Spade Hackle ?

I have been reading AK's Production tying book and advanced tying book this
weekend. He mentions a spade hackle. What is a spade hackle ?

wayne

Wayne P wrote:
I have been reading AK's Production tying book and advanced tying
book this weekend. He mentions a spade hackle. What is a spade hackle
?

wayne

When you bought a neck (cape) in the "Good Old Days" there were some wide,
sharply tapered feathers along the edges. Nice stiff fibers, too long and
too tapered to think about using them for a collar or palmered hackle.
These are spade hackles - they were used a lot for dry fly tailing. They
are kind of spade shaped. I have a nice old Keogh brown neck and a locally
grown grizzly that I use for tailing hackles. Most of the newer genetic
necks either have the spade hackles trimmed off for neatness, or maybe they
just don't grow them like they used to, Charlie Collins (Collins Hackle)
and Whiting both sell 'tailing packs' which are essentially these spade
hackles. Collins sells a nice grab bag with mixed grizzly, brown and tan
hackles (a lifetime supply) for about $5. He had a big box of them at the
Somerset Flytying show last week. I've only seen Whiting's on their web
site - never in a store. I would guess that any hackle grower has these.

The *best* source is to get to know some old tyers. They usually have a
pile of depleted necks that are nothing but skins with a big bald spot and
some spades along the edges. That's how I got my brown neck.

--
Stan Gula
http://gula.org/roffswaps

"Stan Gula" wrote


The *best* source is to get to know some old tyers. They usually have a
pile of depleted necks that are nothing but skins with a big bald spot and
some spades along the edges. That's how I got my brown neck.



why just last night I pulled the few usable spades left off of 4 old dun
necks and threw the remainer in the trash. Funny how hard it was to do,
"maybe, just maybe, someday I'll have a need for these giant feathers that
are left, even though I haven't in the last ten years" g

actually I'm considering switching entirely to microfibbits (sp) for tailing
and may toss the spades soon too ... with all things in my life, including
tying, the older I get the less "stuff" I want to have and be slave to ....
I toss out old tying materials on a regular basis now and gave away two fly
rods last summer ... just to get them out of my hair

Stan,

Those feathers you mention are not true spade hackles. As you aptly
described, the feathers you mention are pointed. Spades are clearly arched
across the tip. Sort of like the blade end of a spade shovel. Charlie
Collins will tell you that spades, and this is where he plucks his, are
located in the shoulder area of the rooster. I believe he calls it the bow.
If you buy his packs, you'll see that he often just pulls the whole area as
a clump. Regardless, you're right. You'll get a lifetimes supply of a few
colors or shades in each pack.

Allan

Stan,

Those feathers you mention are not true spade hackles. As you aptly
described, the feathers you mention are pointed. Spades are clearly arched
across the tip. Sort of like the blade end of a spade shovel. Charlie
Collins will tell you that spades, and this is where he plucks his, are
located in the shoulder area of the rooster. I believe he calls it the bow.
If you buy his packs, you'll see that he often just pulls the whole area as
a clump. Regardless, you're right. You'll get a lifetimes supply of a few
colors or shades in each pack.

Allan

mayfly wrote:
Stan,

Those feathers you mention are not true spade hackles. As you aptly
described, the feathers you mention are pointed. Spades are clearly
arched across the tip. Sort of like the blade end of a spade shovel.
Charlie Collins will tell you that spades, and this is where he
plucks his, are located in the shoulder area of the rooster. I
believe he calls it the bow. If you buy his packs, you'll see that he
often just pulls the whole area as a clump. Regardless, you're right.
You'll get a lifetimes supply of a few colors or shades in each pack.

Allan

Thanks for the clarification.
--
Stan Gula
http://gula.org/roffswaps