a disaster.

[skiptomylu]

Skeetbum, it's not bad if you take your time and just follow the steps. I have a hard time holding them with my pliers, but actually that cheap thing holding this jig in that picture works as well as most and is cheap.

The guy I am making these for swears that he kills the big boys with it and is the only jig he wanted. Both him and his wife, this is their favorite, but not that bottom one as that is my little addition. I hope he doesn't see this one and want some. Can't think about palmering both of them, but that is what that is.

I am going to do a line of these I think, but may have to have a come to Jesus meeting with my self if I do. I hope to try that bottom one in the morning, but it's not a fair test since I have not been since early May and have done no work on any spots. Just feel the need to fish for an hour or two and do a lot of looking.

Look at the methods for palmering from both ways if you want and just don't rush it as it doesn't like rushing as I have found out. These simple jigs take me a bout 2 - 2 1/2 time longer to tie than a normal simple hackle tail jig.
Skip

[quivira kid]

I feel your pain! Tying small stuff with partridge or quail does it to me too. The stem of the feather gets a bit too brittle and breaks right before you're grabbing the bobbin to tie it off... Yup! Been there many times. Cuss it and keep going! Those will catch crappie and bluegills for sure.

[skiptomylu]

I feel your pain! Tying small stuff with partridge or quail does it to me too. The stem of the feather gets a bit too brittle and breaks right before you're grabbing the bobbin to tie it off... Yup! Been there many times. Cuss it and keep going! Those will catch crappie and bluegills for sure.

Part of the problem is quality of feathers we get now. Bought an Oz. of that Chinese Saddle hackle and it's giving me fits.

Lots of tiers that are not fly tiers don't realize what all goes into feathers and how you can buy some high end skins that the hackle stems are oval and not round so they tie easier. Of course that is mostly for dry flies and like I said the high end of raising chickens to get great quality in tying feathers.

These are cheap!

Skip

[pondhopper]

Amen brother your preaching to the choir. Got the problems jig tying is what corporal tunnel and shoulder issues. Well it wasn't the only thing but at least 30% was.

[skiptomylu]

Already had the surgery on my right hand and was supposed to do the left, but just never did. I was a pitcher back when little league didn't have rules about how much you could pitch and I pitched probably 80% of all our games for 5 years when I was like 7-13 years old.

Then I got really smart and took on coaching way back in the 1980's and did a lot of practice pitching for another 5 years and didn't always warm up right and now have a rag arm needing surgery for over 20 years now, but just don't want to. Had enough surgery with my back (plates and big screws and nerve damage)and Bypass (5) stuff to fill my surgery want to. Not to mention a bunch of others and why is Gods name I will not get this fixed I don't know.

Skip

[fish_4_all]

I actually like doing it but I have the same problem sometimes. I have gone as far as cutting tiny grooves or sanding the surface of hackle plyers to prevent it from slipping. For some of my larger salmon and steelhead jigs I will put 3-4 hackle in one jig.

I don't have that much trouble with them breaking when I tie them in narrow end first and wrap to the wider end. When grabbing the fine end it breaks off a lot.

Something else I have found that helps is to strip off one side of the hackle if it is stiff and then tie it in. This gives an almost flat surface to wrap and allows the feather to bend more than it tends to break.