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SpokaneDude

How to separate Partridge feather barbs

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I am trying to tie some soft hackle flies and I'm having the worst time with the hackle. My problem is I have some NS Premium Partridge feathers (hackle) that I can't separate the barbs so they stand out like ALL of the tying instruction images I see.

 

What's the secret?

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If you don't have a problem winding dry fly hackle, you shouldn't have a problem with wet fly hackle. The principle is the same with wrapping the hackle stem next to the preceding wrap. The wet fly hackle should only be 2 or 3 turns at most for a soft hackle fly. In order to lay the hackle back at an angle towards the bend of the hook, you will have to fold the hackle back and place a few wraps over the wraps of hackle when forming the head.

If you still have a problem, you can strip the barbules off the side if the feather that will be wrapped against the shank of the hook.

 

A picture of the feathers you are using and of a fly would be helpful.

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Normally I don't have problems tying soft hackles, when I have decent material to work with! And I do strip the barbs off one side of the hook prior to wrapping...

post-56493-0-11201900-1476565299_thumb.jpg

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I usually like InTheRiffle videos, but that one is just plain ugly when he wraps that soft hackle.

 

This is a much cleaner version to learn the correct tying method for a soft hackle.

 

https://youtu.be/Bvo6UpKM5nI

 

 

Spokane, try not to strip one side and fold the feather barbs back like Davie does in his video. I think that after a little practice, your hackle will look more uniform around the hook shank.

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FIN-ITE 34: I do it a bit differently, the way Dave Hughes describes in his book Wet Flies. The problem is that the barbs stick to each other (not all of them, just enough to make it look ugly)... I haven't tried not stripping the one side of the hackle; I'll do that in a bit and upload an image of how it turned out.

 

Thanks for responding... SD

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By which end do you tie in the partridge feather? That can have an effect on how the hackle lies. The "set" of the hackle in your photo doesn't seem too bad, I would suggest 5 barbs though to be too few. Stripping the hackle on one side isn't the traditional way to tie spiders. Presuming your hackles were all the same, for a given number of barbs in the hackle stripping one side results in more than double the quantity of stem you have to wind. I know some people recommend stripping one side, that is fine for their fishing flies. If you are trying to tie the traditional spider flies, it isn't how its done. The hackle is normally drawn backwards as it is wound (try moistening finger tips and rubbing together until they become sticky to help with that). Neither should the turns of thread used at the head be used to force the hackle back. The hackle will lie in the right position naturally. Hold the barbs in the position you want while winding, pulling them from your grip as you wind.

 

If that is the Yellow Partridge you were tying then the hackle shouldn't be brown but grey. The Orange Partridge uses a hackle with a tinge of brown in it. If you have a partridge skin then a hackle from the central cape (back of the neck) area would be right for the Yellow, while one from the shoulder area that is similar but with just a little brown in it for the orange.

 

Cheers,

C.

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Crackaig: I tie the feather in so the concave part is up; that seems to do the trick regarding the direction of the tied hackle... the problem is the barbs sticking together (I'll try moistening my finger tips and see if that helps)... also, I didn't realize there was a set color scheme... Dave's book implied that, but didn't put it in a way I would recognize it... is there some place where the color schemes are listed for soft-hackle (spider flies)?

 

And thanks for the response too! SD

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You can get Edmond's and Lee's book Brook and River Trouting or Pritt's North country Flies. They are the set piece works on the subject. I was wondering if you were tying the feather in by the rear of the tip like Hans does in that video.

As for colour schemes I've known disagreements about the correct shade of silk end with fists flying! Serious business here. If you look at game bird hackles a lot of them are similar, but the slightest difference can make all the difference. For example the Winter Brown is the same as the Orange Partridge but has a head of peacock herl (In North Country Flies there is no thorax as such, it is placed the other side of the hackle as a head). The Winter Brown is nowhere near as good a fish killer as the OP.

 

Cheers,

C.

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I'm on a learning curve as well with the soft hackles. This is my Orange and Partridge with a orange seal/hare's ear mixed thorax. I know it's not traditional but I've been exploring.post-59483-0-40312600-1476572320_thumb.jpeg

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Mogup: what are you using for the soft hackle? and where did you purchase it? I ordered some Hungarian Partridge hackle, and it was supplied by Nature's Sprit, which in my opinion is junk... I'm now looking for premium quality partridge feathers (I don't mind paying the price if the quality is very good)

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