The standard way of ribbing and hackling the body of a salmon fly is hackle, oval tinsel, flat tinsel (see Dia. A).

I have a postcard of an antique Durham Ranger wherein the tyer used a different sequence than the above described. He tied in the hackle followed by the flat tinsel followed finally by the oval tinsel (Dia. B).

This started me thinking. I wondered if there might not be a better way to accomplish this ribbing and hackling. When a salmon fly has a seal body, I have always felt that the seal actually hindered the body hackle by pushing against it from the left due to the "shoulder" it created (Dia. C

The hackle now has an easier time when you try to sweep it back against the fly's body. Are you ready? Yep - see Dia. D.

Another method of ribbing a seal body is: oval tinsel, flat tinsel and lastly, on the right, the body hackle. I tied a full-dressed fly using this sequence and it worked well. Do I even have to say this? See Dia. E.

Now, some of you might be thinking "how come the sequence - flat tinsel, body hackle, oval tinsel - isn't mentioned? Try it, you'll see why!

I tied the spey fly using the flat tinsel, oval tinsel, body hackle sequence. Obviously it's the last sketch (F).

One slight drawback to the methods described above is that the hackle can obscure the tinsel slightly. This is because the hackle is being drawn over the tinsel from the right instead of away from the tinsel if tied in on the tinsel's left side.

A scientific poll taken from 547 knowledgeable salmon fly tyers in the Lake Oswego, OR area showed the following results:

Nbr. %
Obtained superb results 0 3
Obtained good results 213 39
Obtained average results 183 33
Not recommended 17 3
Typical Chinn crap 213 39
Totals (postage included) 627 117

F. The last sketch

Tie in the flat tinsel first. Then beside it tie in the oval tinsel followed by the hackle. After completing the seal body wind the flat tinsel up the body first. Next wind the oval tinsel tight up against the right side of the flat tinsel. Finally wind the body hackle tight against the right side of the oval tinsel.

After trying this Method, you probably would expect your fly to look noticeably better. The next word must be thought, screamed and read over and over again-----WRONG!

This method has a partner and he's called Mr. Hackle. If Mr. Hackle is of poor quality, Mr. Method alone won't really improve your fly "much".

How do you know if Mr. Hackle is of poor quality? Listen carefully - "heh, heh! ", that's him laughing at ya!

Oh, all right, if you still haven't gotten the hint - most tyers (I'd say all, but there is a tyer on the Isle of Quemoy who has decent Mr. Hackle) are using poor to horrible Hackle.

While tyers are scouring the world for exotic feathers, I'm quietly searching for decent body hackle. Now you're thinking and asking "what's decent hackle?" - Nice try, but that's why we have a Difficult Partnership!