Clockwise or Counter-clockwise?

[gingerdun]

Please keep your laughter down to a dull roar, please.
This will probably go down in the category of "I can't believe he actually asked this stupid question," but here goes anyway.

Do you always wind and wrap in the same direction around the hook shank?


If not, when do you reverse direction, and why?

Thanks for indulging me. This will actually help me on the book, for the step-by-step fly-tying sequences.

Lance

[DUBBN]

Yes, I always wrap clockwise(Right Hander) , away from me. Like the small hackle being tyed in front of the large hackle I will probably find out this is wrong, but I wont change this either.

[letumgo]

I think of it more as wrapping and unwrapping of the thread. When I am making thread wraps, they are aways in the same direction. For me, the thread wraps are aways over the top of the hook shank, away from me. If looking from the eye of the hook, my wraps are done in a clockwise motion. I generally wrap materials in the same direction (clockwise), unless I intend to have the materials reinforce each other. For instance, when tying a conventional peacock herl body, the peacock herl is wound onto the hook in a clockwise motion. A rib is generally wrapped over the herl in a counter-clockwise motion. This ensures the ribbing crosses the herl at multiple locations and is supported at the top of the herl body (it won't bury itself in between the herl).

It is important to remember that the material being wrapped spirals along the shank, so it lays down at a slight angle to the hook shank (it is not a truly 90°wrapping direction). The thicker the material, the wider the spirals are and the further from 90° each wrap lays. This is an important detail when picturing the counter wraps. They will be crossing at an angle, spiraling in the opposite direction.

Another thing to keep in mind is the direction the materials are being wrapped. If one material is being wrapped from the eye to the bend, and the other material is being wrapped in the opposite direction (bent to the eye), then both materials should be wound onto the hook shank in the clockwise direction. The materials will naturally be counter wrapped, just by the opposing directions.

Sorry if this sounds confusing. It is really quite simple when you see it demonstrated on a fly.

EDIT - ADDING A FEW CRUDE ILLUSTRATIONS TO GO ALONG WITH THE TEXT




I mentioned unwrapping, because sometimes I will intentionally remove wraps when the body material has been securely fastened in place. This is done to minimize thread bulk and keep the body of the fly smooth, as in the case of double layered silk or tinsel bodies.


Lance - Have no fear. I think it is a great question, and I look forward to reading the responses you get.

[gingerdun]

Another thing to keep in mind is the direction the materials are being wrapped. If one material is being wrapped from the eye to the bend, and the other material is being wrapped in the opposite direction (bent to the eye), then both materials should be wound onto the hook shank in the clockwise direction. The materials will naturally be counter wrapped, just by the opposing directions.

Ray, this is really helpful, especially as I have been tying bronze herl-body flies with gold ribbing and red furnace hackles all evening. But let me ask this: Doesn't the clockwise/counter-clockwise (CW and CCW) terminology only makes sense if your orientation to the hook remains unchanged, as if one were looking at a clock? That is, looking at the hook straight-on, from the eye to the bend? In that case, wouldn't your first wrap from eye to bend be CW, and the return wrap CCW?

[letumgo]

Lance - True. If the frame of reference changes, then the apparent rotation around the hook shank would also switch. That does not, however mean the material is moving around the hook in a different direction. Only the frame of reference has changed. In otherwords, when you look from one direction it is clockwise and when you look from the other direction it is counterclockwise (at the same time).

[Johnno]

Right handed and the business end of the vice is to my right when looking at it. I wind the thread towards me. So that's anti clockwise for me....


And so things like wire - or other things to be wound opposite to the thread direction would be clockwise

If that answers your question lol

[Ruard]

I do the same things as Ray.

I once saw pictures of someone that shows a body of three peacock fibers, two tied in at the bend and one tied at the eye. First go with one fiber CW from the bend to the eye, than secure this fiber with the one at the eye going CW to the bend and finaly go with the last one to the eye to secure the second fiber, you also can exchance the last fiber by a ribbing. I tried it end you will get a nice body this way.

Greeting

[flyfishwithme]

I do both depending on what materials I use.
After tying tens of thousands of Red Tags (commercially for 5 years) I learnt to tie them winding the heel both ways.
Let me explain.
If you are right handed fly tier, then to get the very best full bodies (without twisting) - see this:

(which is there heels wrapped forward independently) then you need to take the heels from the left side of the peacock eye as it faces you.
You then place them onto the hook and wind forward in a 'clockwise' manner.
If you are left handed, then you would select them from the right side of the feather.
Now the interesting thing happened when you are tying 'ts of flies as a right handed tier and you are leaving all of those heels on the right handed side.
Well, you simply wind them down the hook shank in a 'anti-clockwise' manner.
You will get the same effect.

[ashley]

I am right handed and always wind clock wise but there are the rare occasions that I will wind the other way. Mostly this is winding a rib that anchors a palmered hackle. The other occasion is when I need to tie down a material in a particular way and the only way to get the effect I want is counter clock wise.

[Hans Weilenmann]

Please keep your laughter down to a dull roar, please.
This will probably go down in the category of "I can't believe he actually asked this stupid question," but here goes anyway.

Do you always wind and wrap in the same direction around the hook shank?


If not, when do you reverse direction, and why?

Thanks for indulging me. This will actually help me on the book, for the step-by-step fly-tying sequences.

Lance

Lance,

Wrap what? Thread, or thread and any of the possible materials?

Cheers,
Hans W