"JR" wrote


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



So, stroke some of the fibers into reversed position, snip the entire 'tip"
off. leaving a "v" of fibers.

tie that "v" in facing forward, much as you might deer hair for a sparkle
dun, sizing "overhang" to hook

wind to rear, form body, pull those hackle fibers back and first a wrap or
two to hold them back then a wrap or two through the fibers to spread them
out, ( be aggressive, pull and push em where you want em ) and then a
finish wrap or two to form the final "angle back" look

the "fatness" or the individual fibers becomes the limitation to how small
you can go, not the fiber length ... you may not win "best fly in show" this
way, but it fishing well


and, of course, partridge is only one of many birds that have feathers
suitable .... quail, snipe, starling, and many others

... hell, come to the West again this summer ( you know you need it ... my
wife and I watched a movie last night set in Baltimore and I figured out I
left there in mid-1971 and I STILL shudder at the very thought of that
area )
... and visit BRF, best SH skin selection I personally know of .... ( I
bitched that the Partridge they had was too much brown feathers not enough
gray feathers one time ... Jackie shook her head, ( I'm a perennial pest )
and said, "Just a minute" and came back with a huge, yes HUGE, box of
skins, " look through these" )