Hackle... Better than Cree?

[Dave G. 0]

I've been using some of my longer barred ginger fibers as tailing fibers in a couple of different patterns and liking it a lot. Way better than the plain ginger I had tried in the past ( I tried that for BWO once a bunch of years ago and that was a bust but I think these barred fibers might be a go for some of them).

 

I've also discovered the merits of Daiichi's 1280 hook recently, gives me space to work within on Mayfly patterns and not feel restricted. At the same time the wire is thin. I might fill out a few more sizes of those if they come up on sale someplace.

 

Coffee: I can't tell you over the years how many times I've done stuff like that in various forums I have belonged too. I should just read and not even try to respond in the morning till at least the first full travel mug is gone and maybe into a second. I feel that first surge of caffeine and get over anxious to respond but my head really is not all that clear yet.

[flytire 0]

Adams dry fly

 

http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2010/04/19/the-adams-history-revisited-by-tom-deschaine/

 

Grandpa's story adams dry fly

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=79249

[SBPatt 0]

I've got a Collins Cree; nice cape like all of his stuff. Can't say that it's caught me any more fish than a brown/grizzly mix, barred ginger, tan-dyed grizzly, etc. but it sure looks cool; classy like English Setters, Barbour jackets, wicker creels and Hardy reels (none of which I have).

 

Regards,

Scott

[cheech 0]

I've got a Collins Cree; nice cape like all of his stuff. Can't say that it's caught me any more fish than a brown/grizzly mix, barred ginger, tan-dyed grizzly, etc. but it sure looks cool; classy like English Setters, Barbour jackets, wicker creels and Hardy reels (none of which I have).

 

Regards,

Scott

Correct... barred dark ginger mixed with other colors is really really really really good.

[Dave G. 0]

 

I like my Metz barred ginger but must admit it's not as close to as nice as that cree in the photo. My actual ginger cape is about the same tone as that cree is in the dark portions, course it's straight ginger, not barred and it's an old cape now, from back when feathers were never as long as those in the photo.. That bird would give 3 tyers 6 lifetimes worth of feathers at the rate I tie using ginger. I've never owned a cree skin though, it is beautiful...

This is a barred dark ginger.

 

Yes I know,, thanks though.

[1hook 0]

I got a dark barred ginger from whiting last winter. The hackle is great quality but I wasn't very impressed with the actual coloration of my particular cape. It is a lot lighter than I hoped for. That's what I get for buying sight unseen on the Internet

[Dave G. 0]

I notice that some of the Whiting coloration can shall we say be off ,sometimes exaggerated and others I suppose muted. They do a lot of dying I believe, as do most brands. That lead me to buy a medium dun cape in Metz vs Whiting because non of the Whitings I looked at had that buff colored medium dun look. They were more gray or what you might expect in a Blue Dun. Now I'm speaking of the ones I saw in a shop and also photos online, not all possible sources by any stretch. So I took a leap of faith and ordered a Metz online just based on the thought that it looks like they go for that buff dun look with theirs and it came in the correct color, even better than the one I saw in the shop. Of course it's a Metz, not a Whiting in the long feather regard ( Whiting may have that category nailed down). But Metz saddles are pretty long too, this is not a saddle.. Anyway, I'm well pleased.

 

Also, in looking at all the saddles in Whiting this shop had, I saw lots of vibrant colored ones that looked awesome. But the medium Dun I wanted was not really medium dun but too gray to my minds eye...

[Al Beatty 0]

Hi Group,

 

Based on a couple of years working at Whiting Farms as their Marketing Director, Al learned the difference between Cree and Dark Barred Ginger was the shape of the black "parts" of the feather. If the black part was a bar/chevron reaching the edge of the feather and a certain percent of those feathers had that black marking then that pelt/cape was considered a Cree. If the black part was diamond shaped rather than a complete bar/chevron then it was considered a Barred Ginger. We soon learned we could easily change a Barred Ginger feather into a fake Cree by using a black felt-tip marker to extend the diamonds to the edges of the feather making it look like a bar/chevron. On the hook, it was impossible to see the difference. Take care & ...

[Adam Saarinen 0]

Very interesting! Thankyou Al Beatty!

[tidewaterfly 0]

I don't tie many dry flies, so the issue of demand for Cree is not something I worry about. I very much like the coloration of Cree, but can't justify buying dry fly quality.

However, whenever I can I buy the cheap capes & saddles, India, Chinese or domestic "cree" or variant or barred ginger, as it makes some very nice looking shrimp or crayfish flies. That natural coloration is great for this purpose and IMO no amount of dyeing or mixing other hackle gets the same appearance. It's never going to be "critical" for my tying purposes, but I like the way it looks!