Video: The Secrets to Using Peacock Herl – Part 3


A couple months ago, we launched a new series of videos called “One-Minute Fly-Tying Tips and Techniques” from Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions. Each video will teach a single tying skill, from the most basic to the advanced. Ultimately, the series will serve as a sort of encyclopedia of tying skills that will be a valuable resource for anyone who sits down at a vise to create a fly.

In the third and final part of his series on peacock herl, Tim demonstrates how the location of the feather and how you cut it from the stem can affect the way the material goes on the hook. Did you ever wonder how expert tiers create those full, perfect peacock-herl bodies, whereas your own look kind of sparse and thin? It all comes down to choosing the right herl, cutting it from the stem in the right orientation, and then tying it on the hook shank with the stem facing forward. The contrast between the properly tied body and the other is startling.

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