Hen hackle, rooster hackle, big flies, little flies

[Harold Ray 0]

I would think as a Vet you would come into contact with some very exotic hair samples. Just think of the possibilities.

 

Since I began trying to tie flies, I have developed a habit of saying to the clients, "We need to take Butch into surgery prep. I need to clip a little hair so we can find the veins. That will allow us to treat him more easily. Don't worry; it'll grow back quickly." The ladies who work with me just roll their eyes.

 

Or, "You know, he would feel much better if we just clipped him down!"

 

I have more and more people with birds, from cockatiels to macaws, saving feathers for me, too.

 

Ray

[ted patlen 0]

i'll volunteer to be a burial service for any unfortunate pet that passes on (naturally !!!!)

 

in the case of some ones pet macaw...i promise a very respectable service and bury the remains of the poor unfortunate pet ...it may only be the inside of the bird, do you think they'll go for it?

 

:dunno:

[Harold Ray 0]

Ted,

 

I knew I could depend on you; there's nothing better than helpful friends!

 

Ray

[Ephemerella 0]

OK Doc

These guys have given you lots of good info on hackle...but in case you're confused, let me confuse you some more... :dunno:

 

Hackle variations come from breed and sex of the bird. OK now we're into the vet-speak. Stiff, glossy feather fibers are the result of hormones in the rooster. As "proof" a capon (used to be a rooster) has hen-like feathers. Hens have softer webby hackles. Probably lack of testosterone or its avian equivalent. Also hens don't seem to have long saddle feathers.

 

Also breeding. Today's genetic hackle is called that because of lots of breeding, culling, record keeping, and analysis by both hobbyists (the Darbee's etc.) plus scientists (Dr. Whiting for example) have resulted in reasonable understanding of the genes that express themselves in the various patterns of neck and saddle hackle. I don't know of any computational biology of DNA analysis that has isolated the "gene" (sequence of the 4 amino acids) for various coloration and patterns, but I'm sure the computation cost will get sufficiently low that someone will do it (Hmmm perhaps some computational biology experts and hackle farmers could create a distributed SETI-like program for us fly tyers to run during those idle CPU cycles...but I digress).

 

Dun is from incomplete dominance and is really from a hybrid. Bird color genetics they say is complicated. Probably worse than cats. Plus lots of weird colorations/mutations with cree and the like.

 

Dry fly hackle: Dry flies - Roosters, stiff fibers, narrow flexible straight stems, strong colors (use necks or saddles). Good dry fly hackle is rare when considering the entire chicken population.

Hen hackle: wet flies, dry fly wings, streamer shoulders or wings. necks

"American hackle": from Roosters but of a different breed for Salt or freshwater streamers

 

Now the next tier down of detail has to do with specializations:

India necks are from small birds, not bred scientifically for hackle

Chickabou (I think from the behind of the bird)

Schlappen: soft rooster tail feathers--webby

 

Capes:

On a rooster cape you've got your basic dry fly hackles starting at the head with like size 20 or smaller, increasing to 8 or 10. Then the remaining feathers might be usable for streamers. Tailing comes from the edges of the capes as "spade" hackle. Stiff feathers. Selecting capes is a whole other post. Capes have many sizes. On good capes one feather will do a size 12 or smaller, otherwise use 2. The "sweet spot" on the feather (starts just where the webbyness tapers almost to nothing, and the fiber length is constant) is 1-2 inches.

 

Saddles:

The feathers are only 1-2 sizes, typically 12, 14, or 16. The sweet spot is 4-8 inches. You can tie 2-4 flies per feather. Some difference in the rachis (stem) saddles usually (not always) finer, but they can twist more.

 

Backs (really the saddle spot form hens):

Consistent feather size and fiber length. Feathers are rounded and broad.

 

 

Your Metz and Whiting "Premium" and Hebert are all dry fly hackle.

 

After some practice you will be able to see the right uses for each feather just by looking at the feathers.

 

Read Chapter 1 of Leeson & Schollmeyer The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference. It has a good illustrated section on hackle.

-E

[Harold Ray 0]

Read Chapter 1 of Leeson & Schollmeyer The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference.

 

Dang, E, thanks! I knew it was all about sex, hormones and genetics, but I don't know anything about hackle producing chickens, so I don't have a clue about their code or inheritance factors. I'll read The Reference this afternoon or tonight!

 

Not many years will pass before you will be able to build a hackle chicken just the way you want it, long feathers, short feathers, No. 18s, 32s or 2s, and the whole chicken will be primarily the feathers you want. Of course, these guys do a pretty good job right now! I am already amazed with the breeding of hackle stock.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ray

[Hot Tuna 0]

Dr. Ray.....there's going to be a panel of most of the major players in the hackle world at the Flytying Symposium this coming November in Somerset NJ...this is probably the major fly tying event of the year.

How many PMs have you gotten from our salmon tiers????....LOL

All the best,

hot Tuna

[Harold Ray 0]

there's going to be a panel of most of the major players in the hackle world at the Flytying Symposium this coming November in Somerset NJ

 

Tuna,

 

Do you have a link for that meeting?

 

Ray

[Hot Tuna 0]

www.flyfishingshow.com

Click on symposium.