Wayne Knight wrote:

If Harry Mason or AK Best chime in, disregard what I say

That reminds me, where has AK been, anyway? ;-)

Are you using the right sized hackle for the hook? I don't use a guage
anymore, I just check that the fiber length is the same size as the
hook gape.

I was about to answer that I am using the right hackle size, until I
saw the phrase "same size as the hook gape". I thought it was supposed
to be between 1 and 1-1/2 times the gape (i.e., more than the gape so
that the fly sits on the hackle rather than the hook).

Anyway for what it is worth, on a wulff or humpy type tie, I moved the
calf tail back so it is a little more than 1/3 shank length distance to
the hook eye. I tie in both a brown hackle and a grizzly hackle infront
of the herl, wrap each fiber tightly twice behind the calf tail and
three times in front, as tight and as close to the calf tail as
possible. Sometimes I use a small hackle guard behind the eye to keep
me from getting too close the eye.

Do you use a manufactured guard or a bit of a drinking straw or some
other homemade guard? I've been playing around with homemade things,
but find that I'm just as well off just using my third hand to hold the
fibers back. ;-)

I do like your suggestion of moving the wing. I've even been
playing around with tying Wulffs on 2X long dry hooks (TMC 5212?). To
my eye the proportions still look OK, but I guess the fish will be the
final arbiters of that. :-}

Thanks for your help. I was starting to think that either it was a
dumb question and no-one else on ROFF(T) has problems tying Wulffs, or
*everyone* has problems and no-one had any answers. :-)


Chuck Vance