Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Hi guys. Well I'm in the process of building up my fly boxes with various mayfly nymphs, emerger and soon will be starting on dries. My question is, is that when I look at dry flies, a lot seem to use the Catskill method of hackle wrapped around the shank, however, in order to get different hackle in various sizes (22's-14's) and various colors (grizzly, dun, etc.) the cost at $10-$15 a pack would quickly add up. Since I'm just starting out, I was wondering if perhaps there are other alternatives to purchasing all the different hackles in the various sizes. Any insight would be appreciated.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Why focus on Catskill style of flys? Many productive patterns do not use construction via wrapped on the hook shank feathers.
CDC
Deer Hair
Soft Hackle (with grease flotant)
Foam
Synthetic Hair Wings
In addition, nothing wrong with using oversized hackle and trimming the botttom.
Regards,
FK
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Two words... Rabbits feet.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Thanks Aaron,,,,,how could I forget one of the best materials.
Regards,
FK
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
I'll have to investigate the different materials out there. I want to say I'm not cheap but at $15 a pop for individual hackle packs, it can get pretty expensive. If were to get a pack of grizzly hackle in sizes 22, 20, 18, 16, 14 and 12, that would be approzimately $90, and that's just for grizzly hackle. Now throw in all the different colors needed for various dries and you're into some money. I was hoping that there might be a cheaper but still effective alternative to tying different dry flies. I purchased some calf hair, dear hair and para post wing material and plan to mess around with a few patterns to start. The thing I like about those materials are that they can be readily adaptable to different sized hooks. I figured since I'm starting out I'd ask some of the more experienced tiers. Thanks all.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Sorry I am late to this discussion. When I started tying I bought an assortment of good quality hackle and spent a lot of money. As I evolve, I use less and less. Now, the only pattern I consistently still use hackle for is a Red Quill parachute spinner I tie for the Housatonic spring. Once in a while, I will tie an Elk Hair caddis and give it a few wraps of brown palmered near the eye, a floating ant in the summer or a Griffith's gnat with a couple grizzly wraps. That's about it.
Most of my flies for near or above the surface use Coastal Deer Hair, bleached or regular for the wings. I think they are more effective flies anyway. You may want to read or borrow the book "Hatches" by Caucci and Naustasi, to see what I am talking about.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
I will second what Aaron said about Rabbit's foot - specifically showshoe rabbit. This stuff floats like a cork. As a matter of fact, if you pull the fly under the surface, it will pop back up, which may be useful when the fish are keying on emergence behavior. The classic showshoe rabbit fly is the Usual - a Fran Betters original. I'm sure if you google it, you will find a recipe. It's a very easy tie and if you tie it in various sizes or colors, you will cover many of the mayflies out there. You can also tie the wing in ala caddis style.
It floats with the body in the film, so I think the fish see it as an emerger.
Remember to grease it up well and you will be amazed by how well this stuff floats. Plus, it's cheap, especially when compared to high priced dry fly hackle.
I'm with Alain in that when I started to seriously get into tying, I bought a bunch of pricey necks. I rarely use them now, unless I'm tying something like an Ausable Wulff or a Stimi. Search around and get a couple different colors - I recommend natural (which is a dirty grey to whitish, depending on the actual foot) olive, and tan.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
My advice would be that if you still wanted to buy a few capes, buy the good quality half capes in four colors: black, brown, grizzly and dun. It's best to buy feathers from a shop, so you can look through what they have available, since there is huge variability in quality. Each cape will let you tie hundreds of flies and these are the most common colors.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Is the hair off of the rabbit's feet easy to work with? Do you just cut the hair off the foot and tie it in comparadun style? Any problems using it with slightly larger flies?
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Its very easy to work with. Yes you tie it c dun style. You want to get the fluffy underfur. You can tie flies from a size 28 to a size 8 with it. The best part is that you can tie it long and clip it. The other great thing is that its really inexpensive and it comes in many colors and shades.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Great, I might have to pick some up and give it a shot. Trout season is not that far off and I have a lot of tying to do.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Art Lee wrote an article called "The Usual with a Twist." It is part of his book, the "Lore of Fly Fishing." In that chapter he goes through everything you ever wanted to know about working with snowshoe rabbit hair. He prefers buying the natural color and using Pantone markers to color it. I have used his concepts for March Browns and sulphurs and they work well. The original Usual employs snowshow hair as the body dubbing too. Mix it up in your coffee bean grinder. It is a staple pattern for anyone's box.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Have to throw yet another vote in for Snowshoe Rabbit, it's the bomb! Cheap, easy to work with, durable, floats fantastically, and it catches even tough fish on flat water. What more could you want? It's my favorite dry fly & emerger wing material.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Thanks once again guys. I just hope I have enough time to tie all the flies I need before the season begins.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Just start with the earlier hatches like the Hendrickson & Caddis (green, tan), and work your way forward from there. You have plenty of time. Subsurface, start with this: dark brown generic mayfly nymph in #12-18 (covers most early season mayfly hatches), flashback olive WD-40 #18 (for Baetis/Olives), olive caddis larva #14-16, beadhead caddis pupa in both tan and olive/green #14-16, golden stones #8-10, and Zebra Midge #18-20 (black, red, olive). For general purpose nymphs, Fox Squirrel #8-12, Hare's Ear #10-18, Prince #10-16, brown Serendipity #14-16, and Pheasant Tail #14-20 (#14 with beadhead, #16-20 with flashback). This assortment will match almost all the nymphs you will need in most streams, straight through June! If you are fishing spring creeks or ultra-fertile tailwaters, you may want to add in scuds #14-18 (tan, olive, grey), sowbugs (tan) #16-18, and San Juan worms (red, worm brown, fl. pink, 2-tone) #12 and #18 (micro).
I think it's easier tying the surface stuff, because I don't loose very many. First real hatch around here is the Hendrickson- ours is a #12 and I tie and emerger and a spinner. You can usually use the emerger instead of the dun, in fact it typically works better. I typically tie my duns & emergers with snowshoe rabbit for a wing. Next big hatch for me is the Caddis, first green/olive, then tan, then brown, anywhere from #14-18. I like the LaFontaine Sparkle Pupa and X-Caddis, Elk Hairs can be very good too. You may have other important early season hatches in your area- maybe Paraleps (aka Blue Quills), Baetis, etc. Then we get #10-12 March Browns, then Sulfurs, etc. Find out the correct colors & sizes and tie emergers & spinners for each major hatch. I like a sparse Zelon shuck matching the nymph color on most of my mayfly emergers- they probably pass as a cripple pattern too (stuck in the shuck).
I usually don't tie up my dries & emergers until about a week or two before the hatch. I go through lots of nymphs on bottom snags, so I try to tie up a bunch in advance. Plus many nymphs are effective weeks before the hatch. I'm more motivated to tie dries when I know the hatch is imminent.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
Thanks so much to everyone for all the help. As far as tying dries, I was just concerned at the timeframe because I have listed all the major hatches in the area and the ranges of hook sizes most common for the hatch. Then I figure I have to tie a bare minimum of 4 flies in each size to cover my girlfriend and I, should we encounter a hatch. Finally, I'm not the fastest tier in the world and with my work schedule, I always seem to be limited on time. Thus I usually devote the time between 4:30a.m and 8a.m. on the weekend to get some tying in. It's not that much time but I can only sit down when the time is available. I just can't wait to get out there and start trying some of my creations. Thanks again for all the insight, as it is greatly appreciated.
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
the flys most of these gys are talking about are called ausable wulff ,the haystack ,and the usual, the snow shoe hare comes dyed in alot of colors ,you can tye this style to imatate many things ,remember sometimes you need to create the outline of the fly that is what a trout keys on when he feeds on the surface ,siloute and size are what matter ,deer hair from the body of the deer is great because it is hollow ,just remeber to use gudbrod thread to tye it in ,deer hare floats great .a great article on these flys was in autumn 2003 fly tyer on the back page under tyer of the month fran betters ,look him up ,he is the creater of these flys .Hackel may be expensive but sometimes it is worth it I love tying parachute style flys for trout they float better then the catskill style ,sorry for to the true belivers in the catskill ,Fly tying is a costly adventure ,you dont even want to know what salmon flys can do to your wallet ! Hang in there the more you tye and read the better you will understand everthing ,caddis flys are very important in the spring watch for them on vegitation if they are on plants at the rivers edge you had better be casting them ,and make a few different shades ,in color .they are trouts prefered food source .If i could just fish caddis over mayflys I would all the time ,hendricksons are very prevalent on the south branch of the raritan, always just before dark .Oh and quill gordans they are kinda grey as far as mayflys go .As soon as it starts to get warm try those march browns I posted about to they work great .If you need any pictures I could try to post them and give you a visual ,but I can only do it on my profile because I have a picture phone ,but ask away and Ill try to help you anytime .
Re: Alternatives to Hackle on Dry Flies???
in Ed Engle's Tying Small Flys he has a chapter on using Snowshoe rabbit hair to create a dubbing/small wing material. He goes through how to make it and how to apply it. Ive used the fly many times on the Farmington for many different hatches and I have to say it kicks butt. If funds are tight this is a great material to make a high floating fly. Tons of newer dryflies are no hackle. A killer pattern would be the x-caddis or the iris caddis. Cheap easy and effective.
