HACKLE FEATHERS. POULTRY, &c.

1. Cochybondu Cock (neck).

2. Furnace Cock (neck).

3. Red Cock (neck).

4. Red with White List, Cock.

5. Red Cockerel.

6. Yellow or Brassy Cock.

7. Dark Badger Cock.

8. Yellow Badger Cock.

9. Pale Badger Cock.

10. Brown Badger Hen.

1 1. Game Hen.

12. Pale Game Hen.

13. Dark Game Hen.

14. Dark Cinnamon Hen.

1 5. Cinnamon Hen.

1 6. Dark Buff Hen.

17. Buff Hen.

1 8. Cree Hen.

19. Yellow Cree Cock.

20. Yellow Cree Cock.

21. Fine Cree Cock.

22. Black Cock.

23. Black Hen.

24. Green Black Cock.

25. Dark Blue Cock.

26. Dark Blue Hen.

27. Light Blue Cockerel.

28. Rusty Cock.

29. Rusty Hen.

30. Dark Honey Dun.

31. Medium Honey Dun.

32. Honey Dun.

33. Merlin or Blue Hawk.

34. Coot or Water Hen.

35. Dark Snipe (under wing).

36. Starling (under wing).

37. Grey Partridge (breast).

38. Brown Partridge (back).

39. Woodcock (dark back).

40. Light Woodcock (under wing).

41. Brown Owl (back or wing).

42. Grouse, Cinnamon.

43. Grouse, Speckled.

44. Grouse, Barred.

45. Landrail or Corncrake.

46. Curlew.

47. Golden Plover.

48. Ibis.

49. Parakeet or Love Bird.

50. Green Plover or Pewitt
Topping.

51. Dyed Hackles.


1. The cochybondu is a very difficult feather to get in small sizes. It is, however, much more plentiful in larger sizes, as the small leathers are apt to be too black. The example shown is a good one, having good black, "list" next the quill, then good deep red and black tips. It is the black tips which dis- 2. tinguish it from No. 2.

The furnace hackles 3-4-5. (Nos. 3, 4, 5) call for no special comment.

6. No. 6 a real, bright "brassey" is not met every day. It is the best possible base for dying on, and also makes first rate wings for

7-9. u lacewings" and ''yellow sallies," &c. The dark and light badgers are favourites for many hackled and wing flies, and No. 8, "black yellow black," is the original hackle of Greenwell's Glory.

10. The brown badger is not used as much as it might be. It makes a very good imitation of brown or white legs, which are often seen in nature.

Three shades from the neck of a game hen. These are sometimes called " honey duns," and may be obtained in a very wide range of shades, most of them being useful.

14-15- Range from buff to deep cinnamon, and 16- 17 are all useful; they are all hen feathers, and for caddis flies are very suitable. Small hackles of these colours are great favourites with grayling.

18-2 1. Various colours of "Crees"; the finest in the markings are the most useful, and the tips of the small feathers make first rate wings for gnats and small stone flies.

22. Black cock, a very useful feather for
many purposes.

23. Black hen of a smoky colour, also very
useful.

24. Is a lustrous black green, rather stiffer,
and floats better than No. 23.

25. When held up to the light this is many
shades lighter, and has a fine glassy grey
colour.

26. Is a hen feather, duller of fibre, but nearly
the same colour.

27. Is a fine glassy light Andalusian cock of
good quality.

28-29. Are " rusty" blues, that is : when held up to the light they have a distinct brownish red tinge, especially at the tips.

30-31-32 Are very much sought after; they are honey duns of three shades, being the colour of rather dark old honey along the quills, and new honey at the tips of the fibres.

33. The merlin or blue hawk back, provides excellent pale blue, much sought after by grayling fishers ; the heron and the tern or sea-swallow also yield somewhat similar feathers.

34. The Coot provides some very good hackles on the back, the wings, and also under the wings.

35. The various snipes, sand pipers, stints, dunlins, and other shore birds give feathers of this type, though one of the best is under the wing of the jack-snipe.

36. The starling's under wing provides this feather, which is often palmed off as a dotteril for hackles of that ilk.

37. The grey partridge is useful, but not as

38. generally so as the brown one, which will kill with or without a wing and with almost any coloured body, where the trout are not over educated.

39-40. From the back and underwing of the woodcock ; they are used both as hackle or wing feathers.

41. The brown owl, used as a hackle imitation of a caddis fly.

42-43-44 These three are grouse hackles of very varied colour, and all useful.

45. This is a landrail hackle of very useful colour, as are almost all the. feathers on this bird.

46. The curlew, much used for hackle flies on the moors where the bird abounds.

47. The golden plover, also useful, the contrast between the yellow and the dark ash colour, making fine speckled legs.

48. The ibis, used for tags, heads, and tails, and on occasion, legs, when a freak is wanted.

49. The small parakeet, which is a fine insect green, and sometimes takes both trout and grayling when they are skittish and refuse more commonplace diet.

50. The pewit crest ; very useful when a long fine hackle is desired.

The best way to judge of the real quality of a hackle is to try the texture and then hold it up to the light, when a much truer judgment may be formed of its real colour than by looking at it by reflected light.

51. The various dyed hackles shown are those used when attempting to obtain a prismatic effect in the fly.



TL
MC