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newbie@this

Feather question...

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I bought a small bag of grizzly variant schlappen. I was looking for a cheaper way instead of buying grizzly hackle. Do any of you have any ideas on how to use these?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Bob

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In addition to the above, you can pick barbs from them for tails or beards or wet wings on smaller type flies. Look at the web, shine, shape and stem of each feather as though it were a feather without a name. I can look at some saddle and some neck and some schlappen feathers as having very similar characteristics and uses. I'm not sure that even an expert could identify the exact spot on the bird that any individual body feather came from, and in my mind at the border of each skin patch the feather could end up on either side of the cut..

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Some time back we've had a few fly swaps for salmon flies (basic fishable) and also for spey flies. Schlappen is used for the long flowing underside of many of those patterns. Now I have a bunch and the only thing I really find them useful in normal tying is Buggers. I know I could use them for some deceiver type flies but don't tie much in larger streamers, though if I ever start to fish the hybrid striper lake not far from me I should tie some.

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Unless you are tying huge wooly buggers, saddle hackle would work much better. Schlappen has thicker, longer barbules than you would need for a bugger. It is better used on spey flies.

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I like schlappen because it's softer and moves better than saddle hackle, but it larger so works best on big flies. I use it for bass flies tied on size 2 and bigger.

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newbie I drive thru New Britain 3 or so times a week, love to eat at Capitol Lunch on occasion. Not a CT native originated in New Bedford MA and ended up in CT due to family.

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Guys, thanks so much for the information! For woolies, can the barbs be trimmed shorter? I have several lakes in the area that are stocked with hybrid stripers. Looks like it's time to experiment...

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cphubert, as I said, I haven't been back home in 35 years. Capital Lunch was a weekly thing for our family. During my high school years, eating 6 in one sitting was the most I could do. We also used to hit a couple of grinder shops on the Berlin Turnpike.

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Guys, thanks so much for the information! For woolies, can the barbs be trimmed shorter? I have several lakes in the area that are stocked with hybrid stripers. Looks like it's time to experiment...

 

No, don't trim the barbs. If you're gonna be tying a bunch of buggers it'd be worth spending the $20 for the Whiting Bugger pack. Different size feathers allow you to get the right size for the hook. I'm a big fan of these packs and they'll last for almost forever.

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