Small Soft Hackles

[cje04]

I was wondering how you tie small soft hackle patterns. Are you able to find feathers that are small enough for 16-20 size flies or do you do something other than wrapping the hackle around the hook like a traditional dry fly?

[Hopper]

I have never tried anything that small I guess. I just checked the California quail skin I have and there are some 20-ish at the back of the head and just below the chin. Black and white. You might get 2 wraps with them, that's it. I frequently use the underfeather from a quail on my miracle nymphs for some emergent fluff and motion. Works well, but isn't very tough.

Everything I see on a hun skin is way too big.

Hopper

[ARW]

The feathers off a ducks shoulder work well down to 20s and smaller.

[Jason]

Starling makes for some good small soft hackles. They're a pain to tie with but after a few flies you get the hang of it. They break easy. You can get some good soft hackles down to size 18; yum, baetis.

[Marty]

There is a number of different ways to tie small soft hackles. Finding the right hackle is a key. Most traditional soft hackles are tied with either a dun or a partridge hackle. Hen hackles are easy to find in dun and will have hackles small enough. It is very difficult to almost impossible finding speckled hackle that small. When tying small soft hackles, I strip one side of the hackle to make it easier. It pretty tough folding the smaller hackles. If you cant find the right hackle, I strip fibers off the stem, tie them in on top of the hook tips pointing back. Make one good turn, then let go and make a number of stronger turns. This will spin the hackle fibers around the hook (like spinning deer hair). Trim the but ends, whip and you are done. Remember the softer the fiber, the better the action and less is best.

[Caddfly]

CJE:

If you want any starling, I can easily get some fresh feathers for you.

[parr]

Where can you pick up some starling here in town? I have only found a few places online that sells the stuff.

[Rod Hog]

What about using the Pettijean vise/tool for making small soft hackles?

[cheech]

In the benchside reference there are a couple of references on how to tie small soft hackles using bigger feathers. I do it with the Syls midge, and they turn out great down to #24.

[RipRap]

Sportsman's sells starling skins for about $3.50. They aren't too bad, you have to look them over pretty carefully and choose the best ones (some are beat to hell). I picked one up today with lots of small stuff in the 20-24 size range.

RR

[steeliesonafly]

Whiting hen capes work well and have good variety of colors,I have done 22's with them.

[Grizz]

In the benchside reference there are a couple of references on how to tie small soft hackles using bigger feathers. I do it with the Syls midge, and they turn out great down to #24.

I'll cut a small portion of the tip off, strip the fuzzy stuff, end up with a feather looking like a small but bold "V", attach it with a few wraps, pull the feather through the thread to desired length, secure, whip & bingo. You can use oversized feathers on smaller bugs, you just have to manipulate for desired results. Partridge works great for this.

Rip Rap Rocky,

still trying to peddle that Sage 3wt?

p's

[cheech]

Thank you Sir Kodiak... That's the one.

I'll cut a small portion of the tip off, strip the fuzzy stuff, end up with a feather looking like a small but bold "V", attach it with a few wraps, pull the feather through the thread to desired length, secure, whip & bingo. You can use oversized feathers on smaller bugs, you just have to manipulate for desired results. Partridge works great for this.

Rip Rap Rocky,

still trying to peddle that Sage 3wt?

p's

[Grizz]

benchside reference, eh? I thought "YOU" were the benchside reference? ;-)

I use some small furnace hen hackles (metz not whitting, money bags) on some baetis nymphs I tie & they work great for an under utilized stone pattern I once tied for spring/early summer white water, labeled the "Love Bug".............. as Marty mentioned, you can lose alot of action to soft hackles by tying them in with "too much" being it material or wraps. You want those little legs/wings to be loose as a goose.

pea's

fall BH SH Prince
size: 18-20
tail: light olive biots
rib: micro copper
body: squirrel
wing: off white biots
hackle: small H partridge
head: gold bead or tungy money bags

[RipRap]

Grizz, the Sage is a' still sitting in my closet. I leave in about 3 weeks for Iraq, so if yourn' interested, just let me know.

Did you ever get the untanned slab of fur (was it muskrat or beaver?) I sent to you? I've got some more of that also in zip-lock bags if you used it all up.

RR

[Grizz]

Grizz, the Sage is a' still sitting in my closet. I leave in about 3 weeks for Iraq, so if yourn' interested, just let me know.

Did you ever get the untanned slab of fur (was it muskrat or beaver?) I sent to you? I've got some more of that also in zip-lock bags if you used it all up.

RR

Negative on the Beaver Flap-Jack. :-( broken hearted too............. I'm really thinkin' hard 'bout the 3 wt, how much were you asking again?, but can't do anything till 12-21. Nice x-mas gift, eh, getting shipped to iraq? Stay on your toes & we'll wish for your safe return.

peace

[RipRap]

Grizz,
Shoot me your address again and I'll get another one off tomorrow to you.

I think I advertised the Sage for $175.

Iraq won't be so bad this time around. Could always be worse:).

Rocki

[Flyin Ties]

Usually darker feathers but more than you can use!
Not bad eating either.

[Sumner Newman]

http://www.utahonthefly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7237

The above thread is from this past spring. A couple of excellent ideas on using rabbit fur in place of soft hackles and another desciption of a method for using over sized soft hackles on smaller flies.