Rotary Hackle Pliers

[mr max]

I am considering buying a pair of rotary hackle pliers and would appreciate uny members feed back on their use compared to tradional hackle pliers.Also any opinion on the use of a small short handled rotary pliers vs. the long handled rotary pliers.I tie with a regular vise not a rotary one and i tie mostly jigs and tube flies if that helps any.

[smalljaw]

I tie jigs only but I do tie several different patterns that incorporate hackle so I do use hackle pliers. I looked at the rotary pliers in my local Cabelas and the guy that worked in the fly shop there told me they work great if you have a rotary vise but if you have a regular vise it would give you any added benefits over the regular version.

[bassrecord]

I have held and tested both long and short handle rotary pliers and found that both twisted and broke hackle off more often than hand wrapped hackle where I could control the placement of barbules more effectively during hackle winding.

Some questions come to mind for you tying YOUR jigs and tubes.

Will you be tying a large number of the same pattern or a small number of many patterns?

Will you be tying big hackle for saltwater stuff or much smaller hackle for freshwater jigs and tubes?

Do you tie in hackle stems first and then wind tips or tie in hackle tips first and wind stems in the pliers?

If you go with pliers my advice is to choose the rotary hackle pliers that will best answer the above questions for you.

But for nearly all of my stuff, I tie stem in and wrap the first hackle forward with my thumb and fore finger, then tie three tight thread loops to hold the wound hackle tip, then wrap the second feather forward and then tie it off with three tight thread loops, then cut both tips off, then use 4 half hitches for a head, then apply head cement. When tying big stuff, I usually “Armor Plate hackle by back winding thread through it. When tying little stuff, I just use one feather for hackle, not two.

I mostly tie production rates and want to NOT pick up and put down anything unless absolutely necessary. Although I rarely tie jigs and tubes, I do tie large numbers of same pattern, tie stem in with big hackle, and when I must use pliers to weigh hackle until tying it off I use old timey English pliers with a spring hole to finger twirl to keep from putting them down. I do use a rotary vise but only use it to look for and correct errors which slow me down pitifully. LOL Oh man, just writing this makes me glad I don’t have to make a living this way! We’d starve!

Hope this helps.

John

[mr max]

Thanks members for your feed back. bassrecord to answer your questions I tie a small number of jigs & tubes in many patterns for trophy size walleye,large pike and also panfish sizes.I tie in from both tip first and also stem first before winding.I am still wondering why people are using rotary pliers if there isn't any difference or a negative tying experience? I am sorry but I am still confused in the difference in the use of the short vs the long handled pliers does it depend on the hackle size or just a personal preference in the handling of the pliers?

[bassrecord]

As I recall when testing long handled rotary pliers, they handled big hackle without breaking as many tips off than short handled rotary pliers. But as stated earlier, I often use fingers instead of pliers to put more tension on the hackle stem. Also I do not use a hackle bender. Also since I tie mostly dries and wind bottom forward, your wet tube and jig hackles may behave differently.

Good luck.

John

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[subsailor618]

I have used both and continue to use my fingers more often than not.

[mr max]

Is there any validity to the claim that the rotary pliers will reduce hackle twists?Thanks again members for your responces,what a great world wide community that will offer their advise in helping to solve a problem.