Soft hackle question

[Steven]

Definitely a difference between a soft hackle and a spider. I think what we call a soft hackle, W.C. Stewart called a "fly." The spider was tied so the "legs" would go every which way. There is also question as to whether the spider was palmered over the front 1/2 to 1/3 of the hook.

(Not to mention that a spider in the U.S. is a dry fly).

From the Practical Angler:

Dressing a spider is a much simpler operation than dressing a fly, and therefore it is better to begin with it.

This done, take the feather, and laying it on with the root end towards the bend of the hook, wrap the silk three or four times round it, and then cut off the root end.

What remains to be done is the most critical part of the whole operation: still holding the hook between the forefinger and thumb of your left hand, take the thread, lay it along the centre of the inside of the feather, and with the forefinger and thumb of your right hand twirl them round together till the feather is rolled round the thread; and in this state wrap it round the hook, taking care that a sufficient number of the fibres stick out to represent the legs ; to effect this it will sometimes be necessary to raise the fibres with a needle during the operation.

Having carried the feather and thread down to where you commenced, wrap the silk three or four times round the end of the feather, and if there is any left cut it off, and finish with a succession of hitch-knots, or the common whip-fastening. If the legs of the spider when dressed are too long, there is no remedy for it; cutting injures rather than improves them.

This is a very rough and simple mode of dressing a spider, and does not make it so neat as if the feather were put on by a pair of nippers, but it is more natural-looking, and much more durable, as the feather is fastened on by the thread the whole way down.[/B]

In dressing a fly, commence in the same manner as in dressing a spider, carrying the thread up to within three or four turns of the end of the shank; then take the feather, of which you are to form the wings, firmly between the forefinger and thumb of your right hand, lay it to the bare end of the shank, whip the thread firmly round it two or three times, and then cut off the root end of the feather as close as possible.


[/B]

[narcodog]

AllanB I think it comes from both Dave Hughs and Allen McGee's books, While both are great books and they do include North Country flies most of the rhetoric is about heavy bodied flies. Not the simple flies tyed with game hackle, a slight dusting of dubbing and silk. Whenever I talk I about s/h's I try to differentiate between NC flies and others. Leisuring and Hidy also called their flies as wet flies and soft hackles and later Hidy named flies flymphs to indicate a different type of fly.

Many of the new tyers and writers are not familiar with N.C. flies and their great history.

[ggh]

Set down at my vlse and hackled, a fly soft hackle style, with a Metz hen neck feather and another one with a India Hen back feather. I think the India hen feather looks best for this, but as Whatfly says, just a matter of taste. I hope the trout don't care one way or the other. My thanks to all who replied to my query.
Good fishing and tying,
GGH

[john52948]

anybody got an email address for collins hackle.

[narcodog]

He does not do email, you have to call him. He does have a website but it is very minimal. Collins Hackle Farm

[john52948]

narcodog, thanks for the repsonse.

dont want to get accused of hijacking the thread so, ive been using whiting brahma hen necks for a while. i hackle my soft hackles using a variation on the method of hackling described by john barr when tying his graphic caddis. i find with the whiting neck i can trim the hackle fibers from the feather measure the length and spin the feather onto the hook using the torgue of the thread to get the barbules to rotate around the hook.

using this metod i can get 3 or 4 flies out of one feather

[JeffHamm]

I've found that the wings from ducks and pheasants have good feathers for these (many around the "elbow"). I also highly recommend starling and woodcock and moorhen.

- Jeff

[CharlaineC]

Talk to lars he should have some

[herefishy]

That's what I was thinking - how about Denny's old flock?

[Rocketfish]

I purchased (time ago) India hen hackles from Cabela's. In brown and olive...great results just tying #14 nymph hooks with some peacock strands or rusty dubbing and the hackles. Wet fly style with just 1-2 turns. I added some tungsten mini-beads on some of them behind the hackle also, to use floating lines. Again, fantastic fishing.