How to Tie a Wet Hackle

Adding in a wet hackle to your fly helps if you plan on wet fly fishing. The wet hackle lets water to cling to it in a natural manner that fish find attractive, so they're encouraged to bite. Wet hackles can be tied to any wet fly. The method below provides quality results every time.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fly vice
• Tied fly
• Hackle feather
• Thread
• Whip finisher

1. Place a completed fly in your fly vice.

2. Choose a wet hackle feather, available at any fishing or sporting goods retailer. Prepare the wet hackle by choosing the finely feathered end and breaking off the downy bits. Discard that material as it isn't appropriate for flies.

3. Strip the feathers away from a small portion of the feather stem. This stripped area can be quite small.

4. Place the stripped stem on top of your completed fly and wrap them together with thread that matches your fly. Tie it in securely and continue to wrap the thread until you reach the end of the fly. Leave the thread uncut for now.

5. Wrap the hackle feathers around the fly. You want to wrap snugly, but be careful not to pull the feather too tightly or you'll break it. Continue to wrap the feather all the way to the front of the fly.

6. Secure the feather in place by wrapping the thread several times around the end of the feather.

7. Pull the feather back gently and whip finish using a whip finishing tool. Remove and discard the excess feather.

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