Hackle

[bhurt]

I like to use snot green

[jonny5]

So you though they where using a lot of hackle before did you? Remember you are only looking at eh front of the dress. Take a close look and try to count the capes. How many fly shops did that wipe out stock in.

 

This reminds me of the "kids in the hall" chicken lady skit. And that aint a good thing

 

[Flyfisher]

Where's PETA when you need them, they thrive on attacking the fashion industry.

[DougC]

There may be some light at the end of the tunnel! I just bought my first neck hackles in over a decade and WOW have they ever come a long way. I picked up a couple Whiting silver grade necks when I was in Fernie and they are almost as good as the saddles now. Many of the feathers on these necks are easily half as long as the Whiting saddle feathers and some almost 2/3 the length, all with nice thin stems and uniform barb length. Ton's of feathers sized from bigger than I ever use all the way down to the 20's on each neck. If you are like me and have not bought a neck hackle in years check them out now, they are sooo much better than what they used to be and are still somewhat readily available and affordable unlike the saddles.

[bhurt]

If you haven't seen it yet check out the new Fly Fusion magaizine and there is a artical in it that is titled WHO NEEDS HACKLE. Awsome artical by Jermey Davis (Inventor the the Evil wevil) and he shares some of his dry fly patterns that he uses foam instead of hackle, cool drake pattern in it.

[ironfly]

If you haven't seen it yet check out the new Fly Fusion magaizine and there is a artical in it that is titled WHO NEEDS HACKLE. Awsome artical by Jermey Davis (Inventor the the Evil wevil) and he shares some of his dry fly patterns that he uses foam instead of hackle, cool drake pattern in it.

Except for the fact that he erroneously claims that there's plenty of capes still available, and that a few of the featured patterns still use hackle. I'm especially fond of his use of the term "Indian-style earrings".

[bhurt]

I guess it all depends on when the artical was actually written, might of been at that time and then the artical was publish at a later date when capes became hard to find.

[ironfly]

True enough, but I don't think the article was written 20 years ago, when "Indian" was an acceptable (sort of) term for First Nations. Besides, those earrings are made, sold, and worn by little neo-hippie girls. Natives use feathers to make headdresses, bustles and ceremonial garb. They make their earrings primarily out of beads.

 

These aren't my only problems with the article. He claims that a novice can tye a dozen or more foam beetles in an hour; after teaching many beginners, I don't think there's a pattern simple enough for that. Occasionally you come across a "natural" who might do a half-dozen in an hour. Tyers like that are about one in twenty.

 

To me, the biggest issue is that it's an article on alternatives to hackle, but of all the featured patterns, the only alternative material used is foam. Sure some have antron in them, but still use hackle or foam for floatation. He mentions deer hair a few times, but doesn't provide an example. And he doesn't even mention CDC or Snowshoe Hare.

 

I just think when you call an article "awesome", that sets the bar pretty high, and this one falls short.

[bhurt]

True enough, but I don't think the article was written 20 years ago, when "Indian" was an acceptable (sort of) term for First Nations. Besides, those earrings are made, sold, and worn by little neo-hippie girls. Natives use feathers to make headdresses, bustles and ceremonial garb. They make their earrings primarily out of beads.

 

These aren't my only problems with the article. He claims that a novice can tye a dozen or more foam beetles in an hour; after teaching many beginners, I don't think there's a pattern simple enough for that. Occasionally you come across a "natural" who might do a half-dozen in an hour. Tyers like that are about one in twenty.

 

To me, the biggest issue is that it's an article on alternatives to hackle, but of all the featured patterns, the only alternative material used is foam. Sure some have antron in them, but still use hackle or foam for floatation. He mentions deer hair a few times, but doesn't provide an example. And he doesn't even mention CDC or Snowshoe Hare.

 

I just think when you call an article "awesome", that sets the bar pretty high, and this one falls short.

I guess it is all a matter of perspective cause I really enjoyed reading the artical and found it to be AWSOME and did not pick it apart but took it for what it is.

[ironfly]

I was a writer and editor once upon a time, so I can't help but pick it apart. I'm glad you found the article helpful. First rule of writing is "know your audience".

[DougC]

To me, the biggest issue is that it's an article on alternatives to hackle, but of all the featured patterns, the only alternative material used is foam.

 

I just read the article the other day and it's not about alternatives to hackle, its an article about alternatives to saddle hackle. All the patterns in the article use neck hackle which is still realatively easy to come by compared to the saddles.

[ironfly]

Well, I don't live in Calgary so I can't see for myself, but I've phoned a heck of a lot of fly shops (all over the country), and was told they have little or none. Maybe they thought I sounded like a hairdresser.

 

If it's true that necks are available, I suggest you get them while you can, because this fad isn't dying anytime soon. Some fashionistas are willing to resort to strung hackle at this point.

[SilverDoctor]

Lots of necks left, its the long saddles that are the attractive target, the short necks aren't long enough for hair pieces. If you need necks let me know I know of a half dozen shops her in Calgary that have them along with lots of on line sources. I grew up tying with necks, they are great you just have to sort through feathers into sizes. Something younger tiers may not be use to doing. The custom necks are nice as you don't have to sort as much.

 

Well, I don't live in Calgary so I can't see for myself, but I've phoned a heck of a lot of fly shops (all over the country), and was told they have little or none. Maybe they thought I sounded like a hairdresser.

 

If it's true that necks are available, I suggest you get them while you can, because this fad isn't dying anytime soon. Some fashionistas are willing to resort to strung hackle at this point.

 

[ironfly]

I've always preferred capes. They just seem like the better value to me, but then I tie a whole range of flies, not dozens and dozens of the same 2 sizes.

 

Trust me SD, more and more girls are deciding that capes are better than nothing. In some ways they're a lot more reasonable than many fly tyers, which I think is kind of amusing. Did you hear that Clairol pre-paid for the next three years harvest from a major hackle producer? Gold star if you can guess which one.

 

We often joke that we have a lifetime supply of something. Whether you have 2 saddles or 20, that just might be all you get for a long time.

[Toirtis]

Did you hear that Clairol pre-paid for the next three years harvest from a major hackle producer? Gold star if you can guess which one.

 

Whiting. Where's my star?

 

We often joke that we have a lifetime supply of something. Whether you have 2 saddles or 20, that just might be all you get for a long time.

 

Nah...it is fashion, and believe it or not, I am pretty connected to the industry....I would be very surprised if this fad is still hot 14 months from now....and the farmers will not be shorting the fly shops in favour of the fashion peeps, because they will want to stay on good terms with the people that will still be in the market for grizzly saddles 2 years down the road...after demand from hairdressers has dropped 99%.

 

[ironfly]

Whiting is not the name I heard. But who knows? It's just a rumor, right? What I do know for sure is that this fad has already exceeded everyones expectations, and it just keeps growing. The feather earrings have been around for a while, but not like this. They're trying new materials, using them in new ways. We're living in interesting times, and I think we're kind of lucky, in a way; we're going to have some great stories about the Dark Ages of fly tying...the Great Hackle Depression...the Piracy of the Plumage...whatever.

 

I hope you're right, and it's all over in 14 months. Best case, we end up with a flooded market of cheap, premium hackle. But you're wrong about one thing; some hackle farmers have shorted fly shops. And yes, people are vowing to take their business elsewhere...someday.

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

good for the growers, maximize your profits. If a fly shop is giving you $50/ and the salon is $750 you would have to me a moron to sell to the fly shop. But i also dont think they will flood their own farms with more chickens as this is not as profitable in the long run when the bottom drops out and your stuck with all these extra birds to feed and process.

[Toirtis]

Whiting is not the name I heard. But who knows?

 

Whiting claimed to a local dealer that all their stock is spoken for to the end of 2013, so I figured that it had to be them.

 

But you're wrong about one thing; some hackle farmers have shorted fly shops.

 

Hmm...no one I buy from has complained of being shorted yet....whichever farmers are doing that are going to regret it before long.

 

[Toirtis]

good for the growers, maximize your profits. If a fly shop is giving you $50/ and the salon is $750 you would have to me a moron to sell to the fly shop.

 

One would think...but losing long-term buyers to some short term big profits is just bad business.

 

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

i think that the stores will come crawling back once supply returns.

 

p.s they dump oil all over our land and we still buy gas off them!

[bhurt]

For years my grandfather raised game birds in Grassy Lake (For those that live down there they know where I am talking about) and I still have alot of his contacts and have been buying feathers and what not off them and was just recently told that alot of the big wig clothing designers out of New York and Los Angels are asking to buy the stock for the next 6 years (it takes roughly 3 years to grow a cape) so if you think this is going away you can think again cause if the fashion designers are willing to pay for stock 6 years in advance they are projecting this so called fad to last for a while.

[Toirtis]

so if you think this is going away you can think again cause if the fashion designers are willing to pay for stock 6 years in advance they are projecting this so called fad to last for a while.

 

It is speculation....chances are it will not last even 2 years...but, if it should, they want to have plenty of stock...stock that they can easily unload at cost if they are incorrect.

[ironfly]

I think the hackle farmers are in a win-win situation. Right now they have an insatiable market, willing to pay exorbitant prices. And when it's all over, the fly shops will have to come back. After all, there's only so many quality brands, and fly tyers insist upon those brands. Even with the current shortage, fly shop staff tell me that the fly tyers still refuse the cheap stuff, but the hairdressers happily take it. To me, that says that when the good stuff is available again, the shops will have no choice. Sure, they can switch brands, but there's only a few to choose from, and they've all responded to the market in the same way, and I don't blame them. If I was a hackle farmer, trying to save up a college fund for my kids, and an opportunity like this came along, I'd be an idiot to pass it up.

[SilverDoctor]

Just want to make a point here, we talk about this hackle shortage as if the only place hackle farmers sold was to was us fly tiers. Its a big headed view. If you look at it on an international perspective the fashion industry has in fact always bought the bulk of fancy and dyed feathers of all kinds. Vegas is certainly one of the biggest buyers of all manner of fancy feathers. We've just seen a particular market segment bloom. I don't believe for one minute that we will see this fade die, it may fade in some countries but remember it hasn't hit certain other countries yet like China...

[Toirtis]

... it may fade in some countries but remember it hasn't hit certain other countries yet like China...

 

That is a point...China and Russia are typically 2-5 years behind North America and Europe in fashion trends.