"Stan Gula" wrote in message
news:3STld.2535$tS4.2419@trndny09...
This
balances the fly nicely on a table top.
unless fishing on the harder winter waters of New England, that is not how
the fly floats, however. If you have doubts, get some water(unmixed with
scotch), lob
some dry flies in and watch the way they float.


The 'standard' hooks have a gape
about half the shank length, so this works out nicely. I don't change the
proportions for hooks with bigger or smaller gapes, do you?
I change the proportions based on what I want the fly to do after it lands,
or as it is landing. Within a given style, I
keep the proportions the same.

FWIW, I size my hackles on a gauge. When I'm pulling them off the skin (I
only do as many as I'm using), if I get any that are bigger or smaller
than
I want, I put them in a labelled baggie that I keep in the bag with the
neck
for future use. When I want to tie some size 14s and I find 4 already
sized
hackles, I feel like somebody gave me a present...
Same here, but I keep taking from the "presents" and when I really need a
dozen size 16 dun hackles, the freaking bag is invariably short.

Tom