Seals the Deal Soft Hackle

[letumgo]

"Seals the Deal" Soft Hackle
Hook - Fulling Mills Model 35005 Heavyweight Champ Barbless (Size 12)
Tread - Pearsalls Gossomer Silk (Claret/well waxed)
Body - Custom Dyed Seal Dubbing Blend (Brown, Orange, Magenta, Red)
Hackle - Ringneck Pheasant Church Window (Natural)




Well blended dubbing blend:



After seeing Tom's fly this morning I found my self reaching for the seal dubbing, and playing around with a multicolor blend. Seal is a very course fiber, and needed a little extra wax on the silk to get it to behave.

Can't wait to test these out come spring.

[Roadkill]

Great looking fly Ray!!

[NightWatchman]

Very nice Ray.

[DOUGSDEN]

Oh my gosh Ray!
This is fantastic! I love the blend you have made with the seal fur! And, I have a new found use for church window hackles from the big bird, the ring neck pheasant! If I remember correctly, it's tough to find size 12's and 14's on a pheasants pelt! Will have to make little ones out of big ones (hackle reduction methods)!
Doug

[letumgo]

Doug,

I tied in the feather by the tip, where the hackle fibers are shorter. Use hackle pliers to grasp the fibers at the tip of the feather and stroke back the fibers, exposing a very small triangle of fibers at the end. I try to estimate how much fibers I will need and strip off the excess hackle fibers towards the base of the feather. Sometimes it takes several flies to get it dialed in sufficiently, but pretty easy way to make use of the shorter fibers near the tip of the feather. The biggest challenge is not breaking the stem when wrapping. The feather stem is very fine towards the tip, and is easily broken off if too much force is applied when wrapping. Gentle pressure is the key.

(swearing also helps when the tip breaks)

[Mike62]

(swearing also helps when the tip breaks)

Swearing ...a lot, that's the part I'm wicked good at.

[bearbutt]

Seal is a very course fiber, and needed a little extra wax on the silk to get it to behave.

I like to use liquid wax when wrangling with seal--Veniard's or Bailey's--it works amazingly well.

Also, when you spill it, it makes a most amazing mess. I put the bottle inside a shallow glass jar so it won't tip over. Murphy's Law indicates this is almost foolproof, except when you momentarily take the bottle from the jar, forget, and knock it over, and then proceed to swear like Mike.

bb

[Fishnkilts]

Awesome looking fly, Ray. I have not tied with seal but I think I want to give it a try.

[hankaye]

Ray, Howdy;

Interesting subject, Seal.

My question is about the differences between Seal, and Baby Seal.
What are the differences and how does it effect the tying of the fly?

Anyone /everyone feel free to jump in, Please.

hank

[DOUGSDEN]

Ray,
Thanks for the tying tips concerning pheasant tips! I really appreciate knowing this! Would soaking the feather help with the brittleness of the stem?
I do the same thing with partridge feathers and hen feathers (grabbing the very end of the feather and stroking back the hackle fibers closest to the tip using hackle pliars) in prepping them for tying them in by the tip! Syl Nemes and others please forgive me for not tying in by the butt and hackling in that way! Tying in by the tip is the only way to go!
Your pattern is stunning Ray...as always!
Dougsden