How important is the exac hackle-color?

[Obi 0]

Hi all!

 

I am thinking about this question back and forth for quite a while now - and probably some of you do as well:

 

How important is the EXACT hackle-color on a dry fly??

 

I am certainly not thinking about replacement of a black hackle by a light dun one or vice versa. But would it make much of a difference if you used a grizzly-hackle instead of a blue dun one? Or replace a badger-hackle by brown grizzly? I am not sure about that.

 

Reason I ask: Ever tried to tye a Kite's Imperial? The Abdomen is to be tied with heron herl, and the hackle is supposed to be "honey dun".............. C'm on guys, how many of you hold heron feathers (it's a protected bird!) and honey dun hackles in their box of tying materials? Not me, for sure............

 

 

Please let me know your thoughts........ Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

Take care, Obi

 

 

 

 

[rotaryflytyingdotcom 0]

Substitution is the name of the game in Fly Tying. Go ahead and substitute.

 

Most people would rate size of imitation more important than exact color.

[StoneFlyTyer 0]

I tie my flys in as many different colers and sizes as I can and if I don't have a certain material I sub something else in, and sometimes that fly catches more fish than the original lol

[salmobytes 0]

Exact to what? All my flies exactly match what I just tied. But usually not so much to the one before that. It works for me

[vicrider 0]

I'm with those guys. Good example is the one hackle Adams. I use a Cree feather and works for m.

[mikechell 0]

I don't have hackle, so I can't comment on that. But I will say that I don't adhere to ANY material lists. I use the least expensive material I can, and tie flies for fishing. I don't do display flies, so I never worry about matching a recipe item for item.

[utyer 0]

Color is in the eye of the tier. The "recipe" was handed down from the first tier who codified the pattern. Who may or may NOT have been the originator. Dun hackle was once almost impossible to find, and now there are dozens of different shades if you look for it. I have seen Iron Blue, Blue, Medium, Smokey, Pale, Pale Watery, Dark, Light, and Rusty in recipes. That that's in addition to Honey Dun. Just like people, insect species are NOT all of exactly the same color. Within one species, there are variations. Some variations are far from what one would usually think of when a particular insect in mentioned. Since the insects vary, so do my flies.

 

I regularly tie BWO with several shades of olive tan and gray bodies and the hackles can be dun, or brown, or grizzly. My goto color for a PMD is very light tan rather than any shade of yellow or olive. I have never found it necessary to match a listed pattern, since no one can really be sure what the author of the pattern really meant when they listed a particular color. I am much more interested in matching the bugs as I find them in the places I fish. To do that, you have to collect your own samples. To me matching a pattern just because its listed somewhere is only makes sense if you desire a copy of that pattern. Tying any pattern for fishing without knowing what the insects that you will be using the fly for is pretty random.

[johnnyquahog 0]

I've found that confidence in your fly is the best color of all. Those flies that are the most successful are the one I have confidence in. Once in a while one I'm not so confident in surprises me.

[Chase Creek 0]

One thing I get a chuckle out of - color. Does anyone REALLY think the fish can tell the difference between the Pale and Pale Watery shades; or that it will reject one over the other??

I think not.

As utyer said, the same species of insect will come in several colors, some drastically different than their brother/sister insects of the same species.. I think the body shape and size are much more important than the "exact" shade of some color for the hackle OR the body.

[planettrout 0]

Honey Dun...

 

http://www.featheremporium.com

 

http://featheremporium.com/Fly-Tying-Feathers/darbee_duns.html

 

Here, a substitute for Heron Herl is suggested:

 

http://dryflyexpert.blogspot.com/2011/02/still-approaching-but.html

 

 

PT/TB

[flytire 0]

Tyers preference

 

Olive comes in how many shades?

 

How many legs can a trout see?

[Dcap240 0]

When I first started tying I bought a grizzly neck. I used that same grizzly neck for every mayfly, caddis, you name it, that called for dry fly hackle. And you know what? They all worked. Some better than others but you get the idea.

[mvendon 0]

I would at least try to get reasonably close to the shade hackle that's called for.

 

A Kite's Imperial dressing is childs play compared to some other old established patterns. How about a Water-Hen Bloa? The feather for this one has to be taken from the second row from the top edge of the underwing of a Moorhen. It's essential that the feather is spoon shaped and glossy on the underside. No other feather will do. The body is yellow silk with dubbed fur from a water-rat, but one can use mole as a sub for that.

 

As far as hackle goes, here's a good one from John Atherton's 1951 Fly and the Fish book. It's his version of a dry Tups Variant. Quote: The hackle used for both tail and hackle of this fly as I tie it is a pale dun of a brassy shade with faint markings of grizzly. It is a very unusual color and seldom encountered. He was right about that one, it's definitely hard to find.

 

Regards,

Mark

[rotaryflytyingdotcom 0]

Tom Ames developed a fly he called the SASH (Spectrumized Amber Soft Hackle) and the dubbing he uses is a mix of acrylic yarn. He combines equal parts of yellow, hot orange and green. Put it in a blender and like magic it becomes amber. Nice blend - easy to make and dub. But best of all it seems to work for MANY different patterns.

 

If a patterns calls for a dubbing I don't have and the dubbing color is in the tan to dark brown range I just reach for the SASH blend. So far - so good.

[flytire 0]

...but they have planned a snare for the fish, and get the better of them by their fisherman's craft.

They fasten red (crimson red) wool around a hook, and fix onto the wool two feathers which grow under a cock's wattles, and which in colour are like wax.