Neck Hackles

[CSB1 0]

From what I understand the most popular necks most of us use are Rooster Necks. What kind of bird do the premium neck hackles come from?   

[Mark Knapp 0]

Premium roosters. Same bird, just better ones.

[cphubert 0]

Premium roosters with long history of breeding just for color, barb count, and hackle length. Search Tom Whiting Hackles he has some informative video.

[Bimini15 0]

There are all roosters, but they are not all the same roosters. 
Flyyfishfood has a few good YouTube videos with Tom Whiting explaining the whole thing.

Here is one

 

[johnnyquahog 0]

There is lots of information on the internet that is easy to find.  More than you probably want to know. The following is a good start, but just a start.

 

In the 40s and 50s, a Catskills fly-tier named Harry Darbee crossed Thompson Barred Rock roosters with Old English Games, Blue Andalusians, and several other breeds, in an effort to create the perfect dun-colored neck cape. He sent eggs to a Minneapolis lawyer named Andy Miner, who employed meticulous breeding methods to create a range of colors and feathers unparalleled in their time. A great deal of the hackle available today owes to the bloodlines of these two breeders.

[Moshup 0]

I have a nice Miner cape !  A tan dun . 

[CSB1 0]

After  CP Huberts lead I did the search on Tom Collins Hackles. While looking around I came up with a link.

It had some interesting info. about necks. Good read. Thanks Guys.

http://cgtu.org/documents/publications/genetic_hackle.pdf

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

A quick note about chicken feathers, saddles or necks, hens or roosters... The ideal freshwater fly tying necks (or saddles) aren’t exactly what saltwater tyers need at all... In fact that lovely genetic product so prized by skilled freshwater tyers is lost on those of us that tie for the salt, mostly...

 

Instead, we’re looking for wide, webby, saddles and neck hackles that are strung in uniform lengths and dyed or bleached as needed.  Most freshwater tyers would consider the feathers that I prize to be junk and pass them by whenever they come across them...

[flytire 0]

[SilverCreek 0]

12 hours ago, CSB1 said:

From what I understand the most popular necks most of us use are Rooster Necks. What kind of bird do the premium neck hackles come from?   

Read this:

http://whitingfarms.com/whiting-farms-story/

 

[redietz 0]

Those appear to be saddles, not necks.

 

[Mark Knapp 0]

4 hours ago, flytire said:

I love this picture. He's an amazing bird.

[Mark Knapp 0]

2 hours ago, redietz said:

Those appear to be saddles, not necks.

 

You are right, but it makes a point.

[Mark Knapp 0]

5 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said:

Most freshwater tyers would consider the feathers that I prize to be junk and pass them by whenever they come across them...

That's cuz you wouldn't know a good feather if someone tickled your foot with it. Ha ha ha.😋  Of course I tease you.

That's one of the things I love about fly tying. There's so many directions you can go in. I'm fortunate, I get to use the best of both worlds.

 

[Bimini15 0]

1 hour ago, Mark Knapp said:

I love this picture. He's an amazing bird.

And the rooster is pretty good too...😃