How to form knots on Pheasant Tail fibres using a 1.5mm Crochet Hook by Davie McPhail

Pheasant Tail Legs...

[@noelange1]

I tried your tweezers method and could not do it. Will give this a try, actually looks easier. Still tie a lot of your patters, have sold some of the red tags and cracklebacks and a few others and have caught tons of fish on your patterns.Never thought I would get some excited again tying after 35 years of not doing it and then starting again at age 72, will be 74 in November, love your videos and expert methods. Have a great and blessed day, go fishing if you can. Jeff Niagara Falls NY

[@charlescomeau6930]

went and got myself a crchet hook this morning. hello from canada

[@volyak1]

I just got my crochet hook in from Amazon. Been working on making the knots, but I’m about to go mad trying it. I’ll keep trying.

[@noelange1]

Hello from Niagara Falls, you seem more like a close friend rather the being so far away, I have learned so much from you videos. Finally found your magic touch for tying the pheasant tail fibers into bug legs. Love the crochet hook. Jeff

[@lewismcgregor5330]

I've used a large needle with one side of the eye ground out, it works but is a PIA. This looks much easier. Cheers for posting.

[@rakishevmika]

отлично придумал! привет из Кыргызстана! ! hello from Kyrgyzstan)

[@ThePinhi]

great tip Davie. Thank you. David on Vancouver Island.

[@it_only_counts_on_fly3473]

Davie, you were my favourite fly tyer of all time..... until I discovered this video, sitting for the past hour trying to get the hang of this n the wife roaring at me to go n get fire lighters 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Only joking about the used to, you're a Leg end!

[@ludopolleunis4559]

Thanks for showing the easy tool :)

[@karlpopp8919]

I miss the blue background! :-)Brilliant as allways Davie!

[@GeorgeSemel]

Thanks for the tip, I never bothers putting legs on my hoppers because it was frustrating to make them, and the fish didn't care - Going to go to the sewing store and buy a couple of small crochet hooks or needles !

[@dannymcg8300]

Very informative video Davie. Thank you for sharing.

[@1nf0fr34k]

Another excellent piece of instruction, there's a lot going on here and if you don't succeed the first time it's worth persevering. For about 20mins I was finding this about the same speed as knotting the fibres with my fingers but I'm quite good at that (you have to take the Fibres off the feather and knot it from the fat end to do that fast as the direction of the comb on the fibre works against you otherwise), then I started to get quicker at this. Watch carefully how Davie holds the loop in the fibre open so the needle doesn't pull it closed and jamb. It's all here, keep watching again and again if it doesn't work for you.

[@lyutcev1978]

Greetings from Rossii.Spasibo video.Ya much for thinking you are buying a ready perya.V your videos you learn a lot of useful sposobov.Eschё Thank you again for your work.

[@MrBluegrouse]

Fantastic! Thank you!!!

[@callumford3662]

great skill again

[@seanmooney3907]

Now I have a use for all the tiny crochet hooks my mom used to use. Thanks for sharing Davie, I do appreciate it. All the best to you and your family. God bless, Sean

[@ArkRed1]

It worked with the tweezers method for me, but I want to try both the crochet hook and the latch hook knitting needle.

[@giusbon1130]

GENIALE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@RonMTube]

This looks much easier than the tweezer method.

[@MAX-nx3tj]

красота ...........

[@vastflyfishing545]

thanks again@@@@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@vastflyfishing545]

check out my latest video. the wedged wet fly by vast fly fishing... id really appreciate ur input. negative or positive. thanks and u r the best fly tier on here for sure. keep the greatness coming n cant wait for ur next one

[@allanmcclenaghan1209]

cheers mate give it a go I'm very busy I'll try call you this week about 1 o clock afternoon I'm getting a lot of orders for some weird flys no bother me I'll take it when I can cheers

[@craigdebeer1444]

Tried to get pheasant tail feathers but all are so short and very thin. Were can I get some quills like those in your video.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Craig, A great way in getting good tails is to buy them from sellers on Ebay, as many of them are the keepers, so I have attached a link to some that are being sold at the moment.. All the very best Davie www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=30+cock+pheasant+tails&_sacat=0

[@zelen1111]

Привет из России!

i have to admit , i neuer knew how that worked

[@ArkRed1]

I tried the 1.5 crochet hook. I made the loop OK, but when I try to pull the tail through the loop it slips out of the hook. So, I make the loop with the crochet hook, then reach through the loop with fine surgical tweezers, catch the tail and pull it through. How do you keep the tail from not slipping off the hook? Do you have a special kind of pheasant tail fibers you use that will stay stiff? I use dubbing wax to try to keep the tail fibers rigid, but I still can't get the tail part of the fiber through the loop without the tweezers.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Arkansas Red, I just sat down and practised until I got used to forming the knot with the crochet hook. I remember watching my mum and the movement she did and this is how I worked out how to tye the knot..I didn't do anything to stiffen the pheasant tail as all I did was rest the pheasant tail fibre on my finger and used my thumb to help control it..I hope this is of some help to you but if you know anyone that crochets then they would be able to help you as well... All the very best Davie...

[@EnriqueSantiagofly]

Hi Dave. 2 knots are enough?

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi @EnriqueSantiagofly, It depends on the size of fly that you are tying as you can get away with one knot close to the tip of the fibre for smaller flies like hoppers and some caddis I like to tye.. Two knots allows you to tye larger patterns like daddy long legs...When I have a pheasant tail with a good long fibre I will keep them for the larger flies and knot them twice and with the feathers with the shorter fibre length I will tye them with a single knot... All the very best Davie

[@EnriqueSantiagofly]

@@DavieMcPhail thank You friend

[@krallmi48]

Do you feel this is the best way, Davie, or are you likely to go to your other methods? Mike

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Mike, To be really honest I don't think I could tye the legs any better than using the crochet hook as it's easy and quick once you get the just of it... All the very best Davie

[@krallmi48]

Well, Sarah is going to dig me out a crochet hook and I'll see if I can have it be better for me, too... thanks, Davie.

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Hi Davie! Have you tried with more than one fiber? I would like to ty the legs for a hopper.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Eduardo Martin Sanchez Seijas, I have tyed up to 6 fibres together to make the grasshopper legs, it's a little bit harder to do as it's very easy to miss one or two fibres which will make the leg look a bit messy... All the very best Davie

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Thanks Davie! All the best from Argentina.

[@HuntingCreatures]

Eduardo, de qué parte de Argentina eres? Yo originariamente soy del Chaco, pero ahora vivo en Charlotte, Carolina del Norte.

[@birrapampa]

Davie, i can´t is so difficult!!!

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi birrapampa, When I was younger I used to watch my mum crochet blankets and I remember the movement she did so this is how I got it quite quick though you still have to sit down and practice a bit to get it right.. All the very best Davie

[@birrapampa]

ok Davie, i will try with my wife!!