palmering marabou

[TooDrunkToFish]

when palmering marabou, do you wrap forwards towards the jig head or wrap backwards towards the hook point? I'm wondering how all of those nice store-bought marabou jigs (like First Bite) can look so "full", without the thread wraps showing near the jig head...

[Old Salt]

when palmering marabou, do you wrap forwards towards the jig head or wrap backwards towards the hook point? I'm wondering how all of those nice store-bought marabou jigs (like First Bite) can look so "full", without the thread wraps showing near the jig head...

I have the first bite video and have tied flies for decades. I must admit that I will be tying jigs for the first time soon. But in the video they use thread that is similar in color to the hackle color and they do wrap from the back towards the front. Make like 3 wraps to secure the feathers and then do 3 half hitches. I am going to try to make a whip finish myself. I have always done whip finishes by hand (without a tool) and it is not much harder than a half hitch and a lot faster. Only thing I am worried about is making a whip finish behind the bead. Normally they are done at the head of the hook. I bet it can be done though.

I do think the video is worth the money. About half of it is about tying. They use a lot more cement than I am used to and they use kevlar thread. No worries of breaking thread with heavy bobbin tension.

Most of the jigs are tied with one hackle feather and one schlappen. The materials are well displayed and available at the first bite web site.

http://pnwws.com/cgi-bin/firstbitejigs/store/store.pl

I guess it is fine to post their link, since they are a sponsor. You can get the supplies from other sources though too...as long as you know what you are looking for. Especially the brass beads and barbells are cheaper at other sites.

[fishkisser]

Try getting some rabbit zonker strips and palmer from back to front ...
Marabou tail , a little crystal flash , and the bunny body is a real producer for Me ...
On the bigger flys and jigs you can go to magnum zonker strips ...
Barney's Bunny ... try it you'll like it ...:D

[Yoter]

I've always gone back to front. You don't need to over do it with the final wraps of thread right behind the jig head, just a few nice tight ones and the half hitches.
I'll second the rabbits strips too, very easy to use and work great. I like to keep a bowl of water handy to slick back the fur or feather as i wrap to keep from over lapping.

[Yoter]

here is a few with palmered marabou over palmer schlapen

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/JIGS_008.jpg

[StickFish]

Those will catch fish - Jennie needs some of those

[Pelhament]

Back to Front - I have been tying flies for a little over 3 years now and I was always told and have come to find out that tying off feathers right behind a bead head is one of the hardest things to do. What I do is wrap the feather in the same direction that I am wrapping the thread (clockwise or counterclockwise) and get it as close to the bead head as possible. Strip off any remaining fibers so you are just tying down the stem. Take two quick tight wraps to tack it down, and then your half-hitches or whip finish. What you can also do is tie down the feather and then dub a collar behind the bead head to cover the thread wraps with a color of dubbing that matches your fly.