Okay, I went to tie some soft hackles yesterday and the partridge I tried to use was difficult. It seemed that the barbules would fall off just by looking at them! I'm no movie star, but geez! Do feathers get old and brittle and fall apart on their own. I didn't have time to try some others. Also is there is a good substitute for Pearsall's Silk thread for soft hackles?
Thank you in advance,
Mike