A fly tying whip finish tool is a special tool designed to help you make loops tighter. At the same time, they give you a hand in stopping your thread from unravelling. That is if you use the fly tying whip finishing tool properly.
Here are some other options if you’re interested in shopping around:
| Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Best OverallDr. Slick Whip Finisher |
| Check Today's Price |
| Best BudgetKaaka 1Pc Simple Lures Fly Tying Tools Outdoor Fly Fishing Gear Rotary Finisher |
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| Best MidrangeGriffin Stainless Steel Matarelli Style Whip Finishing Tool |
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| Easiest To UseTiemco Umpqua Fly Tying Whip Finishing Tool Midge |
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 | Best All AroundTooltron Fly TYME Whip Finish |
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| Best GripC&F Design CFT-110 2-IN-1 Fly Tying Tool |
| Check Today's Price |
Inasmuch as the whip finish tools may vary in shapes and sizes, the best whip finishing material for fly tying comes with a straight handle plus a hook at one of the ends, including a spring wire arm.
Detailed Whip Finish Tool Review
Dr. Slick Whip Finisher
Check Trident Fly Fishing Price
Key Features:
- Comes with a built-in half hitch tool
- Elegant bamboo grip
- Superior quality fly tying tool
- Includes a rotary function
Arguably one of the best fly tying whip finishing tools on the US market right now at an incredibly affordable price. It’s not entirely easy to find a superior quality whip finisher at this price but still, be able to efficiently tie flies.
Straight out of the box, you go ahead and use it with no hassle whatsoever.
The whip finishing tool is capable of ensuring that your thread perfectly holds onto its arms, which means the thread will not slip off. This is the reason why you will find yourself tying an awesome finish knot. Therefore, the result will be better-tied fly to last you your entire fly fishing trip.
The elegant bamboo grip makes sure that the handle sets in your hand perfectly, which ensures complete control. Therefore, you could easily manoeuvre your thread and whip finisher like a pro. That is why you will feel it is very much comfortable in your hand.
Since you can get it in an assortment of sizes, you can comfortably use them to tie different sized flies, including Bunny Leeches and wooly bugger.
Kaaka Simple Lures Rotary Finisher
Key Features:
- Easy to use and carry
- Simple and practical design
- Great performance and cost efficient
- Made of high-quality brass
You don’t have to dig so deep into your pockets to get a practical and durable fly tying finishing tool. Even if you are on a budget, you can still make sure you tighten your knots with this whip finishing tool from Kaaka.
Furthermore, the tool comes in two different sizes. This means that it will be up to you to choose the sizes of the fly and the way you want to tie. You can comfortably finish your knots on drys and streamers or even nymphs. It all depends on your fly fishing needs.
This product will not only help you keep the knots tight but also help you keep them hidden and smaller. Therefore, you can easily hook up more trout while fly fishing without necessarily spooking them because of your poorly done fly.
This fly fishing whip finish tool is made of high-grade brass, which is why it is strong and durable. It is the reason why you can use it anywhere and on any sized fly. Also, you can use it at home or gear it up in your travel kit on your way to your location.
Sometimes cheap doesn’t mean poor quality. This budget whip finishing tool will deliver better performance as compared to other higher-priced products on the market right now.
Griffin Stainless Steel Matarelli Style Whip Finishing Tool
Key Features:
- Fast and efficient
- Rotating functionality
- Made of high-quality steel
Regardless of your fly fishing prowess – a beginner or an advanced angler, you will find this midrange whip finishing tool great.
The fact that it rotates and it is made of high-grade stainless steel means that you will come up with better-finished knots without the possibility of unravelling any time soon. Protruding knots would be a thing of the past.
Even though you might find it a bit challenging to get used to the rotating head at first, with continued use you will get a hang of things and become a pro at it. Therefore, you can save yourself some flies and time as well.
Since it’s the best midrange pick, it’s great for mid-sized flies and you can carry it with you anywhere you go.
Tiemco Umpqua Fly Tying Whip Finishing Tool Midge
Key Features:
- Ideal for finishing off smaller flies
- Can work with flies smaller than size 28
- Must-have tool
Although this is a great device for a small fly, it can surprisingly work well with larger flies like drys and streamers. However, you have to keep in mind that it may not give you a perfect knot at the end. Therefore, it will result in unravelled knots.
This means that if you want to get the perfect knot, you should use it to finish smaller flies like smaller dries and nymphs but ideal for a zebra midge fly pattern. Also, if you want to tie hook sizes above 16, this would be the perfect option.
Inasmuch as many fly tyers choose to use it for size 18s or smaller like nymphs, they could work for flies that are a little larger than that. But you should only use it for the larger ones if it is your only tool.
If you love hooking up trout with small flies, this would be the ideal whip finishing tool for you.
Tooltron Fly Tyme Whip Finish
Key Features:
- Caters to all fly tying needs
- Rotary whip material
- Comes with polished steel arms
If you are looking to buy for an ideal all-round material, this would be a great fit. The design makes it great for fly anglers who have just embarked on their fly fishing journey and are looking to tie different sized flies.
The all-round tool is an ideal pick if you would want to achieve neat and clean knots easily.
Since it comes with neatly polished steel seams, it easily feels comfortable in your hand and will last a very long time.
Also, it has a non-slip grip to ensure it stays firmly in your hands when fly tying. Therefore, you will have an easy time fly tying a perfect knot. You don’t have to worry about it slipping through you fingers.
Even though it can be a bit tedious using it for the first time, you will easily get a hang of it after two to three tries.
C&F Design CFT-110 2-IN-1 Fly Tying Tool
Key Features:
- Magnet for picking up hooks
- Polished steel arms
- Non-slip grip
Yet another incredible whip finisher designed to meet all your fly tying needs. It comes with polished steel arms to ensure that you can confidently and comfortably knot your flies.
Furthermore, it features knurled non0lsip grip to ensure that it doesn’t slip through your fingers when you are busy knotting your flies. The smooth rotary function is especially great for giving you your desired knot.
Unlike many other whip finishing tools, this product comes with a magnet to easily pick up your fly hooks.
How to Buy the Best Whip Finish Tool
What to Consider when Buying
These are some of the key considerations when looking to buy the best whip finishing tools from a fly shop:
Size
This is definitely the number one consideration when visiting fly shops to buy your whip finisher. The rule of thumb, in this case, is that a small whip finishing tool will do the trick with small flies. Conversely, when using large flies, always go for a large device.
For instance, if you enjoy using streamers to hook trout or throwing in poppers to fish out bass, you will have to go for larger products.
However, if you want to knot a wide range of flies, there are plenty of midrange devices that you can consider. Inasmuch as they are ideal for midrange flies, they can also work for smaller or larger flies.
Rotating head
When you buy a whip finisher that comes with a rotating head, it will be a great plus.
The rotary function on your tool will help you to easily knot you flies or allow for a few extra wraps. This means you don’t have to strain yourself bending your wrist in very weird and uncomfortable positions.
If you are looking to take your fly tying expertise to the next level, always look for the rotary function. They allow for more efficiency, which means you will enjoy increased durability and power while saving you time spent on tying your flies.
Although it can be pretty tedious learning how to use a rotary head on these tools, it will make all the difference between a beginner and intermediate angle or intermediate to a full-fledged pro!
When you learn how to correctly use a rotating head, you will avoid tying poor knots and they will stay intact for a longer period.
The thread clipping base
When you complete a knot and you have something o clip your thread would be a fantastic addition. You will effortlessly achieve neat and clean cuts without having to look for an extra clipping tool.
Therefore, your whole experience will be more efficient because you won’t have to look around for another tool to clip away the extra thread.
Style
There are essentially two styles:
- Thompson-design whip finish tool: It comes with two wires criss-crossing each other but at a 90 degrees angle and it is quite flexible.
- Matarelli style whip finish tool : The outstanding feature on these devices is one thick-gauged wire that is uniquely bent to give it its sturdy feel, which means it’s less flexible.
However, of these two, the latter is the easier of the two to use.
The handle appearance
When it comes to handles, you will basically have a choice of three- bamboo, stainless steel or brass finish. Each of these handles come with its own unique traits, which means it will work with different people differently.
Although the handle may not change the functionality much, they contribute to the device’s ergonomics and aesthetic appeal. Therefore, the appearance or the material used to make the handle is entirely a matter of preference rather than functionality.
FAQ
How do you do the whip finish?
1. Thread the tag end of thread through the eye of the whip finisher and pull the tag end and the standing thread back until the tag end is about 1/4” from the eye of the whip finisher.
2. Holding the eye of the whip finisher between your thumb and forefinger, make three to four turns of the thread around the eye and the standing thread.
3. Pull the tag end in the direction of the standing thread, and then twist the whip finisher in the opposite direction to tighten the wraps.
4. Cut the tag end off close to the wraps.
5. Pull the wraps to tighten the knot and trim any excess thread.
What does the whip finish tool do?
The whip finish tool is a tool used to make a knot in the end of the thread to secure a fly head or a thread head. It is also used to secure a thread when sewing, and can be used to create a loop in the end of the thread. The tool is a metal rod with a hook on one end and a handle on the other.
How do you use a rotating whip finisher?
1. Begin by threading the tag end of the thread through the eye of the whip finisher.
2. Place the rotating whip finisher in the same position as you would with a standard whip finisher.
3. Pull the thread tight and hold the eye of the whip finisher between your thumb and forefinger.
4. Rotate the handle of the whip finisher in a circular motion. As you do this, the thread will wrap itself around the eye of the whip finisher.
5. When the thread has been wrapped around the eye several times, pull the tag end of the thread in the direction of the standing thread.
6. Turn the handle of the whip finisher in the opposite direction to tighten the wraps.
7. Cut the tag end off close to the wraps.
8. Pull the wraps to tighten the knot and trim any excess thread.
How do you use the Veniard whip finish tool?
1. Thread the tag end of the thread through the eye of the Veniard whip finisher and pull the tag end and the standing thread back until the tag end is about 1/4” from the eye of the whip finisher.
2. Put the Veniard whip finisher in its closed position.
3. With your thumb and forefinger, hold the eye of the whip finisher and turn the handle clockwise to wrap the thread around the eye.
4. Pull the tag end of the thread in the direction of the standing thread, and then twist the handle of the whip finisher in the opposite direction to tighten the wraps.
5. Cut the tag end off close to the wraps.
6. Pull the wraps to tighten the knot and trim any excess thread.
Conclusion
You may not have known it before, but there is so much to know about these fly tying finishing materials. However, it is now clear that these products are as necessary as they come.
Furthermore, our best overall pick in this review was the Dr Slick Finisher because of the elegant bamboo grip that improves its aesthetics, top-quality build and incredible knotting performance.
I am using the Dr Slick Finisher and it’s the best (so far). It’s got a beautiful bamboo grip, is easy to work with and won’t break the bank.
