How to Build the Thread Dam: Fly Tying Tips for Fly Fishing

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm Ed Story on behalf of expertvillage.com. My website is www.feather-craft.com fly fishing. Our next step is the build a thread dam in front of the lead wire wraps. Then move it behind the lead wire wraps with another thread down so the lead wire wrap stays exactly where we want them on the hook shank. Now we are going to move the thread using the bobbin to the end of the hook shank where we are going to mount the tail. We are going to tie in the tail using a tough pine squirrel hide as the tail. Take that pine squirrel hide and we are going to fold it like this while we hold in our fingers. A little tough material, cut it off at the skin line, we are going to tie in the tail like this. I'm holding it by the ends. Now I'm transferring it to my left hand to hold by the tip ends. I remove the under fur from the guard hairs. I hold it on top of the hook shank. I bring the throat up to my fingers called the magic pinch and when I pull the thread down the tail is lock in and I continue to wrap it towards the rear of the hook shank so I always finish at the rear of the hook shank. I'm going to take my scissors and I'm going to lift up the waste material and snip it out. So now we have the tail on our trout fly. We have the fly is weighted with the leg wraps and we are ready to go to our next step. "