Hackle Sizing

[knotnot]

Is there a way to distinguish hackle sizes (fiber length) from one to another ?
Do we just visually look at the feathers and sort them out at home.
It seems alot of my hackle is so much longer than the hook length.
Cutting the tips off seems to ruin the fly's look and floating I guess.

[phearless]

Hackle Guage.

It is easiest to pre size hackles and store them in separate bags.
Then if you are tying size 14 Adams, you just grab the bag of size 14 brown and grizzly and you don't even have to look at them.
If you spend one night sizing and sorting it will save hours at the vise.

[rmpearson12]

Hackle Guage.

It is easiest to pre size hackles and store them in separate bags.
Then if you are tying size 14 Adams, you just grab the bag of size 14 brown and grizzly and you don't even have to look at them.
If you spend one night sizing and sorting it will save hours at the vise.

Well do I ever feel silly right about now:doh:. What a good tip Fred, guess what I will be doing for the next few nights watching TV.

[knotnot]

Hi

Thanks phearless, that sounds like it will make it a whole lot easier.

Much appreciated.

[24_7Fisherman]

i like buying hackles that are already pre-picked through. saves me the time of seperating and i only buy the best i can get my hands on at the time

[Nuggy]

Hackle Guage.

It is easiest to pre size hackles and store them in separate bags.
Then if you are tying size 14 Adams, you just grab the bag of size 14 brown and grizzly and you don't even have to look at them.
If you spend one night sizing and sorting it will save hours at the vise.

Good idea Fred, I`ve been looking at investing in a few saddles and hadn`t thought of pre selecting feathers and storing them separately.

i like buying hackles that are already pre-picked through. saves me the time of seperating and i only buy the best i can get my hands on at the time

I will be needing some dry fly feathers and looked at the pre sized Whiting 100`s feathers. The packages were around $20 or something and seem like a good idea at the time but I don`t think I`ll be tying 100 of any fly the same size so it might not be such a good option for me. With a full saddle and Fred`s idea I think I will pass on the 100`s and get a saddle which will probably have less feathers per same size but more variety in sizes.

Cheers

[professori]

I pre size them, put them in a zip-lock bag (medium), label the outside of the bag and then three hole punch the bag and store them all in a binder on the self above my table. Easy-peasy come tying night!

[knotnot]

Thanks everybody for the ideas.

[knotnot]

Hi

I seem to have a lot of hackle that when I gauge it it is sizes 10-12 at the base to 22 - 24 at the tip.
What do we do with these tapered feathers ?


knotnot

[btree]

It depends on what you want to tie up.

Personally, I dont go the the trouble to sizing and sorting my hackles, so I just leave them in the bag with the rest. I enjoy taking time when I get out the vise - I'm not in production mode.

I find that I can use the tips for sparse drys and save the rest of the feather for tying up a bugger or what ever needs longer fibres. I tend to use the whole hackle. Even the webby bit that's a lot like maribou makes nice tail fibres for micro leeches and damsels

Either way, I find that the fish care less than we do...

You'll find that buying capes rather than bagged feathers will help solve this issue if it's a problem. 40$ might seem like a lot, but if you look at buying a couple bags of hackle every year, then that higher quality cape starts to look like a good deal over the long haul when you are able to tie higher quality flies with more consistent hackle.

any who, back to watching MXC and wishing the snow and ice would melt.