Dry-fly hackle question -

[David Lee]

Stupid question time ....

Which way does the shiny side of the hackle face , the eye or the bend ???

Thanks , David

[SullyTM]

David...no such thing as a stupid question. I tie hackels shiny side up by the butt end. Hope this helps. SullyTM

P.S. It's 1:50PM and still raining...

[David Lee]

Thanks , Thom .

Funky strange weather .... don't you think ?? By the way , the Teton #4 reel showed up , now I have to get a line for it

The fly is looking like a cross between a Stimulator and a Madam X ...... Large and UGLY - David

[SullyTM]

Funky strange indeed. I have an outdoor graduation event tonight and the main event on Sunday(should be in the 80's by then)...

http://flyfisherman.com/ftb/hwhackel/ has nice pictures and instructions, FYI.

I have an aluminum Martin #4 reel with a floating line. It was my first fly reel ever which I probably didn't use 3 times when I got it over 30 years ago. I also have the rod but I'm looking for a new 4 weight. Later.

[Darian]

Thom,.... I'm curious... . When you tie the hackle in by the tip with the shiny side up, which direction does the hackle lean Concave side forward (toward the eye of the hook) or back as in a wet fly I always tie dry flies with the concave side of the hackle facing the eye of the hook and by the stripped butt

In the method I use in tying a Stimulator, the concave side of the hackle tied over the abdomen may be tied in facing the bend of the hook (depending on your preference).... . The concave side of the hackle tied over the thorax is facing the eye of the hook.....

[David Lee]

Concave , convex .... phooey !! I've been drinking , for Pete's sake - shiny side to the eye or the bend - english please

You guys are difficult , sometimes . :P

David

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The shinny side goes to the bend on a dry fly, I believe.

[Darian]

Thom,..... I meant to say when you tie the hackle in by the butt (not the tip).....

It's Hell to get old

[David Lee]

Gentlemen ( :P :P :P ) , I thank you . David

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

When I started tying 100 years ago they had no genetic dry fly necks. They all came from India and China where the chikens ran free. We had to put 3 or 4 hackles on a hook to get a good floating dry fly.

Today with genetic saddles you can tie 3 or 4 flies with one hackle.

At my first fly shop in 1975 I would buy 100 India dry fly necks ungraded from Andre Puyan from Creative Sports in Walnut Creek. Hal Janssen taught me how to grade them. First we would put them all in piles according to colors. Coachman Brown, Red Game, Creme, Cocubondi, Badger, Furnace and Cree.

Then we would grade them for how small of dry fly they would tie. You also felt them to see how thick the area was with the small hackles. You would bend the hackles and touch the barbials to your upper lip to feel how stiff they were. Then it was all about how long the small hackle stems were.

I think AAA, AA, A, B and C were the grades.

The best ones would go for $5 and down and the worst you would put in a barrel for $1.

I think dry fly grizzly necks were $8?

The big deal was to be able to die a nice blue dun. You would take some of the best crème necks and die them blue dun.

I use to buy entire dried animal skins from a furrier in Sacramento. I bought beaver, muskrat, rabbit, badger, squirrel, and bear. Then we cut them into squares and put them in plastic bags and labeled them.

We bought deer, elk, moose and caribou hides too.

I use to die rooster necks and saddle on my old gas stove in South Sac.

These were the good old days.

I remember the first Henry Hoffman genetic dry fly necks from Oregon. Only a few fly shops ever got any. I think Kaufmann's, Baileys and Marriott bought them all. People bought them just to show off.