Larry L wrote:

get a good pair of tweezers with a rounded point, grip the very end of the
partridge ( or similar) feather and pull the fibers not gripped to reverse
them, trim the resulting tip and tie in by the tip, then wind a couple turns

IMHO ( and only MY HO ) this results in a nicer tie, especially in smaller
sizes, than tying in by the thicker section ala a dry fly hackle

I don't use tweezers or anything, but do almost always tie soft
hackles in by the tip end. Learned that way and it just seems
easier.

Favorites, in no particular order:

- Hare's ear and partridge
- PT and partridge
- Partridge and orange
- " and olive
- " and yellow
- Gray partridge and herl
- Grouse and herl
- Grouse and orange (for some reason, on a couple of rivers I
fish regularly this seems to out-fish the P and O.

There are a gazillion variations, but I usually have these in my
box. Hard to find small SF feathers, but a hare's ear and
partridge in #18 can often work wonders....

- JR