Any tips to get my tails to stay straight and on top of the hook?

[troutbumbrian]

I'm specifically talking about pheasant tails but I also struggle to always get good tails on everything else. The tail will be just how I want it but then when I start to wrap the copper wire one or two fibers want to go their own direction.

 

[JimNovo]

Try this…
After tying them down, use a thread wrap underneath before continuing.

Also (saw this in another thread), tie in a small amount of dubbing before you start the tails (Tim Flagler trick).

Jim

 

[troutbumbrian]

Try this…
After tying them down, use a thread wrap underneath before continuing.

Also (saw this in another thread), tie in a small amount of dubbing before you start the tails (Tim Flagler trick).

Jim

Awesome, I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

 

[Jay_H]

Spin your bobbin counterclockwise and lay your tails on top. As you tie in, slowly pull the tail towards you. That’s how I go about it. Or the Flagler method above.

 

[tomgamber]

I think sometime uou can tie too far back to the bend. I know I wrestle with stopping when I should. Like the other end of crowding the eye.

 

[nfrechet]

after tying in, lift and hold the tails up as you wrap in touching turns back to the bend. tails will stay on top of the hook shank

 

[tomgamber]

Or that.

 

[Bamboozle]

When I tie in tails and want them to stay on top, I pinch the tailing material and the make the first loop of LOOSE and pinch that as well between my thumb & forefinger.

When I tighten that first loop of thread and subsequent others formed the same way, I pull the thread straight down on the opposite side of the hook tightening the loose loop while still pinched between my thumb & forefinger.

Wrapping this way versus just holding the material and wrapping normally keeps the thread from pulling the tailing material across the top of the hook shank.

 

[dc410]

When tying in your wire, make sure that you don’t tie it in too close to the butt ends of your tail fibers. Then when you start to counter wrap your wire in the direction of the eye of the hook the first turn of your wire won’t come into contact with any of your tail fibers. If your wire makes any contact at all with the tail fibers it’s going to jostle them. (I’m not sure whether that’s even a word but it’s frequently used in fly tying) 😉 Good luck!

 

[redietz]

Pay attention to which side of the hook you tie the wire in. If you're wrapping in the conventional direction, tie it in on the far side of the hook; if you're counter wrapping tie it in on the near side. In both cases, the first wrap will be under the hook and won't disturb the tail.

 

[wcerin]

When you tie in your ribbing make sure you leave your thread about one wrap short of the thread base you used to tie in your tail. Then when you make your first wrap of wire it will be on that thread wrap instead of messing your tail up. Give that a try, that should solve your issue.