No Hackle Fly Tying Instructions by Charlie Craven

[@GeorgeSemel]

I remember first reading about this fly in Joe Brooks's Book Trout. Around 1971. He mentioned a few young fly fishers and Fly Tyers in it, Rene Harrop, Dave Whitlock, and of course Doug Swisher and Carl Richards. I never could tie the fly, it usually came out a mess. Mike Lawson said that it doesn't matter to tie and fish the fly. We are so lucky today with all the good instruction that is just a click away. Excellent demonstration and explanation.

[@roleypyolee91]

THANK YOU! I have watched Mike Lawson's videos and many others, but this was probably the clearest explanation (and visualization).

[@Michael-hg6ky]

Love it when you go all ad lib and sweat it out during the performance.....amazing technique, that wing wrap looks like a challenge for sure.

[@2323mhaddon]

We’ve not met, but thank you for showing how this fly is done properly and very well. I had done my own video on the no hackle, and, as usual, your tying puts mine to shame. Awesome!

[@williamarmstrong9970]

Charlie we NEED to see you fish this fly. Looks GREAT, wish I had that much talent.

[@richardjones2129]

Thank you Charlie for a clear description of how to tie a no hackle fly. I haven't tied one in a long time. I appreciate your clear and precise instructions on how to tie the wings in first which was how I was taught. Thank you again I will use your tips on tying wings in. I to have a collection of various duck and upland bird wings! Thanks again. God Bless n Fish on!

[@rickmai2261]

Well done Charlie. A tough fly to tie. No Hackle is a classic spring creek fly. You mentioned Mike Lawson video which is good. Rene Harrop's Family Ties dvd also does an excellent job of tying the No Hackle. Finding some good quality duck quills is a bit of a challenge if you don't hunt. Many of the commercial quills aren't too great.

[@maknifeandrods7701]

Very impressive. Like all the flies you tie. Love the series some of these flies haven’t been shown being tied in twenty year. I just pulled out my dads streamers he fished on the Ausable in Michigan over 50 years ago. So cool. No one ties those anymore.

[@nathanmumford1277]

Well done Charlie (standing while slow clapping)! I love that you were able to show the thread path across the slips! Such a helpful piece of information! You feel like you stand a few inches taller when one of these turns out the way it should! Nice work!

[@brianfeeney9493]

🎉 KING 👑 CRAVEN ……. Bowing in Admiration and Respect ✊ ✨🎣💫

[@allieone8518]

I used to think that No Hackle Dun would be your weakest point, yet I was wrong. Your tie is just as beautiful and perfectly balanced as that of Rene Harrop or Mike Lawson. Charlie, you are the Iron Fly Tyer! 👍👍👍

[@MrBluegrouse]

Thank you so much for this one, Charlie!!! Massively helpful!!! Beautiful, as always.

[@deanransom2350]

Nice tie, beautiful fly. I have tried to tie it, didn't work out too well. One of the real positives about this fly is what Mike Lawson mentioned in his video on this fly: the more split and ratty the wings get in fishing this fly, the better the fish seem to like it. A paraphrase of course, but it's reassuring since quill wings will split. Thanks Charlie, keep tying.

[@brianfoley3322]

Was looking forward to this one…….thanks bud…….keep em comin, best videos out there!

[@theinvasivespecies1119]

Wow! I'll really need to practice to get that one. You rock Charlie 🪨

[@tonysobina8390]

Wow! Does this take me back to the Swisher / Richards days and trying to tye this fly without much instruction! Not easy ! Ive seen Mike Lawson's video and I'd like to Thank You for some very good instruction as well! There are some very good tips like the flex cement and seperating the wings a bit more. Thanks for bringing an older Beautiful Fly back to life. Gonna have to try tying this one back up!

[@derekcunningham9993]

Nice one. Interesting techniques, with those thread wraps. Ill stick to tying my wet fly wings, like the butcher family. Using the blues

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Beautiful fly!

[@Adipper]

Tough one to teach Charlie, good job powering through to get those "bat ears" just right for wily trout.

[@mattlittle3330]

Damn good one man. Anyone who has successfully tied one of these is either a master or it happened on accident. You are definitely the former and I am definitely the latter. I figure I tie a good one every 4-5 years or so. =]

[@FlyTyer1948]

If you regularly tie no-hackles, you can create a measurement tool for each size wing pair with a ruler, a pair of sewing pins or push pins & a popsicle stick. Measure & mark the exact width of wing fibers you want, use a pin drill to make 2 holes, insert & glue in the pins. You can then use the 2 pins on the stick to separate the wing fibers & cut them off the feather as exact matches. Unfortunately, I lost the sticks in a move & haven’t remeasured & made them again, so I can’t send you the measurements. Viewed from the side, the popsicle tool looks like this: ________|____|

[@kellyjohnson9833]

Simply awesome!!! Thank you.

[@sjohnson4882]

Great job.

[@c.p.1688]

Well done!

[@veritasrestituta812]

Wow Charlie that’s a beauty this is a tuff one, shout out to Rene Harrop and Swisher and Richards there’s a story there that pre dates Lawson. Rene’s no hackles are unbelievable there is some footage out there of him tying them but Charlie did this justice no surprise

[@joebare844]

Rene' has a DVD called Harrop Family Ties and he shows how to tie the No Hackle. I've tied No Hackles commercially for the last 15 years for Henry's Fork Anglers and Dry Fly Innovations. What I have always found funny is people complain the wings come apart and yet the more the fibers separate the better it fishes. Duck Quill is way more durable than any deer or elk hair because the fibers don't break they just separate. Great tie Charlie beautiful!!!

[@jdigioia1130]

Great tie, as usual. What is the vinyl cement used on the wings? Thanks! 🎣

[@davidtuohy4544]

Take a bow Charlie 😜👌

[@johnquinn34]

Amazing tie. By an amazing tier. Tell me if I’m wrong: if you want to catch 6 fish with this fly, you need 6 flies. One and done?

[@joebare844]

John Quinn...I grew up here in southeastern Idaho fishing the Henry's Fork. I've tied and fished the No Hackle for many years. The finished wing just makes the fly look pretty the more you fish it and the more the fibers separate the better it fishes...

[@clintbrumitt5230]

Mike Lawson in his videos about this fly says exactly what JoeBare844 stated. The separated fibers make the fly fish better.

[@tinoyb9294]

The trick with any duck wing seems to be to use a slip of feather that is much wider than what you would expect on the finished fly. Always had trouble with that.

[@seanfalconer7182]

😲 Ooooohhh

[@joef1299]

Charlie, doubt you’ll respond but I’ll ask anyway: are there times/situations where traditional no hackle flies are superior to more “modern” offerings? I’m trying to convince myself there’s no reason to frustrate myself with tying them (beyond the achievement factor) but wonder if this is a fool’s lie.

[@joebare844]

Joe F...I grew up here in Idaho fishing the Henry's Fork. I've tied the No Hackle for years and it is one of the most deadliest flies on the planet...it takes hard work to learn to tie but is well worth the effort...people are always worried about making the wings perfect when they tie it but as you fish it the more the fly gets chewed on and the fibers separate the better it fishes...Don't worry about tying the wings exactly perfect

[@joef1299]

@@joebare844just seeing your reply. You’ve motivated me to try my hand at them.

[@termite122]

takes some balls to tie that pattern on video with that million times zoomed in lens....thats why there are none tied on video and likes video is old and you cant really see it well...great job..

[@paulbryan1094]

Superb effort. The real difficulty is getting match feathers 🪶