Evening All,

Well I just spent 2 hours sorting through loose partridge feathers looking for the right sizes to tie soft hackles. I'll bet 90% of the stuff in the bag was just fluff - useless trash. There has got to be a better way. What are your opinions on buying partridge skins or capes, whatever they are called. If you think that is the best way to go where is a good source?


Now, once I get some good feathers and I start tying how do you recommend tying the feather in? By the tip or base? Do you strip the barbels from one side prior to wrapping? I remember seeing a good web site on this issue but can't remember where it was but I think it recommended tying in at the tip. Anyone have any websites to point me in the direction of.

BTW, one of my favorite flys is the Partridge and quill, it's a killer on the White river in Arkansas. I finally ran out of the ones I had tied last year and I guess since I am a year older now I don't feel like fighting the hackle and tying as much as I did to tie the original batch.