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I have a question about working with strung hackle. I have noticed in some of the pics posted on here that you just see the hairs of the hackle coming out the tail of the jig. When I tie jigs I have been leaving the stem in the middle. For those of you that use hackle, am I doing it right by leaving the hard middle piece of the hackle or should I be just trimming off the hairs and just using those.
You're doing it right. What you're prob seeing is the "v" cuts of the extra part of the feather that some add in, WITH the tip" to bulk the tail up.
I feel sure Ms is right. I posted a slide show in the sticky's a long time ago showing this and how I tie my jigs. I like the extra bits of hair looking pieces more than having 2 tips as some tie with. It was something I just came up with years ago and now lots of guys are using my little technique. I use 2 of the little "V" and one tip. I do use 2 tips when tying a jig with 2 colors in the tail like in my sig, but still add the "V's" too.
Yes, if you can find Skip's slideshow, it makes it really clear how he does it. One thing to remember is that all hackle is not created equal. Some is really easy to make a good looking tail while others not so easy.
Is hackle going to have about the same action to it as kiptail? as far as tail material goes?
Jig Tying Steps pictures by skip48_photos - PhotobucketQuote:
Originally Posted by Sandwich Maker
Kip taie has a lot less action than hackle does. Also when you talk about hackle there are lots of different kind of hackle, pretty much ever feather is hackle and even some synthetic stuff is hackle. It comes from fly tying and when they wrap a heater around the hook or body or at the neck and the barbules of the feather stick out, that is hackle. Dry fly hackle is a lot more expensive and very thin and not suitable for a tail on a jig. Also there is strung Saddle Hackle and it could be used, but it's stiffer than what you really want and that would be neck hackle. Some sell 3" to 5" Neck hackle and it will work and what most jig tyers use, but I prefer what they call Saltwater Neck hackle which is 4" to 6" and wider or more web by as a rule. SOme of the shorter stuff is wife as well, but you don't get as many little "V's" out of them either, but they are cheaper. Saltwater Neck hackle is harder to find, but it out thee and I only use the shorter version if I can't get the color I want in the longer stuff. I am pretty sure about all most carry is the 3" to 5" stuff including anyone selling Wapsi Strung Neck Hackle like Barlow's or Crazy Angler, but it works and doesn't cost near as much so probably that would be what you are looking for. I only know of Bob Marriott's selling the Hareline Saltwater Neck Hackle. The colors I like most I buy in bulk and cost a lot even like that. Example is if you call a wholesale place and ask for a pound price for neck hackle they will tell you something between $40 and $50, but if you tell them you want 4" to 6" then it goes to something like $88 to $100 a pound. So when you buy packs you can expect to pay about double for the longer version.
Also Hens and some parts of a Rooster have what they call soft hackle which is again very different and used on wet flies or as collars on jigs and some can be used as a tail too. when I spoke of dry fly hackle, a high quality cape of this stuff can cost you easy $60 to $100, but it's not something you will ever need on a jig.
Hope this helps.
Check your local fly shop for saltwater neck hackle. Mine carries it, and we're not anywhere near the coast. I bought a bag of hot pink for hackling salmon and steelhead jigs. If they don't carry it, they can special order it from Hareline. It is spendy though. Costs about twice as much as the cheaper string hackle. I paid $4 for a bag of about 50 feathers. I bet you could get two or three crappie jig tails out of one feather, though.
Answered a lot of questions about hackle, now to tie a gray ghost.
Thanks skip for the sticky.--shu