Do any of you tie with Burnt Spey Hackle?

[c-denby 0]

I am working on a few new patterns from a magazine and after searching my local fly shop I was unable to find the proper hackle I was looking for SO i bought some packs of Burnt Spey Hackle as it was the next closest thing.

 

Now my problem is that with such a thick dry stem, when I try to wrap it, The stem breaks. Even if I strip just one side off, and i've done it with a razor and tried every trick I can think of. It is just too expensive for such a small bag of feathers to be ruining so many without even being able to complete one fly.

 

If I steamed it or let it sit in a bowl of warm water would it soften the stem so it can be wrapped?

 

I'm sure it has something to do with being bleached and covered in chemicals that the stem and barbs have become quite hard and brittle.

However it will make the perfect hackle for me if I can just get it to wrap nicely.

 

 

ALSO- Does anyone here have some pink, SD Blue, black or red cock hackle that has atleast an inch long barbs on them?? Basically I need cock hackle wide enough for spey flies.. If so I would be willing to purchase some just so i can tie a couple of these tube flies up.

 

Thanks

 

Chris

[Denis Lamy 0]

If I steamed it or let it sit in a bowl of warm water would it soften the stem so it can be wrapped?

 

Hi Chris,

 

That's the way I do it, I leave them in a small tupperware with water, and leave it for the night. That should do the trick. I use demineralized water, so nothing but the feather and water in the dish.

[Silver Doctor 0]

I tried burnt hackle one but as you found it is very brittle. I now buy heron or substitutes like pheasant rump, and peacock.

[Guest]

If you soak it in warm water with a little fabric softener, you should be able to strip the hackle off of the stem. I think FAOL or Ronn Lucas' site have the directions for doing it correctly.

 

I would use schlappen before I'd use cock hackle for a spey.

[c-denby 0]

I tried burnt hackle one but as you found it is very brittle. I now buy heron or substitutes like pheasant rump, and peacock.

 

 

Silver Doctor- Where do you buy these from? As I find it very hard to get heron or pheasant rump in bright dyed colours..

 

 

Troutbum- I do use schlappen, Actually more often than anything else as I really like working with it.. However I'm working on a pattern that schlappen just isn't working. needs to be a little more stiff and basically no web on the barbs at all. The pattern calls for cock hackle and the original tier said that nothing else worked just right.

So I have been attempting to make this burnt cock hackle work but I may just go use the schlappen and hope it turns out half decent.

 

 

THanks

Chris

[Silver Doctor 0]

I find pheasant rum easy to find and cheap, I've just picked up a full Bleu eared pheasant cape which is a really great substitute.

You can get small quantities of heron at:

www.canadiantubeflies.com

---------------------------------

I tried burnt hackle one but as you found it is very brittle. I now buy heron or substitutes like pheasant rump, and peacock.

 

 

Silver Doctor- Where do you buy these from? As I find it very hard to get heron or pheasant rump in bright dyed colours..

 

 

Troutbum- I do use schlappen, Actually more often than anything else as I really like working with it.. However I'm working on a pattern that schlappen just isn't working. needs to be a little more stiff and basically no web on the barbs at all. The pattern calls for cock hackle and the original tier said that nothing else worked just right.

So I have been attempting to make this burnt cock hackle work but I may just go use the schlappen and hope it turns out half decent.

 

 

THanks

Chris