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I have never seen this skill described any where else even though it is integral to tying a whole cross section of flies.

What it involves is describing the skill needed to bend a hackle so that when it is tied in that tying in process does not cause the tips of the hackle to flare away from where they are intended to be.

If you have ever tied a Mrs Simpson fly with its ring neck pheasant feathers along the side you will know just how frustrating it is when as you tighten your hackle to lick the individual feathers into place the tip in fact flare out so that they are no longer in contact with the sides of the hook shank or the tail of the fly.

Similarly, when you tie flies with a hackle flat across the back of a fly, for example a Murdoch or a mudeye pattern, you will recognise the same frustration when the feather stands up more like a down wing than a back of an insect as you lock the hackle into place, generally toward the eye of the hook, but, always on top of the hook shank or on top of dressing that is on top of the hook shank.

Process

A	This is a ring neck pheasant feather (also called church window feather) showing the natural curve of the feather.

B	I am right handed. To bend the hackle (well actually the quill of the hackle) hold the hackle flat between the thumb and second finger of your left hand and pull that portion of the quill that you want to bend against your thumb nail. Your thumb nail needs to be tight into the flesh of the second finger as shown.

C	You may need to repeat the process a couple of times to get the desired amount of bend in the quill. I have drawn the hackle over my thumb nail 4 times to achieve the bend in the quill in this photo.

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