How to Tie a Deer Hair Post

Deer hair is a hollow and buoyant material. The capacity for flotation makes the hair a common material choice for tying dry flies. The hair is died in a variety of colors to increase visibility for the fly fisherman. The post is a vertical clump of hair that stabilizes the fly and provides a base for wrapping a parachute-style hackle. Calf tail and synthetic materials are common for posts because they provide flexibility and are easy to tie. Deer requires extra manipulation to create the proper shape, but the effort is justified by the superior flotation.

Things You'll Need

  • Fly-tying vise
  • 6/0 thread
  • Scissors
  • Hair stacker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clamp the hook in the jaws of your vise. Begin the thread at the hook eye and wrap it to the one-half point on the shank. Wrap the thread back to the one-third point and stop. There is a short gap between the post and hook eye on most flies.

    • 2

      Cut a clump of deer hair from a hide. Use your fingers to comb the loose fibers and underfur from the base of the hair.

    • 3

      Place the hair in the hair stacker, tips first. The stacker is a metal cylinder that aligns the tips of the hair. Tap the stacker against a hard surface to align the tips. Separate the two sections on the stacker and remove the hair.

    • 4

      Measure the hair to match the length of the hook. Place the measured point at the thread position with the hair tips facing the hook eye. Make four soft thread wraps to gather the hair on top of the hook. Make an additional four firm wraps to secure the hair.

    • 5

      Use scissors to trim the base of the hair from the hook. Make an additional 10 wraps to secure the hair on the shank. Pinch the tips of the hair and pull them into a vertical position. Make 10 tight helicopter thread wraps around the base of the hair to create the post.

    • 6

      Wrap the thread in front of the post until it holds the vertical position without your assistance. Tie the remainder of the specific fly pattern.