I once heard...I think it was Chuck Stranahan...say that he would only buy gizzily hackles since there was no real down side and the variation might help....why not?
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I once heard...I think it was Chuck Stranahan...say that he would only buy gizzily hackles since there was no real down side and the variation might help....why not?
You could also just eat chicken for the rest of your life. Why not?
Nothing succeeds like excess.
How is your success rate with a "plain" hackle?
You may have taken my question a step further.
I'm tying with more Variants lately.
[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 24 February 2005).]
I mostly tie with variants too. Generally because the majority of the capes I own are not "production model" (read common colors)capes but ones I stumbled across and bought because I rationalized that I may never see another one like it.
I also like variant capes and saddles....for perhaps the same reasons...the fish don't see them as much....and take them more readily. I find myself tying more and more less frequently with the high contrast hackles.
Guys,
Can we really say that hackle color, at least for 'collar' type hackle on dry flies, really matters?
After looking at JCs stuff on how the fly looks from underwater, and looking at some 'real' bugs, I just can't believe it matters a whit to the fish.
Body color, maybe. Wings? The silhouette may matter, but it gets pretty distorted, and the color? Not sure but I'd doubt it.
AND, JCs pics were taken in 'smooth' water. Add broken water to the equation, and the distortion increases to the point where shape and color are just 'indicated' as far as the fish are concerned.
If those theories are correct, the fish has to have decided to come to the fly BEFORE it can see the colors, or much else, clearly.
It wouild seem to me that since the collar style hackle is inteneded to 'support' the fly on theater, and give the 'impression' of legs by dimpling the water, the 'best' possible color would be 'clear' with a few dark strands thrown in so that it will 'look' like legs to the fisherman (the trout won't see that?).
We don't, however, have ANY idea 'how' a trout 'sees' anything, much less the relationship to how we 'see' and how a fish does.
Anyway, the 'rule', if there is one in fishing, is that confidence is the most important part of an anglers tackle. Thus, if it matters to the 'fisherman' it certainly matters to the fish. I like pretty flies, so I like the variant hackles because they are pretty and tie nice flies.
I can't, however, be convinced on available evidence that it 'matters' to the trout.
Good Luck!
Buddy
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