Whiting Hackle Breakdown: American Rooster

Today is all about Whiting American Rooster Saddles and Capes. I’ve been using these feathers for years, and I believe they’re an essential tool for tying streamers, especially when it comes to deceiver-style tails. If you’re looking for feathers that provide unmatched quality, consistency, and versatility, then Whiting American saddles and capes are where you want to start.

Why Whiting American Rooster?

Whiting American Saddle is truly the workhorse of my fly-tying kit. These feathers are perfect for everything from streamer tails to ribs on woolly buggers. And when it comes to quality, Whiting feathers stand head and shoulders above the rest. I use them almost exclusively whenever a recipe calls for saddle or schlappen, which are on most of my streamers.

Saddles

Whiting American Saddle feathers are genetically engineered for streamer tying with broad profiles and a gradient from saddle-like to schlappen-like feathers as you move down the patch. At the top, you will find smaller, more translucent feathers with barbs that flare out when palmered. As you go down, the feathers become larger, more opaque, and webbier. The feathers furthest down the patch are large, with long stems, straight fibers, and rounded tips, making them ideal for tying deceiver-style tails. By tying off an entire patch rather than strung pack you can easily find match sets and progressively increase size for articulated streamers.

The saddles come in various colors—dyed over white, dyed over grizzly, natural variants, badger, and black laced white. Each of these options provides its own unique effect. For example, grizzly saddles are great for adding contrast to your flies, while the dyed over white colors offer vibrant and consistent hues.

Capes

While the saddles are my go-to for streamer tails, the American Capes are almost as essential in my fly-tying arsenal. A cape differs from a saddle in that it provides a broader selection of feather sizes, making it more versatile for tying a range of streamer sizes. The tips tend to be more triangular which while not as desirable for deceiver tails is often what popper tyers are looking for. Additionally, the capes provide a nice balance of webby fibers for the body and sleek, shiny feathers for the tail or ribs, making them incredibly versatile for streamers and large dry flies like bombers, salmonflies, and drakes.

Selecting American Saddles and Capes

When you’re selecting your saddles and capes, look for a few key characteristics that set the best patches apart from the rest:

  • Matched Sets: This is the big one. When you buy a saddle, drawing a line vertically down the middle should give you matched feathers on either side which is critical when tying symmetrical streamer patterns like deceivers. Look for symmetry across the centerline if you are picking an American Saddle to tie deceivers with.
  • Size Range: What range of sizes do you plan to use your saddle on? American’s can be skewed larger or smaller so examine the range of feathers to determine whether it will suit your needs.
  • Tip Shape: Do you want your tails rounder or more triangular? Examine the saddles and capes and choose accordingly

Freshwater Streamers: A More Affordable Option

For those of you looking for a more affordable option, I highly recommend checking out Whiting Freshwater Streamer Saddles. They are a fantastic substitute for strung feathers if you aren’t in need of deceiver hackle. These feathers are a cross between American and Polish chickens, which are bred to be smaller than their American counterparts. As such the sizes skew smaller and the feathers tend to have less rounded tips which makes them perfect for palmering but less ideal for deceiver tails.

Conclusion

When it comes to selecting hackle for streamers, you can’t go wrong with Whiting American. It satisfies all the needs of the streamer tyer from palmering an array of sizes to the largest of deceivers. If you have questions about tying with American or what we currently have available don’t hesitate to give the shop a call at (406)-682-7020.

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