A couple of months ago I had an opportunity to visit with Charlie Collins. As he usually does everytime I visit, Charlie gave me quite a lesson about necks, genetic breeding, some tying techniques and feathers. On this particular visit Charlie showed me some flies he had tied and that he was preparing to use in a presentation to some group. There was a 'variant', a 'soft hackle' and a 'streamer'. None of the feathers on these flies came from parts of the chicken we typically use or are available through retailers. The oversized Variant hackle came from the scapula. This is where you get the true 'spade' hackles we always seek for tailing. The Soft Hackle hackle came from the wing, and the feather wing on the Streamer were feathers from the leg. The streamer wing feathers, by the way, were creamy with about 4 or 5 blotches along the stem that looked like parr markings. All 3 flies were nice to look at and I'm sure would work in fishing situations.

One of the points he was trying to make was that there are many locations on a rooster/hen with feathers that can be incorporated into fly tying.

Many of you no doubt have observed how the hackle breeders are breeding out web as well as developing longer feathers with shorter barbs. These traits are evident on roosters and hens. (As an aside: I think it's getting near the point, perhaps it's there already, where todays hen hackle quality for dry flies is as good as rooster hackle was in the first half of the 20th century) Try finding feathers able to tie a good 'skater' pattern today. Not likely. Even good size 10 hackle is difficult. Point being that, if you have an opportunity to pick up a good chicken from some barnyard, grab it for your tying because many of its feathers will prove useful in your tying. It may only set you back $5 or $10. Oh, did I mention the speckled wing primaries on a brown rooster? Excellent for down-wing caddis or small Muddlers. Or the maribou on the butt?

Allan