Duck -
I've only used four different soft hackle feathers - partridge, hen hackle, pheasant and starling.
I think partridge has the best markings, for what that is worth, but I find it less than user friendly ( which says more about my tying skills than the partridtge ).
Only used pheasant feathers a few times, and wasn't all that impressed with it. It does the job, but other feathers do as well and are easier to use. You can get some really interesting colors from pheasant, though.
Hen hackle is probably my favorite for a wider range of flies, and for ease of use.
Starling is something new for me. Just started using it since Jeff sent me some of his flies to try out. I really like it on the Water Cricket - just the right feather, lots of movement, and it's easy to tie with. Haven't tried it on anything else, but will probably do some soft hackle pheasant tails and some copper johns with it to see how it works with those flies. Also thinking about adding it to some simple brassies to see if it makes a difference ??
Ought to be an interesting thread. Looking forward to what others have to say about their favorites !!
John
The fish are always right.