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Fly Tying
Gene L

A very tall rooster

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Last week,  I bought a saddle from Jim's Fly Company, a Grade 2 medium dun.  Not a brand I'm familiar with.  Astoundingly, the long feathers on the saddle are 19" long.  Not the majority, of course, most are 12-16 inches.  I figure the rooster who donated this saddle had legs like a giraffe.  The color looks almost a light brown dun.  And the density of the individual feathers is very good. In order to use the long ones, I cut them into so I can wrap the feathers without the overage getting in the way when I wrap the hackle.

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Here's Dr.Tom Whiting with a Cree Rooster. Normal length legs. Look at the length of the saddle hackle.

They are raised in cages so they can't fight each other and the crap drops thought the bottom of the cage so they keep clean.

The workers have to decontaminate themselves and wear sterile clothing to keep the birds from getting avian flu. So basically, the workers are in "reverse isolation" like nurses and doctors would be when working with immune compromised transplant or leukemia patients.

31687497828_792e67a6e2_c.jpg

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A few years back when the sudden craze for gorgeous rooster saddles hit the beauty salons... Grizzly and other great looking saddle patches became an expensive item,  much sought after, and I was greatly tempted to sell off some of my prized feathers.  I was able to resist the temptation and still have the means to work up whatever I need.  Most of the Metz saddles I had back then were only #2 quality - none of them what freshwater tyers desire, but useful for the saltwater trade.  Only a few saddles in any order that I saw ever had the much longer streamers - but when you're buying ten or more patches at a time you will find the occasional bird with feathers worth a look.

All these years later, I have no idea whether the market generates this kind of saddle patch since, not tying commercially any longer, I'm still using up my existing supply...  Here's hoping that never again will fly tying materials get popular with hairdressers... 

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As I understand it, Dr. Tom bred longer legs into the traits for roosters to deal with the longer saddle feathers.  Obviously, they still drag on the ground (cage), but supposedly to a lesser degree.

Thanks, Bob H

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1 hour ago, BobHRAH said:

As I understand it, Dr. Tom bred longer legs into the traits for roosters to deal with the longer saddle feathers.  Obviously, they still drag on the ground (cage), but supposedly to a lesser degree.

Thanks, Bob H

Thanks Bob,

I didn't know that but after your post I found this:

"And to support these long feathers, Whiting’s birds are bred with longer legs so they won’t trample that prized plumage."

https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/perfect-feathers-for-fly-tiers

 

 

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I enjoyed the episode of Where the River Bends about the history of genetic hackle.  It seems tho we are in a golden age of dry fly hackle thanks to a few amazing breeders.  One day I’d like to own a mount of a complete bird but that can wait till the kids grow up.   

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8 hours ago, flytire said:

short legs long tail

Onagadori is a Japanese breed of chicken with an exceptionally long tail :  r/interestingasfuck

Whew!!!   Can you say freak or bizarre?

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Reminds me of Gertrude McFuzz, one of my kids' favorite bedtime stories.  

 

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On 10/18/2024 at 4:38 AM, flytire said:

short legs long tail

Onagadori is a Japanese breed of chicken with an exceptionally long tail :  r/interestingasfuck

My boy gives me the exact vibe as those people who don't cut their fingernails and let them grow. World record stuff

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