Making the final decision on which cape or saddle will be your next can be difficult, especially when trying to weigh the options from behind a computer screen. In this post, we’ll walk you through what considerations we have when choosing our own hackle.
Hackle Quality and Grading: How Much Does it Really Matter?
The grading label has been a primary consideration for tyers for many years. There are those out there who wouldn’t dare venture below a silver grade. That was probably smart back in the day when hackle quality was a hugely mixed back and low-end hackle proved difficult to tie with. However, the genetic efforts of Tom Whiting have raised the floor of hackle quality to the point that I would argue a Pro grade is all you need. Hackle is expensive and having a slew of colors is useful, so sticking to Pro’s to build your stable is probably the wisest move. One great trick for finding a diamond-in-the-rough pro cape is to flip the patch upside down and see how far off the feathers will hang. We like to call these saddle-capes at the shop and they indicate extremely supple stems that will be easy to wrap.
Quantity rather than quality is the primary reason I would recommend going up in grade. You get considerably more flies as you go up so if you are really burning the proverbial two-ended candle at the vise, a higher grade will prove to be better value.
Selecting Hackle Based on Size and Color
While grade may be less of a factor today, size and color still matter a great deal. Your expected size breakdown is the first consideration as it will determine whether you want a cape or saddle. If you are tying a lot of bugs in a tight size range you’ll probably want a saddle. We include dominant sizes on all of our saddles so you know what each saddle is capable of tying. If you plan to tie a range of sizes, you’ll probably want a cape. We do not size capes because almost all of them will have a good number of feathers from #8 to #20. Size on a cape will be a bell curve with the mode generally falling between #12 and #16 and if you are curious where that falls on the cape you’re eying up, give us a call and we will size it for you.
Color is the next consideration to narrow down the options. If you’re tying flies for specific hatches, finding the right shade and size of hackle is crucial for creating a pattern that will fool selective trout. However, if you want to tie an array of bugs and fish for more willing customers, a simple grizzly and brown may be all you need. Shade is fairly obvious, we photograph all of our hackle individually so you know exactly what you’re getting. Keep in mind that when hackle is palmered and the fibers split, the coloration appears much lighter than it does on the patch. If you would like higher-definition close-ups we are always happy to send those as well.
Hackling Large Dries
Finding hackle to tie high quantities of large flies like Green Drakes, Catskills-style flies and general attractors has become a challenge in recent years. Whiting answered the call to move hackle sizing to the range in which we most commonly see caddis and mayflies–#14-#18–but in the process, those larger bugs were forsaken. Because hackle within a line comes from the same stock, it is difficult to establish size variation without sacrificing consistency in quality. Heritage was established with the idea of isolating larger genetics, however, difficulties with Avian Flu slowed the process of moving Heritage hackle back to the intended size range. Hopefully we will see Heritage fill that niche once again in the near future. For now, going with a cape and selecting feathers further down the neck is the best way to satisfy your large dry needs. Keep an eye on the new Whiting that comes through as well because there often is an outlier saddle that falls in the #10-#12 range.
Final Thoughts on Selecting Hackle
Size, color, grade is the order of operations when we choose our dry fly hackle. Make a decision between cape or saddle based on the size ranges you expect to tie. Then consider which insects you want to tie to determine the color or range of colors you need. Often the exact color we want will pigeon-hole the grade. If you have multiple options across grades that fit your needs, think about how many bugs you want to be able to tie to choose between them. No matter your tying style, target species, or expected hatch, you can trust that today’s hackle will allow you to create consistent flies.