Dun Hackle

[MVHagey 0]

We all know good neck hackle is hard to come by and expensive, so I was wondering if I were to get one or two colors to tie duns for the upcoming season, which colors or color are the most "universal"? There are so many variations, med blue, lite blue, med dun, dark dun, natural, etc. so I'm a little overwhelmed. Thanks.

[clarkii 0]

i likez med. dun... .

[DHise 0]

Lt. dun and medium dun. I have a few lt. grey dun (natural) in the Hebert necks in the shop ($43.00)

[bluegill576 0]

Lt or md dun. They are still pretty easy to find in a neck. Check j stockard or some other online shop and they should have it.

[utyer 0]

Your questions are a little confusing, you title your thread dun hackles, but then ask what colors are most universal. Dun (as a color,) is some shade of gray. It can vary from a very light (almost sliver,) smokey gray to almost charcole.

Dun also refers to the just hatched stage of a mayfly, and not all mayflies have "dun" colored legs.

 

If your looking to get ONLY dun hackles, then get a light, and rusty dun. A rusty dun will have some brown shading in the feathers, and the grey tones are usually medium to dark. In other colors, I find the true Cree to be the most versetile. Cree hackle should have feathers that are black, white, and a honey ginger mottled. The ginger shade will be variable from light to dark.

 

I like to use the Cree on Adams and Wulff type patterns, and the Rusty dun on baetis and PMD patterns. Of all the hackle that I have purchased over the years, the crees and rusty duns are the ones I have used through the most.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

The Grey Ghost streamer recipe calls for Olive Grey feathers for the wing - I know it isn't a dry fly but reading about the many shades of dun, I just had to ask - Has anyone ever seen Olive Grey feathers? Is that something Carrie Stevens died herself you think?

 

Kirk

[MVHagey 0]

Thanks for the input guys, I'm gathering that I should get lt. and med. dun. And to whoever said the title is misleading, sorry, I meant dun as in a newly hatched mayfly, not the color.

[mvendon 0]

The Grey Ghost streamer recipe calls for Olive Grey feathers for the wing - I know it isn't a dry fly but reading about the many shades of dun, I just had to ask - Has anyone ever seen Olive Grey feathers? Is that something Carrie Stevens died herself you think?

 

Kirk

 

Hi Kirk,

 

In the Carrie Stevens book by Graydon & Leslie Hilyard, most of her feathers came from George Fletcher by the pound, and he doubted if she ever did much dyeing herself. If you see any of her Gray Ghosts, the wing color varies quite a bit, even though she was supposedly fussy about the exact shade, sometimes sending back pounds that weren't close enough to her specs. According to Dr. Tom Whiting, it's impossible for any chicken hackle to have any shade of green naturally, since only parrots and maybe a few other types of birds have that type of color gene.

 

Regards,

Mark

[JSzymczyk 0]

The Grey Ghost streamer recipe calls for Olive Grey feathers for the wing - I know it isn't a dry fly but reading about the many shades of dun, I just had to ask - Has anyone ever seen Olive Grey feathers? Is that something Carrie Stevens died herself you think?

 

Kirk

 

Hi Kirk,

 

In the Carrie Stevens book by Graydon & Leslie Hilyard, most of her feathers came from George Fletcher by the pound, and he doubted if she ever did much dyeing herself. If you see any of her Gray Ghosts, the wing color varies quite a bit, even though she was supposedly fussy about the exact shade, sometimes sending back pounds that weren't close enough to her specs. According to Dr. Tom Whiting, it's impossible for any chicken hackle to have any shade of green naturally, since only parrots and maybe a few other types of birds have that type of color gene.

 

Regards,

Mark

 

 

Time to start cross-breeding Parrots with Chickens!!!

[Jolly Red 0]

The Grey Ghost streamer recipe calls for Olive Grey feathers for the wing - I know it isn't a dry fly but reading about the many shades of dun, I just had to ask - Has anyone ever seen Olive Grey feathers? Is that something Carrie Stevens died herself you think?

 

Kirk

 

Hi Kirk,

 

In the Carrie Stevens book by Graydon & Leslie Hilyard, most of her feathers came from George Fletcher by the pound, and he doubted if she ever did much dyeing herself. If you see any of her Gray Ghosts, the wing color varies quite a bit, even though she was supposedly fussy about the exact shade, sometimes sending back pounds that weren't close enough to her specs. According to Dr. Tom Whiting, it's impossible for any chicken hackle to have any shade of green naturally, since only parrots and maybe a few other types of birds have that type of color gene.

 

Regards,

Mark

 

 

Time to start cross-breeding Parrots with Chickens!!!

 

Would that give you "carrots"?

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

... Hi Kirk,

 

In the Carrie Stevens book by Graydon & Leslie Hilyard, most of her feathers came from George Fletcher by the pound, and he doubted if she ever did much dyeing herself. If you see any of her Gray Ghosts, the wing color varies quite a bit, even though she was supposedly fussy about the exact shade, sometimes sending back pounds that weren't close enough to her specs. According to Dr. Tom Whiting, it's impossible for any chicken hackle to have any shade of green naturally, since only parrots and maybe a few other types of birds have that type of color gene.

 

Regards,

Mark

 

Mark, great information and it makes perfect sense. All I know about Carrie Stevens is what I read in Joseph Bates' book and below the Grey Ghost recipe, he published a letter she wrote him in which she states the evolution of that fly starting from feathers she had on hand to the recipe listed above where she used other feathers that she became aware of as she progressed.

 

JS, that would be a sure hit in the fashion industry.

 

Kirk

[PG DAN 0]

I use lt. dun and dark dun

[MVHagey 0]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but are you guys saying that the hackle you use is preference? My local shop has some dark brassy dun in stock, would that be okay?

[rockworm 0]

Dark Brassy Dun is a beautiful shade. I say if you like it, buy it. There is no such thing as a "universal" hackle colour. Especially if you are looking for hackle for mayfly duns. Although many duns do have legs which are some shade of grey, many others are some shade of white, ginger, brown, black, ... and many are banded. Unless you are trying to match a local hatch, and have some specimens for colour comparison, I wouldn't worry too much about the exact shade of hackle. Even when matching a hatch, many anglers believe in the GISS principle: the fly should exhibit the General Impression of Size and Shape of the natural. After that comes presentation. Colour is less important.

[MVHagey 0]

Thanks rockworm, great explanation, and by the way, the shop has a few champagne colors, could they be used for duns?