Do You Agree?

I read some things recently in a book by GEM Skues, and am curious to get opinions. The book is about 80 years old but the information, at least that which I understood, may be just as valuable today as it was then.

I'll be posting threads regarding these things over the next few days. Here's the first:

"The first function of a hackle is to break the fly's fall, to let it down lightly on the water. And that is equally true whether it be a cock's hackle, or a hen's, or a soft hackle from any of the small birds."

The other functions are floatation(dry flies) "and imitation of the legs of the fly".

That sounds accurate to me. What do you think?

Allan

Hey Allen,

IMHO Mr. Skues has elequently described
the hackle functions in a nutshell.*G*
Warm regards, Jim

Yep...that is a pretty sound description.

On at least some dry fly patterns an additional function of the hackle is to increase the visibility of the fly to the angler. I'm thinking in particular of bi-visibles and renegades but I know that that halo of light scattering hackle is often the most visible part of many other patterns too.

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all leaders tangle; mine are just better at it than most. Jim

Hi Allan,
Who is to argue with Skues, a pioneer in nymph fishing. I would like to ad that Leisenring felt that hackle also imitated the wings. This is why he coveted Honey Dun hackle. He could imitate both the wings and legs at the same time with the dun center stripe for the wings and the ginger list for the legs. Also Leisenring felt that varying the stiffness of the hackle to suit the swiftness of the water would allow the "legs" to kick or pulsate properly . So , I guess you would have to say there is a little more to the use of hackle than just softening the flies entry to the water.
Now did you think I wouldn't mention the American Skues when GEM is brought up :-),
especially when fly design theory has something to do with it.
Regards, Jim

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[url=http://www.Jimsflyco.com:11935]www.Jimsflyco.com[/url:11935]

[This message has been edited by Jim Slattery (edited 08 July 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Jim Slattery (edited 08 July 2005).]

RW here,

Allan, totally agree.

RW

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

Jim,

There's more than enough confusion among and within my fly boxes without additional boxes or catagories of flies to include hackles with 'soft', 'stiff', 'stiffer' and 'Viagrated' barbs!*G*

Allan