on various dry patterns such as the adams, it calls for hackle tips for wings. i hate cutting off all the tips, it feels like i’ve wasted a lot. Can you buy just the tips somewhere?
WWFF
Don’t know if you can buy tips anywhere but what I do is when I tie and you have that little tip left over, about 1 inch long, I throw them in a zip lock bag and save them just for that purpose. No waste that way and full use of those expensive saddles .
Do a parachute or paraloop Adams and you do not do the wings.
They have worked as well as the regualr Adams for me.
Rick
WWFF, I use cheap hen hackle tips for wings of dry flies. A lot more pronounced wing silhouette and I keep my dry fly hackles whole.
Tyflyer
TyFlyer not a bad idea, will be sending you a PM shortly
Hi,
Whiting Hackle Farms have a hen cape called “Mayfly Winger cape”. The feathers are well rounded at the tip. I use them for all my hen hackle tip wings.
I recomend you to ask your local Whiting dealer to order some for you. Though, the capes can be in short supply.
Best
Janne
As has already been mentioned, I use Hen Hackle for all of my divided hackle-tip winging. It’s not only cheaper than rooster, but gives a much better wing profile. Be sure to use Hen neck and not saddle though as there is quite a difference between the two.
-Darryl
I think you’ll find the hen hackle from Metz are more rounded than those from Whiting. They look better to me. The costs are comparable.
Give Denny a call at Conranch Hackle. He can probably hook you up. Ive heard he will raise a chicken just for the purpose. Awesome sponser as well as one fine tyer himself.
i just use the small feathers on my capes, and they work just fine, i usually try to differ the wing from the hackle, light- blue dun, or dark white.
JZ
thanks for input
I’m with the majority on this one I use hen hackle tips for my wings they plain just look better.
Fatman