Palmering?

I was looking at a fly recipe and it instructed to "Palmer the hackle forward" "dry style for greater floatation or wet style".
Could someone explain this process to me? Thanks.

Palmering is referring to wrapping the hackle over the fly body.

http://www.ehow.com/video_2353533_ti...fly-tying.html

Thanks Chris, that explains some of it but what is the difference between dry and wet?

P.s Make Sure your wrapping in the right Direction, its a rookie mistake but I have seen a lot of guys going the wrong way..

Palmering is wrapping the hackle forward or backward with some space between the wraps. I don't think there is a "wrong way". The wraps are usually counteribbed with wire or something to protect them. The only difference between wet or dry would be the hackle used.
A good example of a palmered dry fly would be the elk hair caddis. The Invicta wet fly also has a palmered hackle.
Jason

If there is a wrong way, it would probably work even better.

Palmering is basically doing what you do with the tinsel on a gold ribbed hare's ear only with hackle.

A lot of people will tell you shiny side toward the eye of the hook for wet flies and dull side toward the eye for dry flies. Kinda easy to remember because the shiny side looks wet. I think this is what Washmilko is referring to by right and wrong.

Usually there is no wrong way in fly tying. It is just that a majority of people don't do it that way. A lot of productive flies have been created by people who do things the wrong way. Sometimes there is a very valid reason for doing things the right way, but 90% of the time it is done out of habit and tradition. Stir up the pot Lopat.

I know. Call me on it. I pulled that 90% statistic out of my butt, but hey this is the internet. Only 2% of the stuff out there is true (Shoot I did it again).

Littlej: what a strange response. There is definitely a correct way to wrap hackle! I advise anyone to read A.K. Best and learn how.

Let me try to answer this question a little better..If your dressing your fly with hackle you wrap clockwise just like your thread..If you do it opposite of the thread the feather doesnt sit right and it turns into a sloppy job..
Right on Alan!
I take it that alot of you guys in here do not take pride in tying your dries. And im sure the people with the ignornat comments have a "hackle gaurd" in there bin!

Walshmilko

I understand what you mean now, and I did not know that. Thanks for the info. I rarely wrap hackle other than on bugger style flies.

I guess my response was weird, but not intended to stir anyone up. Please let me explain myself. While I admit I am a novice fly tier and fisherman, from all of my reading I have come to the conclusion that there rarely is a correct way to do things. For instance, just because a lot of people enjoy tying intricate flies (it is an art), often the simple one minute flies get the job done better as far as catching fish is concerned. Furthermore, from the little experience I do have, flies that get shredded often continue to take fish. If you ask a 100 people what the best leader setup is, you are likely to get 100 different answers. While there are basic rules of thumb, sticking to the rules just because someone claims they are the rules isn't always the best thing to do.

I apologize if my response was taken any other way, and I am grateful for all of the knowledge I gain from the sight.

Walshmiko.....Thanks for clearing that up...the rotation is definitely clockwise and the direction can be either backward or forward.
As for your comment edited into your post.......I assure you, I take pride in all the flys I tie and if it was my comment you are calling "ignorant" it was only in response to your choice of words..."direction" instead of rotation. Just a misunderstanding.
That said....I am not a novice tier and would like to contribute to the forum but if its going to get pissy every time then....screw it...it just ain't worth it.

Jason,
As a novice tier, any advise from an experienced on is golden in my book.

Clockwise/Counter Clockwise Would be a Direction.

rotation.....direction...its all semmantics. The important thing is I understand the concept now. Thanks to everyone.

guys this can be done from the front and the rear of the fly ,it can be counterclockwise or clockwise and that could depend on if you are left handed or not , there are alot of ways to do hackel . one for dry flies one for wet . palamering with the dry looking side going forward will flare the feather so it will sit up like a dry hackel if you do it so the glossy side is on top that should make them dress down wet fly style . Sometimes it helps to stroke the feather back for the wet fly ,also sizing the feather to the size fly you want for trout flys is important to .try doing it different ways and you will see what im talking about .I love tying flies just for this reason they are a challenge ,if you want some thing to work you have to work at it ,sometimes it takes me awhile to figure out something but in the end i can figure it out ,good luck guys

This is a classic example of where often people new to fly tying have little respect for classic definitions, terminology, fly names etc... consider such things archaic and un-necessary only used by old men with greybeards and toothless grins.

We classify flies and methods so that we can communicate them with others. Many moons ago before every tom dick and harry started to tie flies fly patterns were reasonably specific and could be copied reasonably well by following the materials used and the techniques used - and you would not be too far off the mark.

It has all become so loose that if ten tiers tied the same pattern that you would end up with at least 3 different flies.

Good commumication in fly tying means holding true to prescribed techniques and terminology - anything less leads to confusion. If you vary from the prescribed then point that out when you try and share a sucessful pattern.

Thankfully the internet allows us to post pictures and step by steps or even videos - I suppose this allows even clearer communication than trying to do it verbally but I still think it worthwhile to hang on to the "old and trusted" definitions.

I really did not want to stir up a hornet's nest when I asked what palmering was. I've only been tying for about 3 months and many of the terms involved are new to me. Let's, as Juice would say, squash this board as I can research the process now that I have an understanding of it.
Thanks again.

I'd like to thank those who've posted interesting patterns on this forum that look promising and I'm very anxious to give them a try when I get my vise. I think it would be wise to check out a book or two regarding the definitions of techniques used in traditional tying so we can all better communicate how to tie these flies. On that note, anyone have some recommendations of books for basic patterns/techniques to cover the bases for a solid spectrum of flies?

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