How to Use a Whip Finisher

It’s possible to make flies for years without ever using a whip finisher but it’s such a handy and useful tool there’s little reason to do without one. There are several

kinds of whip finishers but they all do the same job. And they’re very small and very inexpensive, too. Why go without one?

First, understand the reason an angler would want to know how to use a whip finisher in the first place is because this finish is instrumental in keeping the fly intact as it, well, flies through the air at the end of a cast. Nobody wants their work to go flying wildly off through the air in a bazillion pieces that will never land a fish and whip finishing helps keep things together.

Whip finishing can be done by hand but many anglers find it difficult to do since every part of the process is small and delicate, unlike the hands of many an angler. Practice makes ‘em perfect but there are only six simple steps to master.

Step #1 – Pull several inches of thread from the bobbin and drape the free end of the thread over the straight end of the fly hook. Place the whip finisher against the thread just below the fly hook and catch the thread in the short, smooth crook at one end of the finisher. Hold the whip finisher so this crook is at the top and the longer, indented crook is at the bottom.

Step #2 – Holding the hook and whip finisher still, pass the thread underneath the finisher, catching it on the indention in the bottom crook of the finisher.

Step #3 – Let go of the top end of the finisher, so it drops below the indented end and you have a triangle made of thread. For the smoothest, strongest finish, be sure to keep enough tension on the thread to prevent tangles and slips.

Step #4 – Use the whip finisher handle to wrap the thread around the fly several times. Some anglers choose five or six spins here while others prefer to cover the entire shank of the hook.

Step #5 – Once wrapping is complete, tilt the finisher tool so that the thread can slip easily off the indented base of the finisher.

Step #6 – Give the bobbin a tug to tighten the knot you’ve created on the fly then gently pull the finishing tool away from the thread, releasing it as you go. Use fingers to smooth and tighten the wrapped (finished) section you’ve just created.Use scissors to clip off the dangling threads.

Voila – a whipped finish!