Hareline Bodkin Half Hitch Tool

What it is

Hareline’s Bodkin Half Hitch Tool is a fly tying bodkin with a built-in half hitch tool. It has a sharp point for detail work, plus a compact, lightweight build with an ergonomic grip that holds up at the bench and travels well.

What to tie with it

Use it to throw half hitch knots, secure thread wraps, and manage thread control as you finish steps or lock things down between materials. The point is also handy for precise fly adjustments like picking out dubbing, teasing out trapped fibers, and applying head cement right where you want it.

Flies and the fish they're for

This is a finishing and detail tool you’ll use on almost any fly, but it’s especially at home on patterns where you’re building and locking down bulky heads. Muddlers are a common example; you’ll be fishing them for trout in rivers and stillwaters, and they also get tied and fished as baitfish or sculpin-style patterns for bigger trout and smallmouth. It’s also useful on hackle-heavy flies where you want quick, clean half hitches to control thread and keep wraps from backing off while you work—think trout fishing on creeks and tailwaters.

How it compares

It replaces carrying separate tools for bodkin work and half hitch knots, doing both jobs in one durable, portable tool.