Metz selected cock hackles

[wingman]

I bought some metz selected cock hackles in packets which look really good but you only get 3 - 5 per packet and they are 85p per packet. So why so expensive? theyr'e just over 3 inches long and assorted colours. I'm obviously not going to get many flies out of these but just wondered also what I could use them for apart from just looking at them and thinking what a wally I was for buying them in the first place.

cheers


mark

[ruby pennel595664]

If you want genetic hackles it's cheaper to by the full cape or saddle, but they are expensive so you have a big initial outlay. Probably only worth it if you intend tying lots of flies, but a full cape will last you a long time.

If you worked out cost per fly the small packets would be much more expensive, it just depends if you think the initial cost of a cape is worth it.

[dabhoy]

I have heard that feathers are all going up in price due to the fashion industry and I would imagine that the genetics will be hard hit for their uniformity.
Depending and what you are tying Mark I would give Cookhills a ring and Im sure he could help out. I recently got a cracking saddle from him which is great for wets and a very good price.

[arkle]

Dabhoy, how right you are about the "fashion industry". Whiting will not have any saddles/capes until the autumn. So it seems all the wholesalers in the U.S. are in the same boat. At our end of the food chain, it's very difficult to find anyone that has their capes/saddles in either natural or dyed.

I spent a couple of days sourcing saddles last week for a stand at the bffi. Managed to find about 1/2 what we needed, from a major seller & with no discounts for multiple purchases as they are unable to replace their stock any faster.

[vgb]

Why not try some of our trade members, such as:

Flytying Boutique - Online shop

[wingman]

I have got stuff from phil at fly tying boutique but I was in my local fishing tackle shop to pick up some snipe wings and saw these metz's and thought the colours were really strong and excellent form on the feathers so an impulse buy I suppose. I did hear that feed prices for the bird rearers had gone up so maybe this is having a knock-on effect on the market.

[arkle]

U.K feed prices are about 40% up on last year, U.S. about the same