I've been reading this bb for over a year, and have spent so much time reading that I never thought to get a login and join the fun.

I'm a recent convert to the wonderful world of float/jig rigging. I took the advice of some of you and ordered up some beautiful jigs....and wouldn't you know it first time out with them 3 hooked 2 landed.

I have since decided to try tying my own because there is just something cool about hooking up on your own creation, but I'm having a little trouble. When I try to palmer wrap the marabou it either breaks or comes out looking just plain ugly.

Any advice or tips would be great.

Thanks

Jim-
The first key is to get good quality marabou! Dont go and buy your marabou at some chainstore or OE or Sportco.

Go to a good flyshop...you are in Des Moines so a run down to The Morning Hatch in Tacoma or if you make it to Seattle often, a run into Salmon Bay Tackle would be a great investment.

Secondly, I almost always palmer a stiff sadle hackle before I palmer the marabou to give the marabou shoulders and so it stands up in the current. And I always, wet my marabou when I am palmering it...I tie it in by the tip (which is key), make sure the convex side is towards the front of your jig, and then lick your fingers. With your moistened fingers run it along the marabou and pull it back so the hackles are at a 90 degree angle to the plume. With each wrap, pull the marabou back to a 90 degree angle and also lightly pull it back with your dampned fingers to get the flow you want.

Hope this helps...it is much easier done then said.

Thanks for the info. Gonna try it tonight after work.

Here's there web page.
http://salmonbaytackle.com/

You can also try fur. Fur makes great jigs and is sure easier to tie.

Let me know how they turn out.

Hi as already mentioned spey hackeling with Marabou requires some special techniques.Some form of support for the marabou is needed. One can use a palmered hackle feather or one can tie in and spin a bundle of deer hair to keep the marabou from stringing out. One can use the fold over palmer approach or one can tie in the marabou spey style.In spey style you need to use a proper feather not blood marabou and you need to trim it back so that you are tying in a fine suple stem by the butt. You should trim away the outer side of the feather for the first 1/2".
All spey hackles and for that matter palmered hackle should be counterwound with thread to trap the stem in case it is severed by the fishes teeth.
Most jigs are improved in both appearance and function by the addition of a small amount of crystal flash .You should leave enough space above your marabou to tie in the butts of crystal flash with the tips over the head ,then force the material back over the marabou and tie in a head with several turns to hold it back and flaring as a sheath over the marabou.
coot

Coot- Thanks for the info and tips. Can you explain this counter-winding thing a little more? I tie flies and jigs and stuff, but I'm not familiar with the technique. Thanks,
Matt

if you are in Desmoines the right downtown kent is Schoffes fly shop they are great. I have just started tying my own jigs and do not even use the uhhh " Palmer not" I just tie man with the knowledge I have used in all the other flies I have tied. Thats my 2 cents....

I've stripped the fibers off one side of the marabou before winding and it seems to help.

Counterwinding is merely the process of winding the thread back to the point where you started your hackle and then forward again to the head of the fly. You want each turn of thread to go over the stem of each turn of the hackle to bind the stem down.
You do your counterwind in the opposite direction to that of the hackle.If you wound the hackle clockwise wind your thread counterclockwise. To start winding the thread you must first apply one or two half hitches this locks your thread so you can counterwind without the thread loosening.
coot

HI: instead of palmering the hackle, try stripping it and then tying in the bunches at the head. If the fibers are too long or you need to balance out the tail section, do not cut, but pinch the ends off until they are the length you want. Palmering is difficult with marabou.

Also when you strip the vains, wet your fingers and then pull down the wet fingers over the marabou. This will cause it to lay flat and makes it easier to work with.

Giz.

Thanks Coot. I'll give it a try.
Matt