Soft hackle - mallard flank?

[MOturkE]

Can a decent soft hackle be made using mallard flank feathers? If so, does it matter if there's still some of the natural oils in the fibers?

I have a bag of mallard flank feathers from a local hunter and they're pretty clean, except for the natural oil. Anyway, I need to start using some of the materials I've gathered over the past couple of years and thought of soft hackles for an outing on Saturday. I don't have any other likely candidates for soft hackles that display the peppered appearance the mallard does.

Thanks for any ideas and info.

[bwo3]

Well there are two methods that come to mind other than just regularily hackling it.
The first would be to just tie it on the hook in clumps of the fibers all the way around the fly.
The other way would be to put it in a dubbing loop I have used both of the methods and they seem to work fine, and I doubt that the oils will do anything but im not sure.

[MOturkE]

The oils keep the fibers together when you stroke them back to prepare the feather for tying in.

I guess I'll try one and see what it does with the oils in it. If it doesn't seem to work, I'll wash one out and try again. (Probably should have done this first and then asked questions...)

[ducksterman]

I don't think the oils are a problem ...but I do think the length of the barbules will be....

[jjtroutbum]

To get the length right cut the tip out. Saddle the feather over the top of the hook stem extending over eye and put a couple of slightly looser wraps to hold it and pull it through to the desired length add a tighter wrap or two trim access and whip it.

Might wanna add a thorax with this method to keep the swept look if ya feel its needed

Ill use any feather that is gonna swim/wiggle in the currents.

JJ

[MOturkE]

I looked in the archives for a pattern using mallard and found this one, http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...72307fotw.html

I'm not sure why it didn't come up when I did a search for mallard soft hackle, but it didn't. I tied one and aside from needing to take a bit more time with it, the mallard seems to work great. I got what I was hoping to get with it.

I used olive marabou for the body and natural mallard for the soft hackle tied onto a size 12 wet nymph hook (Mustad 9671).

Might get some action on Saturday.

[bones]

http://www.troutflies.com/tutorials/nest/13.shtml

not a true soft hackle collar but it does serve a purpose

no [url] links....interesting. Not sure why.....

[DShock]

I think there is a Steelhead Fly called "Knudsen's Spider" that uses mallard flank.
Doug

[dudley]

The Gartside Softhackle uses mallard, but only as the final wrap
It's really a streamer though

[Sagittarius62]

In addition to Peter Frailey's Feather Body Soft Hackle, he also has the Conehead Combo, with a similar use of the flank feather.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...42505fotw.html