[smith950]

Hi All,

I am just starting to tie dry flies. I have already done some research on Whiting, Metz and Keough necks and saddles. During my research I ran across a recommendation on another website for Collins Hackle Farm. Has anyone used or heard of them? They sell the necks and saddles at no extra charge. Since they have no website its all word of mouth.


Scott

[peregrines]

Smith-

The Collins hackle has some great feathers. It's a small operation, and he sells a lot of them at fly fishing shows. There tends to be a limited selection of stuff at any one time. Collins and Herbert Miner (now owned by Whiting) are popular among guys that tie Catskill style dries. The Collins stuff is sold in a few shops online. If you google "Collins Hackle" you'll see places like Catskill Flies in NY and Great Feathers in MD, and I think a couple shops in PA stock them as well. They may have more info on their web sites about them. Perhaps you could contact them, or Charlie, and talk a bit over the phone to see if they have what you are looking for, in terms of colors and size range.

He breeds his birds primarily for the necks, which will tie down to smaller sizes 18-20 with some tying down into 22-24s. A lot of his birds have all kinds of barring and splashing in the colors, which I find to be good looking and very "buggy". His necks may not have as many feathers, and the length of the feathers may not be as long as a Whiting, and his saddles generally run in larger sizes than a comparable Whiting, but his neck + saddle is a very good value and you'll get a lot of good stuff to tie a range of sizes.

Another operation that you may want to check out is Conranch Hackle. They do have a web site, and the owners, Denny and Liz are great folks. You can talk to them over the phone and get exactly what you are looking for, and if you're new to this, they can really help you get the right stuff for what you're tying.

Buying hackle can get really confusing with all the different grades, brands, colors and choices between necks, saddlles, and prices. A lot of it comes down to what sizes, and the #'s of flies you are looking to tie, but for someone starting out you'd probably want to be looking at grades like Pro, Bronze or #3, in capes or saddles, and you can often find 1/2 capes and saddles and 1/4 saddles to consider too. At one point there was a "whiting coop" (co-op) where you could buy a bunch of half necks that was a pretty good deal. You might want to google that to see if they're still going on and take a look.

What sizes you're tying and what colors you're looking for, folks might be able to chime in with some specific recommendations to navigate through all the bewildering choices.

Hope this helps.

peregrines

[smith950]

Peregrines,

Thanks for all the info. I spoke to Dennis Conrad from Conranch last night on line. I just sent him an email with my questions.

Line End is still doing a Whiting co-op. It looks like the packages are about the size of Whiting 100's. The price is very good.

After I here from Dennis I will make my decision. I like the fact that Conranch deals with the end user not just the stores. It will allow me to get what I need not jsut what's stocked.


Scott

[peregrines]

Scott-

Denny and Liz are great folks and should be able to help you out. It's great to be able to actually talk to them over the phone, and I'm sure they'll be able to answer any questions as well as make suggestions if you're new to all this based on what you actually intend to tie. (Denny is also a tyer BTW.)

Just as a FYI, all the Conranch colors are natural, not dyed. Some of the Whitings, especially the duns, may be. It doesn't make a difference in terms of the quality of the feather and the fish could care less. It's more of an aesthetic thing, but i think it's fair to say many folks would prefer a natural color given the choice.


Good luck. Let us know what you end up with!

peregrines