Outragous Saddle Hackle prices

[Eric-WD]

Jeffro, I have one of Dennys high end full bird skins, given to my son and myself by a very nice lady who won it at a FAOL fish-in (thanks VEE) every fly fisher who has looked at this skin has drooled over the color and quality of the feathers. These skins are very expensive beceause they are rare. If I had the money I would buy a few of these to send as gifts to some fly fishing friends who have been very helpful in my learning curve. considdering the care, cost of rasing the birds (special food for feather quality) etc. I think they are worth every penny and probably underpriced.

Eric

[hap]

I have at least a half-dozen of Denny's full rooster skins including a dark and a light version of his new cree color, a light dun, a grizzly, a very light color grizzly variant, and a furnace variant. Every feather on a full skin can be used somewhere in fly tying and there are so many more on the full skin...

[hairwing]

I have a cheap source for saddle hackle if anybodies interested :

[rainbowchaser]

Hairwing, I think you ought to sit on that idea for a while!

[hairwing]

I don't think that's such a great idea !

It causes saddle and neck feather deformation and results in a product that fly tiers can't handle...."a twister".

[jeffro]

Thanks WarrenP but a chicken is a chicken a rooster is a rooster.....I priced a bunch of different Saddles over the past 8 years or more and they are all Way too much for the average buyers.

I think that denny has his lowest price at $150.00 isnt it? when I can get the same skin for $50. to $80 bucks almost anywhere.

My question was How Much would you or the average buyer pay for your full skins.....a chicken is a chicken

Ok when I posted this I did not see the Lower priced Saddles only the $100 to $200. skins ....
When I 1st posted the thread I only wanted ya'lls input on Where they are purchased and How much you're willing to pay for em.

I have only purchased about 10 or so necks , saddles etc., and they will last along time as long as I take care of em....and they for the most part serve their purpose.

Does anyone here buy from canada or another country or maybe Cock fighters or maybe J.Stockard, Stone River , Bearslodge , Fly Tying Dungeon,etc.,
Or only from your sponsors here?
Dont be scared ...speak up....lolololol Denny aint gonna cut you off will he?

[NJTroutbum]

Here is what I have found. The highest price is not always the best feather for a particular task. I have found each line at some point to have the perfect feather for a given application. But there is no breeder (in my opinion), that has the perfect hackle for all applications. My alltime favorite hackles on my bench are the old Hoffmans. Though Whiting has made great strides in hackle length and smaller sizes, they in turn lost a little from the original line in my opinion....the stems are not as supple as the older Hoffmans. I am a fan of Collins hackle for pure dry fly hackle. But admittedly, I prefer to pick through them. I don't care to order them sight-unseen. I think Conranch hen hackle is quite possibly unmatched. I have not seen anybody come close to Whiting in dry fly smaller than #16 for usable hackle count. Keough in my opinion has THE BEST saltwater and streamer saddles out there. In necks....all of them have a niche in at least a particular color if nothing else. Metz suffers in quills...but have gotten better in recent years. Keough has gotten much more consistent in neck grading it seems. Basically, I don't by hackle for any particular name. I sort through them prudently....and buy the best one for the particular application. Regardless of price or who's it happens to be.

However.....I do agree with Jeffro....the prices are outrageous across the board....for durned chicken fedders.

Ralph

[Longs for Cutts]

Jeffro:

All of those places you mention might conceivably have hackle branded under their name. This will without exception be hackle raised by Whiting, Metz, Keough, or another large breeder that does not quite match the breeder's quality or even "line" standards. I primarily use saddle hackle I buy wholesale from Hareline or at a discount from a guy who has a "Fly Co" here in Montana and won't mind if you "slide on in" to his establishment. Both sources have confirmed their hackle is essentially a cross between two hackle lines of a major hatchery.

[jeffro]

I done some research today and I saw where Tom Whiting has been Awarded a "Lifetime Acheivment Award" for producing THEE Finest hackle in the History of the craft.
I just wonder if Hoffman, Ted Herbert, Buck Metz,Andy Mirror and Bill Keough and Denny have just as gooda chickens as Tom Whiting?

The Prices are perty much the same unless ya get em from the Middleman ......

Just like us here at the shop for instance.....I Manufacture Oil Well Production Parts and we sell em to another person for a price with a Discounted price.

They turn around and sell em to another person and Hike the price up DOUBLE what they give us and that just aint fair to us.....or the man that owns the Well.

So what I am saying is how come I cant just call the chicken man on the phone and purchase a skin at a reasonable price?
Get rid of politics and gimme and others a fair deal......I just dont think it's rite.

[flybugpa]

++++++++++++++++call denny++++++++++++