Tony300wby

I have never heard/read any reports of stainless jaws chipping, which is a common issue with the non-stainless jaws. Good luck, Tony

I have been using Regal's since the mid 1980's and like them and will continue using them. With that said; I will say that personally I do not agree with their claim of "Improper Hook Placement" as the sole reason for spitting hooks and chipped jaws, and think that the way they use it to get out of warranty claims is dishonest. I was working in a sporting goods store in the mid 1980 that carried the Regal's, and it was not unusual to get a few a year back with chipped jaws. At that time Regal would honor their warranty and replace the jaws, after a few years of this they stopped honoring the warranty and started blaming the customer. Eventually that store stopped carry Regal because of this. The WWW is full of accounts where Regal's spit hook's and chipped jaws"s, yet it is rare the read about any other vise manufacturer having the same issue's. Is it only Regal owner's who can not properly mount a hook in a vise? Personally I feel that I am capable of properly mounting a hook in a vise, yet I have had two hooks get spit out. I also have had others start to slip but stopped adding tension to the the thread in time to keep the hook from being spit. In any of these situations I would have challenged anyone to show me how my hook was improperly placed and different then the thousands of times I had done it before and since. Obviously no one can seat a size 24 hook as deep in the jaws as a size 1/0 hook, yet Regal shows a very large hook on the page for proper and improper hook placement. Why dont they show a size 24 hook and/or give a exact dimension on how deep a hook has to be placed? After talking with a Rep at the Regal booth at the Somerset NJ Fly Fishing Show about seating small hooks in their vises I very easily concluded that they can not give a exact dimension on the difference between a hook that gets spit and one that doesnt because they dont know, all he was able to say was if it gets spit out that it was not seated deep enough. One thing I have observed with my Regal, and have heard others with the same account, is that the jaws will start to develop a lip on the outside when inserting a lot of hooks in the same area. The lip is very small but can be felt by running a finger nail over the spot. Obviously that metal has to come from somewhere and could be one of the causes of a hook being spit for no apparent reason. I have not heard any reports of hooks slipping, hooks being spit, and/or chipped jaws when using the newer style jaws made of stainless steel. Which verifies the fact that spitting hooks and chipped jaws are not 100% "Improper Hook Placement" on the user side, and more a manufacturer's issue due to design and/or materials. Good luck, Tony

Whiting Ultra Platinum grade grizzly cape. I bought this cape over 12 years ago and have never removed a feather. To this day I have never seen a cape with hackle as long as this one has. Some of the hackles are as long as you would find on a saddle. Good luck, Tony

Bronze and Silver grade cree capes and a silver grade cree saddle. Over the years I have bought 3 Whiting cree necks, 1 Metz cree neck, and 2 Whiting cree saddle's; and never paid over the standard retail price for any of them. Good luck, Tony

Some of my dry fly hackle. I have hackle from Whiting, Metz, Collins, Ewing, CQH, and a few capes from no-name's that I came across over the years. A few of the Metz neck's are over 25yrs old. The quality of hackle from a current genetically raised bird compared to the top end stuff from years ago is amazing. Good luck, Tony

Smitty, wrong, I don't want to be right, I just want verification that the product I recieved is as advertised. So far all I've got is a lot of " spin" from Roberts but no proofYep, it's boring but Roberts insists on personal attacks on me , but no verification. I was hoping Whiting might provide that. Don't know about you, but I hate being ripped off Personally if I find the feather quality good I don't really care what breeder it came from. I have found Whiting hackle to be of higher quality then other breeders and it is usually apparent to a experienced tyer that knows what they are looking at. I would guess that even if Dr. Whiting had your questionable cape in his hand, he still would not be able to give you a 100% guarantee that it was a Whiting cape since no two capes will ever be exactly alike. I would think that the only way of being 100% sure would be a DNA test. As another person already said, I really doubt Whiting would sit back and allow anyone to use their name to sell product. I would also think that if another breeder was providing quality hackle that they would just market it under their own name. Plus if someone was going through the trouble of selling a bootleg cape, why would they not just print out bootleg cardboard too? Good luck, Tony PS, Feather Emporium, Very nice site! I remember a company called "Fly Tyer Variants" or something similar, I think they were located in NJ? That sold some Whiting hackle at shows that was not labelled or packaged.

Regal has had the hook spitting/jaw chipping issues from day one. Early on Regal honored their lifetime warranty and replaced the chipped jaws. After a while they turned the blame for their flawed design onto the consumer and claimed "user error". Overall I have liked my Regal vise's and still use one now, I just don't agree with how they have handled their warranty claims. Seems like Regal has eliminated the problem with the stainless jaws because I have never heard of the spitting/chipping issue with them. Good luck, Tony

Did Regal allow you to upgrade your existing jaws when you sent them in for repair? Or did you buy the stainless jaws out right? If upgraded, what was the cost? I have been using Regal's for almost 30 years and have had a few hooks pop out of the jaws. I would love to have someone show me how to "properly" position a size 20 or smaller hook in a Regal without getting close to the edge of the jaws. Good luck, Tony

I own a Ultra Platinum in grizzly, and have seen and handled a few other Platinum and Ultra Platinum grade capes. I have not seen any lately and had heard that they are no longer available, this is just word of mouth though. The cape that I have was bought about 8 or 10 years ago and I think retail then was around $150.00. I bought this cape to add to my hackle collection, and have never "used" a single hackle from it. I totally understand your "want's" vs. "need's. I do not agree that you have to inspect/handle hackle before you purchase it. Maybe 25+ years ago, but not today. A top hackle breeder like Whiting does not sell a bad cape or saddle, and if one does slip through im sure they would replace it. Even the smaller hackle breeders are producing great quality hackle. The only reason I would need to handle the cape would be if I am looking for a certain color that I needed to match. Good luck, Tony Tony, that is awesome, even finding pictures of these are hard to come by! I had emailed Whitings a few months back, they do still have them out there but they are very rare. Being that yours has some age to it, how would you compare it to todays gold grade necks? Some say the gold of today is what was considered the ultra platinums of yesterday. Ive never seen one in real life, and have been looking for almost a year now with no leads or anything. Thanks for sharing its awesome! I do not have a current gold grade cape to compare it too. I do not think my ultra platinum cape has more hackles on it then other grades, but they are very long. I did measure a few hackles so you could compare length, size 20's are mostly 7" to 8" long, 18's are 8" to 9" long, 16's are 7" to 8", and 14's are 6" to 7". This cape is very heavy on the smaller sizes. I do agree that the capes and saddles keep getting better. I still have "genetic" hackle from the 1980's and a #1 grade cape is not even close the being comparable to todays lower/tyers grade capes. The number one grade cape in the 80's cost around $50.00, a Whiting bronze grade today is around $60.00. If you compare what you are getting on a modern day Whiting cape they are cheap. Good luck, Tony

I own a Ultra Platinum in grizzly, and have seen and handled a few other Platinum and Ultra Platinum grade capes. I have not seen any lately and had heard that they are no longer available, this is just word of mouth though. The cape that I have was bought about 8 or 10 years ago and I think retail then was around $150.00. I bought this cape to add to my hackle collection, and have never "used" a single hackle from it. I totally understand your "want's" vs. "need's. I do not agree that you have to inspect/handle hackle before you purchase it. Maybe 25+ years ago, but not today. A top hackle breeder like Whiting does not sell a bad cape or saddle, and if one does slip through im sure they would replace it. Even the smaller hackle breeders are producing great quality hackle. The only reason I would need to handle the cape would be if I am looking for a certain color that I needed to match. Good luck, Tony

Its over. All anyone has to do is look at the saddle pricing on ebay to figure that out. If it was still going strong the prices would still be very high, they are not. As alot of people predicted, it was just a fasion craze. I am sure it will return someday, will it be next year or ten years???? Good luck, Tony

There are two types of Regal users. Those who have chipped jaws and those who are going to chip their jaws. I worked for a fly shop that sold Regal. I would say maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the customers that bought them would chip their jaws. Early on Regal would stand behind them and replace them. Than they started to blame the customer and charge them. The shop stopped selling Regal's because of the jaw chipping problem and Regals poor customer service. I have chipped two Regals in the last 20 years. The first was a standard jaw head. I was told by Regal that it was my fault that the standard head was not intended for use with the small hooks that I was using. I found that interesting since at the time I bought it that was the only jaw available from them and was advertised as being able to hold all hook sizes. The second was a midge head. Again Regal claimed it was also my fault. This time because of the way I put the hook in the jaws. Both of the heads/jaws were purchased when Regal had a "Lifetime Warranty" yet I was still charged for a replacement. The jaws I am tying on now (midge) have not chipped YET. But I have noticed a few interesting things. When using a larger hook (10+) I am able to get the hook to move in the jaws. If I can move the hook when it is clamped in the jaw that means that it is possible for the hook to slide out of the jaws allowing the jaws to slam closed and chip. I wonder how many other Regal users have had this happen but were blamed for "improper hook placement"? I have also noticed a slight "lip" starting to form at the edge of the jaws were the smaller hooks are placed. It is very small but can be felt by moving a finger nail over the edge of the jaw. I beleive that repeated hook placement in the same spot has started to work/move the metal toward the outside edge. Will this also lead to a hook slipping and chipping the jaws? IMO Regal has flaws in their vise. Instead of standing behind their product/warranty they would sooner blame the user. I have not heard of or seen any chipping problems with the stainless jaws, so maybe this has cured the problem. Good luck, Tony

I am guessing around 1000 but dont know for sure, and there is no way that I would even think about counting. I just found out that I am getting laid off at the end of January, so my number will be increasing. I have collected so much material and hooks over the last 25+ yrs that I will never run out. Good luck, Tony

The other day his profile said that he was on the 720 vise pro team. He must have changed his profile today. I wonder if the owners at that vise company actually know what kind of person they are dealing with? Good luck, Tony

Just a heads up for Regal users. Right now I can install a Mustad 79580 size 10 hook in my Regal (just as Regal says I should) and using 8/0 uni pull the hook until it slides in the jaws. Is it possible that all these hooks that are "installed wrong" according to Regal, also be slipping? To everyone who says not to install the hook close too the edge of the jaws, how do you put a size 20 or smaller in the jaws without being close to the edge? Regal claims to have a lifetime warranty. If the jaws are not covered under warranty what is? Maybe it is the felt on the base? Sure $40.00 is not bad for a new set of jaws, but they should cover them for free. IMO to many people chip the jaws for it to be just user error, Regal has a problem with their product and are not standing behind it. The shop that I bought my Regal from stopped selling them because they had to many problems with chipped jaws. Has anyone had the chipping problem with the stainless jaws? Maybe this could be the cure? Good luck, Tony

Midge bobbin, I beleive they are made by Renzetti. Its preety much the same as all the others but they use a very thin tube. I really like the thin tube because it lets me be very precise in the positioning of the thread. I know most will say it does not matter, but after using this bobbin when I try to use a standard sized tube I notice a difference. Good Luck, Tony

I have 8 or 10 of them and cant complain about them in any way. They are not as heavily hackled has some of the higher graded capes, but that is no suprise. What was supposed to be horrible? Was this person who claimed they were horrible from a online forum? Because I have noticed one site that bashes any and all Whiting products. Good luck, Tony

I use Whiting Soft Hackle with Chicabou capes for my matukas. The feathers are webby and broad, the capes come in a bunch of natural and dyed colors. A cape runs around $12 or $14. These capes also have some nice marabou feathers on them. I also use these feathers for some wolly buggers when I want a more densly hacked fly. Good Luck, Tony

PoPnBug, Check out the Whiting/Hebert Miner capes in their tiers grade. Right now they are doing a special, rooster cape with a hen neck packaged together for around $20.00. The capes alone are a steal at $20.00, I have a few. I added a link to one of the retailers that I saw doing the sale, but any Whiting dealer should also have them. http://shop.flyfishing.about.com/classifie...etails/9217.htm

That is one super cool egg! I am going to have to try makeing one this weekend.

Thanks Stan, Very interesting, It must be a cool hobby. I am no expert in hackle, but its more of a addiction. Not the raising and history of hackle, but the buying of odd colored and speckled capes. I have more hackle than my great gradchildren will ever use but I still cant resist buying the odd neck or saddle that I sometimes come across. I really like the different shades of natural duns that turn up. I understand that you have a dedicated customer base that gets first chance at your product, but if you do have any variants and unussually colored duns please contact me. I am not trying to pry any trade secrets out of you or any thing like that, but I do have some other questions if you dont mind. If they are not something that you like to disclose I will understand. I have read that the larger breeders selectivly breed for certain traits they want in their birds like color and hackle length. Do you do this or do you just let nature take its course? I would think that selective breeding will give you a more consitant end product, but letting nature do the work will produce the variants. Also are you working toward this becoming a hackle only buissness or are you happy with it being a hobby? I am not trying to put you on the spot, I think (and hope) you were just joking about that in your response. I am done picking your brain for tonight, but I will most likely have a few more questions for you after thinking about hackle at work on Thursday. Termite, I dont think you understood what I was trying to say. As far as the most economical way to buy hackle, that will depend on the individuals needs. Be it they buy neck, saddle, or select hackles to meet their needs. The point I was trying to make is dont assume that one brand of hackle is overpriced just because it has a larger price tag than a competitors brand. One has to look at it as how much product they are getting for their money (as long as its of equal quality). Think of it this way, brand X sells a ten inch long size 16 saddle hackle for $2.00, brand Y sells a five inch long size 16 saddle hackle for $1.50. Brand X is giving you more product for your money. Its going to be up to the consumer to determine what best fits their needs.

Mr. Carlberg, Thanks for asking for questions, its always nice to hear from the source. I do have some questions about your hackle line. I also understand why you dont want to make this a who's hackle is better than who's arguement, but a comparison of different brands might be acceptable to accurately describe your product. If you read the other posts you will see that I mostly use Whiting dry fly hackle for the reasons I mentioned. Again, please dont take this as I am trying to say that the other breeders have junk, in no way am I saying that. I have been tying for over twenty five years so I know how good we have it today, when it comes to quality hackle. I still have some Metz capes from the mid 80's that were considered a grade #1 back than, but would not even compete with tyers grade necks of today. All the hackle that I see from todays breeders have a good size range (10 thru 24), good color selection's, and easy winding quills. So my main consideration, but not only, when buying hackle today is what the neck will produce as far as finished flies. I think this is were people run into trouble when they want to compare hackle brands. They just see that breeder X's top grade neck costs $50.00 and breeder Y's top grade neck only costs $40.00. If both capes are of equal quality and yield the same number of usable hackle than yes brand Y is the smart choice to buy, but if brand X has 25% more usable hackle, than brand X is the better choice as far as overall value for your money. Stan, you and others might not agree with what I am saying, this is just one of the things that I have noticed over the years. Now for my questions. -How do you grade your capes? size range, feather quality, feather count? -What is the size range of hackle on your capes? -Do you know how many flies per cape your necks will yield (I know there are many varialbles, but a educated guess would be good)? -What colors do you produce? All natural or dyed? -What is your price range? -What is the availability? -Is raising birds for their hackle your main buissness? -Do you get many variants? (I am always looking for hackle with odd coloring and speckling. -Do you also sell other hackle products, hens, saddles ect.? Thanks again for the chance to pick your brain on this subject.

I checked out his site but he does not give to much info there, like pricing, size ranges and availability. I feel that right now its hard to beat Whiting. Between their Whiting line and Hebert line you can get a great selection of colors in dry and wet fly hackle. I feel comfortable ordering Whiting hackle through catalogs or on line because I know what I am going to get. I also feel that Whiting gives me the most hackle for my money. I am not saying that the other breeders have junk, they just have not taken hackle to the level that Whiting has.

I thought the same thing. But I must confess, I do drown a worm with my kidds now and than. I still luv the feel of a fish taking live bait.

I think all the top breeders have quality dry fly hackle, good color selections, great range of sizes, stiff barbs, and flexable easy to use stemms. I would not hesitate to order sight unseen from any of the top breeders ( Whiting, Metz, Conranch). I personally like the Whiting line. Dont be fooled by the price tag, you get what you pay for. Sure a gold grade neck will run $90.00, but you must ask yourself what you get for that money. The amount of flies that a neck will give you has to be considered. If you pay $50.00 for a neck that will only produce 1/3 of the amount of flies than the $90.00 neck will, was it really cheaper?