Partridge Feathers too long????

[Fishcake]

I'm trying to tie a few spider patterns on size 14 and 16 hooks. I've got a bag of loose partridge feathers but find that the fibres are too long for the length of the hook shank.

Should I be buying full partridge wings to get the choice of feathers to match the hook size? And for spider patterns?

[roll cast]

Look up Davie mcphails Invicta bumble and do what he does with the blue jay

[dabhoy]

The bags are usually a bit hit and miss as far as Im concerned.

Originally Posted by roll cast

Look up Davie mcphails Invicta bumble and do what he does with the blue jay

This would depend on the type of spider he was trying to tie as you would end up getting bulk and an uneven body.

[wingman]

I've tied spiders up to size 16 with feathers from a partridge skin I got from cookshill but not tried with 18's but I'd imagine it would be a struggle to get partridge hackles small enough for those but it might be possible. I don't usually tie spiders smaller than size 16 which I think is a really good size for them.

[Fishcake]

Originally Posted by wingman

I've tied spiders up to size 16 with feathers from a partridge skin I got from cookshill but not tried with 18's but I'd imagine it would be a struggle to get partridge hackles small enough for those but it might be possible. I don't usually tie spiders smaller than size 16 which I think is a really good size for them.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Wingman, would I be better buying a whole skin rather than a pair of wings?

[maharg]

The best hackles for spiders come from the "shoulders" on a skin.
Not really a lot of useful hackles on the wings.

[wingman]

Originally Posted by Fishcake

Thanks for the replies guys.

Wingman, would I be better buying a whole skin rather than a pair of wings?

I would say yes fishcake a skin is a very convenient way of selecting an array of nicely coloured feathers, as maharg says the shoulder area there are lots of feathers on here, lighter coloured for things like partridge and yellow and the more mottled browner feathers for partridge and orange etc. I know its a bit more costly but the one I got from cookshill was excellent and will last me ages so very cost effective for the longterm. I think it wass the female english partridge as you get feathers that are more a reddy brown, but they are very easy to work with tied in by the tip ofcourse.