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For tyers, the best, fastest way to tie soft hackles is incredibly simple. With the hook in the vise, present thread and prepared hackle to the shank and wrap hackle on as you wrap and lock your hackle on. Then wrap back toward the back of the shank and make the desired body with thread, or floss, or whatever.. then wrap the hackle and tie off BEHIND the hackle. Cover the tie-off with a tiny bit of dubbing and move your thread forward through the hackle. Tie a tiny head in front of the hackle to push it back slightly. Tie off and clip your thread.
It takes mere seconds to tie and it looks extremely good.
The hackle is tied in by the tip with the convex side to the shank and the butt of the feather pointing AWAY from the eye and on the back side of the shank.
If using thread bodies, use flat thread and keep unwinding it as you go to keep it flat which is the only way to produce a beautiful flat body.
If your hackles are too big for the flies you want to tie, wrap them first around the shank, well back from the eye. The wrap the down with thread toward the eye and make them point forward from under the thread. Then make your body and finish off by wrapping the thread through the hackle and then sweeping it back toward the bend and making a head in front to shove it back. Tie off with a tiny head for class.
