efficient use of hackle

[njflytyer 0]

I just read the back of the packaging of a 1/2 saddle of Whiting Dry Fly Hackle. Apparently I can get about 550 flies out of a half saddle. Obviously there aren't 550 feathers (or are there?) in it. What is the most efficient way I can ensure maximum use and minimum waste. Not much written anywhere about this.

 

Another question related to this: what size flies (i.e. the range) can you get from a saddle versus a neck?

[Redwings1 0]

There are more feathers there than you would think, but perhaps not quite 550. When I use my feathers I strip only enough of the shaft to tie it in and and take care to cut it as close to the tie off point as I can. This enables me to generally get two or three flies out of each feather for a normally hackled fly (less when tying something like a wullf pattern the has a larger diameter to wrap around and is over hackled).

Something to keep in mind when you are looking to buy is what you are tying for your use... What I mean is that if I am tying size 18 dries then it really doesn't help me if the neck or saddle tends towards the larger feather sizes, I need to get one that has an appropriate number of smaller feathers.

[Hot Tuna 0]

Some sellers will mark the predominant sizes of the hackle for the saddle; for instant I just bought a Hareline grizzly saddle where the predominat sizes will be 16 and 18 but there might be some 14's and 20's just less of them. I find the saddle hackle excellent for tying parachutes and for palmering caddis imitations and griffith's gnats and you can certainly tie catskill dries too. The fiber density is so good on Whiting and similar hackles you can probably get at least 4 parachutes out of one feather and sometimes more.

You'll only need a few turns to float a nice parachute pattern and you can go a little larger in the size of the hackle than you would if it was a traditional dry. Sunrise tool makes an inexpensive hackle gauge that fits on the stem of your vise but you can also slip it in your pocket when you go to the materials store.

I always ask to open the package to check the size of the predominant hackles when I'm buying in person.

Don't overlook tier's grade and grade three....the great AK Best swears by number three necks...he posits the idea that maybe the hackle has gotten too good....

Hope that helps a little,

Hot Tuna AKA Hackle Junkie...

[Termite 0]

This also has a lot to do with the type of tyer you are. I set out to tie a certain number of flies and when I'm done all of my scraps go into the trash. Even long usable feathers, because if I keep them they will get lost in the jungle of other tying materials or get stuck in a plastic bag that will take up more room than it is worth.

 

Necks usualy range from very large sizes to very small sizes for dry flies, saddles usualy are limited to three, four sizes at the most for dry fly applications.

 

Termite

[flytire 0]

 

With Whiting saddle hackles approaching 10-12 inches long, you dont have to wrap the entire feather on the hook. 4-5 wraps should do it on most dry flies. A 12 inch long saddle hackle can wrap 6-8 or even more dry flies.

[Termite 0]

I had been looking for this page to direct you to and finaly found it. If you look over the whole page you can find info on hackle. A great article.

 

Hope this helps

 

Mark

 

Cheapest hackle revisited

[greifs 0]

I've been snipping enough off one fly at a time, and I have waste on every fly. This thread made me finally think, would it be better to tie the whole feather, then snip the excess off and keep it for the next fly, not wasting anything until the feather is too short to tie another fly or is it better to leave in on the patch and just cut what we think we'll need per fly?

 

tom

[Termite 0]

Tom

 

This is realy a tought question to answer :dunno: It totaly depends on what you type of tyer you are. I have A.D.D and I tie two flies then change patterns and will do this for hours on end. When I go to put my materials away (I don't have a desinated tying area) I have a huge mess of odds and ends. Because of this I don't save feather bits.

 

However! if you are more organized than I you could get some baggies and label them with the feather size, pull the whole feather then when you are done put it in the bag corresponding with the correct size. Then when you are tying a specific size fly you can just pull out the correct baggie and choose a feather.

This is also the best way to get the most value out of thoes long saddle feathers you pay so much for.

 

Mark

[Blues Brother 0]

greifs, I have a plastic container with a few drawers in it for hackle. I will pluck an entire feather from a saddle, and if I don't use the whole thing I will just put it back in the drawer. Simple as that.

 

 

 

~Bryce

[Moushka 0]

I am frugel. I save money up for a great deal to come along and buy when it does.

 

I now only buy Whiting necks and saddles as it provides me with the best quality and bang for my buck (cost efficient: limber, strong, no wastage). I learned the hard way by buying the lower priced capes and saddles at the fly shops. My #1 Metz are not as nice as my bronze grade Whiting.

 

The best hackle I have purchased has been on eBay auctions from sellers with a high satisfaction rating and return policy, although I have never needed to return one. This year they have been selling pro-grade rooster necks with a bronze grade hen neck for adverage of $19.00. If I could find a buyer here in town I'd sell all my other brands of saddles and capes and buy Whiting cause their a pleasure to tie with!

 

Just my opinion