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AKA: Legs - palmered hackle

If my memory of things I have read about Palmering flies is right then the term Palmering a fly has its origins around 1300 AD, that's right about 700 years ago.

Whilst a fly can be palmered in either direction along the hook shank and doesn't necessarily require wire or thread to be wrapped along it in the opposite direction for reinforcement I always wind the hackle from front to back and reinforce the palmered hackle with thread or wire wound from the back to front as detailed below.

Process

A	Tie a hackle in directly in front of the body of the fly.

B	Taking one or more turns of the hackle directly in front of the body of the fly. If it's a Woolly Bugger your tying then to or three wraps of the hackle in front of the body is best. If the Palmered hackle is on a fly such as a Mallard and Claret or a Stimulator where wings etc. have to be tied in in front of the body only one turn of the hackle is taken in front of the body.

C	Wind the hackle down the hook shank to the bend of the hook taking three or four wraps of the hackle that are equally separated from each other.

D	Whilst holding the hackle in place at the bend of the with your left hand pick up the copper wire with your right hand and wind the copper wire forward to the eye of the hook taking three or four wraps of the wire that are equally separated from each other.

E	Trim the excess hackle at the bend of the hook with a blade. By using a blade an not scissors you don't run the risk of cutting off barbules from the Palmered hackle that should be retained.

F	Finished palmered Woolly Bugger.

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