John I have a lot of materials that are real hard to find.(No Big Deal There) But I have been collecting them for many years. I use them sometimes but not to often. Don't need to there are a lot of substitutes for most of them now days.
I didn't see were anyone said that a Cree Cape was "useless". It is just not need for many flies is all that was said. Any good cape can be used and should be used. I see a lot of people that collect capes but never use them. I think that is real funny, but to each there own. If I need a cape for tying I don't much care who grew it as long as it is a good cape and is what I need at the time. But I have to also say I use a heck of a lot of Whiting capes and have for many years.
I use to buy them stright from Henry Hoffman before he sold out. When you tie for a living you buy from the source that has them when you need them. If they were out of Brown capes when I need one I would buy a Cree if it was close to what I needed and use it.
A number of years ago the country was very short on Brown capes. (People that Tie a lot and have tied for some years will remember this) I was dying about 30 brown capes a week for customers that need them. I was on the phone with Henry at about the same time and told him about everyone being so short of Brown capes. About 7 months or so later he sent me the prettiest Brown Cape and Saddle that I had ever seen. He took my hint and started growning that color. My point is that he was the best I have ever seen when it comes to knowing Chickens and how to grow them for there feathers. Think about it. He went from growing Grizzly and White capes to getting a grade one Brown in about 7 months. To me that is knowing your business.
Like Tie has said, Cree use to be a cape that you did not see much. Good tiers never tied with them to much because they knew that they could not get them for oders if they needed one. They just were not there all the time.
Be gald you got them now. Come up with patterns using them because you can get them now. But I still think they are not that important in the fly tying world. And it would seem that they are still not that easy to obtain? But if you like them use them. Things have changed so much in fly tying in the last 20 years that it is a whole new ball game now. Be gald you are getting the hackle you are. Becaue not to long ago it was a heck of a big deal to find a cape that had a few size #18 hackles on it. Ron

[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 30 October 2004).]