Northwest Fishing Reports

Well, Toni, Marabou is not usually palmered. You can take small bunches off the quill and tie it on the hook, usually on the top and and bottom, proceeding forward and layering it. Start at the back of the hook and move forward. This will give the material freedom to flow freely while jigging it through the water.

The problem with palmering marabou is if the fish strikes the fly and cuts the quill with it's teeth, the palmered marabou will unravel.

I layer all my marabou.

Toni, actually you can palmer marabou. you build yourself a dubbing loop and insert the pulled off pieces of marabou into the loop and spin it.
There are plenty of patterns out there that use this technique.
here is an example of a fly tied with marabou and a dubbing loop. http://hatchesmagazine.com/patterns/Mar ... ress/5922/

I use Spey Blood Quills for palmering.I've always palmered marabou by pulling off one side of the marabou and discarding the pulled off marabou and wrapping the now one sided marabou quill on the hook then counter wrapping a very thin wire through it.

palmering marabou is very common. Use the ones that are about 5 inches or more. sounds like you are trying to use the pin feathers and yes those are too small. The biggest size, the quill is too big. Keep a little cup of water close and dip your fingers prior to stroking the feather down. This will help tame the feather as you go. I have heard of trimming one side of the feather but I don't feel it is really needed. Tony do a quick google search "palmering marabou" and you will be able to see lots of vids on how to do it. Once you watch it done a few times it makes it easier and you will see some helpful tips, like the water.

goodtimesfishing wrote:palmering marabou is very common. Use the ones that are about 5 inches or more. sounds like you are trying to use the pin feathers and yes those are too small. The biggest size, the quill is too big. Keep a little cup of water close and dip your fingers prior to stroking the feather down. This will help tame the feather as you go. I have heard of trimming one side of the feather but I don't feel it is really needed. Tony do a quick google search "palmering marabou" and you will be able to see lots of vids on how to do it. Once you watch it done a few times it makes it easier and you will see some helpful tips, like the water.

I don't need to. That was over 2 years ago and I have learned. I learned a lot about quality products.

sorry

Duncan Dharkeez wrote:

Marc Martyn wrote:Well, Toni, Marabou is not usually palmered. You can take small bunches off the quill and tie it on the hook, usually on the top and and bottom, proceeding forward and layering it. Start at the back of the hook and move forward. This will give the material freedom to flow freely while jigging it through the water.

The problem with palmering marabou is if the fish strikes the fly and cuts the quill with it's teeth, the palmered marabou will unravel.

I layer all my marabou.

None of this is true. I just wanted to set the record straight. Tons of people palmer boo and I have caught 182 salmon on one of my best jigs with zero quill failure. Post De-Bunked

Kind of harsh, don't you think Duncan? Marc is just speaking from the "old school" that once thought the same of peacock quill, pheasant tail, etc. Even today, if the technique is not correct, what Marc said about the teeth cutting the quill is still correct. My big browns will destroy your salmon jig in seconds, unless you have done something special. They will also destroy ............... Marc also said that "Marabou is not usually palmered", not that it never was palmered.

Even on the Galloup series of articulated flies, where he palmers marabou a lot, he normally has to put down head cement to palmer into to prevent what Marc is talking about.

I palmar marabou a lot, and I use the ugliest webbiest quill out there, but I am usually tying articulated with a #4 3XL front hook and a swing wire I bend up for the back. I tie a base of thread and marabou and then coat it with head cement. I then palmar the quill into it and let it set. This works well for me.

What mark says to do will also work, and it has proven itself over and over again.

I guess this time "Post De-Bunked" is DE-BUNKED Show a little respect, Marc knows more about fly fishing and tying them most people around, and his opinion is still worth listening to.