Thompson Whip Finisher

The Thompson style whip finisher ties the same knot the other whip finishers do, it just does it a little differently. This is a little more difficult tool to learn to use, but just as important a tool as the other style of whip finisher.

Thompson style whip finishers are best suited for work in small confined places. If you’re trying to tie a whip knot on a small dry fly and don’t want to tie the hackle down, this is the right tool for the job. This is the best choice of whip finishers if you’re using a hackle guard to hold the hackle out of the way.

This type of whip finisher isn’t very suitable for flies with bead heads or bullet heads. It won’t maneuver around jig heads or lead eyes. It isn’t suitable for flies that must be whip finished back away from the hook eye. It is the best whip finisher to use on hair heads and small hackled flies, because it won’t bind the hair or hackle down like a Matarelli whip finisher will.

Again, Thanks to Al Campbell for the great tips!

Ron & Beth

To start a whip knot with the Thompson style whip finisher, hook the thread between the fly and the bobbin with the arm of the whip finisher. With the open end of the s-shaped bend on the end of the whip finisher, hook the thread as it comes off the fly. Then lay the thread from the bobbin in the dip of the s-shaped bend nearest the arm of the whip finisher.