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CRITERIA FOR HACKLE SELECTION

How do I judge a good quality dry fly hackle? The answer may surprise you. Through many years of breeding and genetics, today’s fly tiers have access to the highest quality dry fly hackle since man first began lashing feathers to steel. While I’m quite sure that this statement would bring no dispute from even the most seasoned dry fly devotee, there is a "fly" in the ointment. All hackle, due to the fact that it is ultimately fabricated by a higher authority, is not alike.

I have assemble, what I would consider to be, a criteria of six categories to consider before securing your next hackle purchase. In order of importance:

Stem Diameter: This is absolutely the key ingredient in selecting superior hackle. The distinguished dry fly master, Del Mazza, once gave me a lengthy dissertation on this topic, which I still consider to be invaluable. Hackle that maintains a relatively thin diameter stem, that is consistent throughout it’s entire length, will insure that the feather will neither twist, flip, nor recoil, during the hackling process. A good test; while holding an individual specimen by the base, and gently flicking it with your opposite hand, in essence, what you are looking for is a "slow action fly rod." This is the primary reason that saddles continue to grow in popularity among many veteran tiers.

Barbule Stiffness: Upon inspecting of a good cross section of individual feathers, notice that the barbules are firm and stout, not webby, particularly around the base where they engage the stem. This will insure that the hackle will support the finished product and be reluctant to absorb excessive moisture. Any webby barbules that are located at the base of a feather should be culled away using thumb and forefinger before engaging the material to your hook shank.

Feather Length: This is seldom a problem when saddles are employed due to their inherit nature. Obviously you must take into consideration the number of turns necessary to complete your required task and feather length will be the crucial requisite. Make sure to select feathers that will enable you enough working area to make that extra turn or two should that become necessary to properly proportion a fly. Short, stubby feathers, even though their quality may be fine, could limit your working space which is a chronic problem when tying fragile dry flies.

Barbule Density: How many spirals of hackle is required to achieve proper proportion in a standard size 16 parachute? We cannot accurately solve this dilemma without first being aware of how densely barbuled the hackle is. Some cases (parachutes, midges, etc.) may require as few as two turns where lesser quality hackle could take as many as five or six. Inspect to be sure that the hackle is intensely barbuled thus eliminating the need for excessive wrapping.

Color and Sheen: It wouldn’t disturbed me quite as much to be off a shade or two in color rather than compromise any of the previous parameters, but I do feel it is important. For example, when one considers the color of dun (gray) there are probably more than 32 variations. I would be more concerned with form, profile, proportion and size of the fly than precise color. Make sure the color and sheen are consistent throughout the entire neck or saddle, particularly in the case of dyed materials.

Barbule Length: In general, saddle hackle is far more consistent in barbule length than neck hackle which generally takes the form of a spade (longer barbules at thebase of the stem, shorter barblues at the top). Again, this has greatly contributed to then popularity of saddles when seeking superior hackling material. In any event, seek out necks or saddles with consistent barbule length throughout the duration of the feather which will eliminate inconsistencies in your finished product.

I do hope this brief dissertation assists you in making proper hackle selections. If you have any questions or would like some assistance in choosing the correct dry fly hackle please feel free to contact us at (508) 752-4004.

Good fishing and safe wading,

JB

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