Tying Tip: Anchoring your chenille

There are tons of tricks of the trade but here are a couple of techniques that I use when tying in my chenille.

1) When I'm ready to start tying in my chenille I'll first lay it on top of the hook shank with the tip of the chenille up against the jig head. Then I'll pull the chenille back just a tad. This gives me a subtle gap for when I'm finishing off the chenille with my whip finisher.

2) Once I've run my thread from the jig head over the chenille and I'm down to my tail material I'll put 2 or 3 really tight turns of the thread at the point where i'm going to start wrapping the chenille around the hook shank. Before I run my thread back up to the jig head, I'll pull the chenille forward and run 2 really tight wraps of thread right up against the butt of the chenille between it and the thread base/tail material. This really anchors the chenille both on top and right behind.

3) Now I run my thread back up to the jig head and wrap my chenille up to the jig head. Now it's time to get the chenille ready for finishing. Holding some tension on the chenille, I'll wrap the thread tightly around the hook shank binding the chenille up against the jig head and to the hook shank. Then I will pull the chenille away from the jig head just a tad and give the thread 2 or 3 really tight wraps. Again you're just 'pinching' the chenille down ensuring that it won't easily come unwrapped.

4) Using a whip finishing tool I give it three tight wraps and finish and then repeat. Sometimes I'll add some 'hard as nails' and sometimes I won't.


Hopefully these tips have helped some!!

A-Dubya,

Great tips. Thanks for sharing. Maybe you could add a couple instructional pics to this and get is added as a sticky up top. These instructions would be very helpful for someone starting out.

I have one question about the following comment:

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Originally Posted by AWMiller

4) Using a whip finishing tool I give it three tight wraps and finish and then repeat.

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When you say "and then repeat," do you mean you do two whip finishes? I have always (in my 6 months of tying) only made one whip finish. Should I be doing two?

Thanks.

Great description and tip.That's exactly how I do it.Wouldn't change a thing.When you do it right there is no need for the hard as nails. Occasionally I'll add a drop of super glue.

Is how I do it also. I also do 2-3 whip finishes with mine. Have never had one unravel completely. Lost the first whip finish on occasion but never have the material come unraveled. That is unless I am using my Larva Lace and cut the end too short. Then the ends come out about 30% of the time.

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Originally Posted by Black Crow

Great tips. Thanks for sharing. Maybe you could add a couple instructional pics to this and get is added as a sticky up top. These instructions would be very helpful for someone starting out.

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I'll be doing some pics soon along with a video showing it all in action. As for your question on the whip finishes. I've always slapped on a couple. There's no right or wrong on the number of whip finishes. Just know that the more you do the more bulk on the thread you'll add but it's not that much unless you're using outrageously thick thread!

This is the method I will be using from now on! Thanks for the information!

thats a great way to do it! I use a different approach though. I start at the tail material, and strip about 1/8 inch of fuzz from the chenille leaving only a tag of string. anchor the string to the hooks shank, then wrap the thread up to the jigs head. this comes in handy when you don't want a plump body, because you only have one layer of chenille.

I usually do 2 whip finishes with 3-4 wraps each as well instead of 1 with 6 wraps. Just extra security.

Ditto redear. I do the same for the tie off and use a single whip finish with a minimum 5 wraps.

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Originally Posted by redear

thats a great way to do it! I use a different approach though. I start at the tail material, and strip about 1/8 inch of fuzz from the chenille leaving only a tag of string. anchor the string to the hooks shank, then wrap the thread up to the jigs head. this comes in handy when you don't want a plump body, because you only have one layer of chenille.

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Have to agree with this, i have been doing it this way for a long time, keeps the body nice and uniform, and add a small drop of Hard as Nails right behind the head Before i start the whip finish, 3 or 4 wraps of thread is plenty.

learned to do it that way from a pro fly tyer years ago. he tied trout flies, and wooly worms used chenille, but they didn't want a real fat body. but there are some ultra type chenilles that are very hard to anchor with just the tip, because there is no string in the center. I take a razor blade and angle the end to a point and then try to cut as much fuzz off as I can.