Tying The Perfect Wing

        If you are a seasoned tyer or just beginning, winging a fly consistently can be difficult. Here are a few tricks that I have learned from years of tying dry flies. 
        The first being where to start your tying thread on the hook . I like to get it started where I am going to mount the wing or post on a fly.As you can see in the picture below it is generally one to one and a half hook eye widths behind the eye of the hook . If you do this each time your wings will become consistent .

    After you start your tying thread it is time to measure up your wing material . No matter what you are using for the wing it is the same procedure . I hold the material to the hook to see that there is at least about 3/16 of and inch of the wing past the hook eye.In this case it is CDC for a parachute fly. If you do this it will give you a perfect wing height every time.

    Now it's time to tye your wing in, hold it firmly between your thumb and index finger. Bring your first wrap of  thread loosely up and over your wing material . Once you make this wrap tighten the thread buy pulling your bobbin straight down and slightly to the rear of the fly.This will keep your wing material on top of the hook.Now make a few more tight wraps to hold it in place.These wraps always go right over the area that you started your thread to tye the fly.

       
       When you are finished securing the wing trim off the waist . Tye down the exposed wing material and wrap your thread back to the starting point. Now stand your wing up and wrap your thread in front of the wing tightly several times to build a little dam of thread to hold your wing upright . This is done the same for Catskill winged dry flies as well.

    The final step is to wrap the post and place a drop of head cement to keep it in place and make it a more durable fly.

  

       Now you are all set with the perfect height wing and ready to finish your fly.Again this process will work with any dry fly you tye,be it a hackle tip,CDC or what ever you choose to wing your fly with.....So give a try next time you sit down to tye...And happy tying !!