3 Ways to Finish Your Fly A QuickTime Video Seminar by Gary and Jason Borger

1

The Double Hitch The double hitch is very fast, and beginning fly tiers often find the double hitch much easier to learn than the hand whip-finish. The ability to precisely control both the knot and the materials near the head of the fly during the tying process is a real benefit. For maximum security, the double hitch needs to be worked back and forth a bit after tying. It is especially good for smaller flies, but does not pull-up as cleanly as a whip-finish.

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2

Hand Whip-Finish The hand whip-finish generally makes a cleaner head than the double hitch. Some tiers also prefer the security of this knot over the double hitch. A hand whip-finish can also be used to quickly secure thread at various points on the hook shank. As with the double hitch, the use of only your fingers allows you to move quickly and to do so with a positive tactile feel. The finger-work involved in the hand whip-finish can take some practice, however.

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3

Matarelli Whip-finish Tool A whip-finish tool makes finishing your fly a snap. Once you get a sense for the way the tool works, making clean, neatly-wound heads is quick and easy. A tool is especially useful for tiers with thick or rough finger tips and when dealing with smaller flies. However, with a tool you lose the tactile directness of the hand-tied knots as well as adding another pick-up-and-lay-down step to the tying process. All three of the knots mentioned here have a place in your repertoire. Choose the one that best suits your fly designing needs.

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