Advice on capes and saddles

[adespin999]

Hi,

As a relative newcomer to fly tying could someone help me with the following. For your information I am looking to tie dries mainly in the size 12 to 16 range but with some 10's and 18's.

Should I purchase a genetic cock cape or a saddle (and what are the differences)?
What colours would you suggest?
What suppliers and brands (metz, whiting ,chevron etc) do you recommend?
Can anyone supply me with half capes or saddles?

Many Thanks,

Ade

[tinsoldier]

not an expert on this by any means but heres my tuppence worth ,with those variable sizes i would go for saddles as they offer you more variety ,half necks and saddles are a good option and i think metz does em,colors i would go for natural black,a dark brown ,game red,dun,and a grizzle or badger is nice too hth,now someone will come along tell u something completley different and add another half dozen colors lol

[benlikestofish]

With that range of sizes I would avoid a saddle, most saddles will only cover a couple of sizes with a few feathers that would stretch to a size or two beyond that.

As it dries you want to tie I would start with a genetic cock neck. A Metz grade II or one of the lower grade whitings would be fine. You can get halfs if you look around, or alternatively buy a whole one and sell half on here.

A Ginger would be pretty universal for a start.

[midlander]

Originally Posted by benlikestofish

With that range of sizes I would avoid a saddle, most saddles will only cover a couple of sizes with a few feathers that would stretch to a size or two beyond that.

As it dries you want to tie I would start with a genetic cock neck. A Metz grade II or one of the lower grade whitings would be fine. You can get halfs if you look around, or alternatively buy a whole one and sell half on here.

A Ginger would be pretty universal for a start.

Absolutely correct. If you're after a wide range of sizes then a neck (cape) is what you're after. Whiting capes generally have slightly thinner stems than Metz but often cost more on average. Stay away from saddles unless you want a narrow size range, say 12-16. Even then, saddles will typically have a predominance of one size, say mainly 14s with a few 12s and a few 16s.

The other option might be to search out some Whiting '100s' packs. Whiting have helpfully graded saddle feathers into specific size ranges so you can theoretically buy a pack of feathers selected for size 10s, 12's, etc. However, you will pay a premium for their size grading process.

[shpeil]

I've been through this recently - Whiting capes are a joy to use. But you pay for it. And they're not all that easy to find either. Metz are good, just not as good as Whiting. Chevron... my reckoning is that they've got a bit of catching up to do with Whiting and Metz in terms of density of the fibres and length of the feathers. (I really like their died hen capes though.)

In terms of colours, I would have thought that a black, a brown or red game, and a grizzle would cover a lot of the bases.

Check out here too:
Which Hackles - My Experiences

As you'll see, opinions vary!

[arkle]

Chevron split both capes & saddles. If you're going to the BFFI, then you could be overwhelmed with choices & options.

[coasty]

For Dries I use whiting Pro Grade neck capes and find them great for the tying I do. Which is mainly size 12 through 18 I can recomend Jim's Custom Flies on Flea bay the guy who runs the business is a gent and very helpful. He has in the past sourced me specific colour capes for no extra cost. The dollar rate at the moment isnt to bad and you will get a good deal on them from him..

As the other posters have said I wouldnt recomend saddles for what you have in mind...

Andy