whiting hen hackles?

[markgraumlich]

any idea of why Whiting Hen hackle prices have skyrocketed in the last few years?

A few years ago I had a hard time finding them in Colorado, esp with any selection.

Now I see them at my local shop, but the prices have gone up quite a bit.

[Ray Kunz]

Now you're talking my language. I consider them a great item. I used to use Metz hen hackles for soft hackles, dry fly wings and even smaller Palmer wound Bugger type flies. I liked their softer texture and their rounder tips for the dry wings. When first trying the Whiting hen necks I noted the great advantage of having longer feathers for a given barb length. (Super + for Palmer winding). I think the demand is increasing.
You should also try Whiting American hen necks for streamer wings. I really like their shape.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

If your set on using Whiting products and you using them for hackling soft hackles and flymphs, try the Hebert Miner line of hen. Aren't they now being sold as a hen set, cape and saddle together for the higher price? I may be wrong on that.

REE

[Normand]

maybe its just the costs dr whiting is incurring raising these birds

somebody has to pay for the increased costs of the utilities, bird feeds etc etc etc

[Cold]

If your set on using Whiting products and you using them for hackling soft hackles and flymphs, try the Hebert Miner line of hen. Aren't they now being sold as a hen set, cape and saddle together for the higher price? I may be wrong on that.

REE

REE's got it. My FLFS's take on it was that maybe one (of necks or saddles) was selling much quicker than the other, leaving them with an overstock of the other, so instead, they're just selling both in the same packaging. Yes, it's a higher price, but looking at the glass half full, even that price is cheaper than buying the two separately. Sure, you're being forced to buy something you didn't really want (Microsoft, anyone?) but really, how many times can you say that you don't want a beautiful hen neck or saddle with a straight face?

[Fatman]

I've got some of the Whiting hen hackles but more and more I really prefer Denny's stuff. But I will say when family asks my wife what kind of feathers can we get him for Christmas it's getting more and more " Give him a feather IOU" I place the order and send them the particulars and they get it for me, but some just buy them and I add them to the rest You can never have too many feathers.

Fatman

[whatfly]

I've got some of the Whiting hen hackles but more and more I really prefer Denny's stuff...[snip]

Always surprised when I hear this, because I've tried both, and Whiting clearly is the superior product. Now granted it is a closer race when comparing hen saddles/capes, but no contest when discussing dry fly hackle. Whiting's feathers pretty much rule the market these days, as long as you can afford it...

Back to the original topic, I too have been shocked about how expensive Whiting's hen capes have gotten, and would be curious if anyone had a concrete answer. Just 8 years ago, the silver grade capes were $9-11, and now they are as much as $33 at Hook and Hackle (although that includes the saddles). If you look around and find someone selling just the cape, they are still well over $20/cape. Price in other words has more than doubled in just 8 years. A pretty dramatic increase in cost must have cropped up over the years, but no idea what.