Wet-Fly Hackle

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Wet fly hackle provides bulk, profile and action to flies. Don't use the thin, stiff barbules found on a dry fly hackle for your wet flies. Look for webby feathers with thick barbules.

Saddles and neck hackle are used for wet flies, bass bugs, and saltwater flies. Rooster saddle hackles are used as a palmered hackle on Woolly Buggers and similar patterns. Saddle hackles are used for the wings and tails of streamers and saltwater baitfish imitations. They have very little curvature. Rooster neck hackles have a fair amount of curvature and are used as the splayed tails on bass bugs and tarpon flies. Neck hackle can also be used to palmer flies when many wraps are not necessary.

Indian Hen. Both the necks and the more common saddles and backs are used for soft hackles, nymphs legs and Matuka wings. They are mottled in some shade of brown or grey.

Genetic Hen Hackle.Hen necks will tie soft hackles down to #20. These feathers are much easier to wrap than upland gamebird feathers like partridge and grouse. The saddles also work for nymphs and soft hackles as well as Matuka wings and crab claws. They are available in colors comparable to the roosters.

Chinese Necks and Saddles. These economical feathers are a good source of hackle. The necks have fairly fine and flexible stems. They work well as tails on smaller tarpon flies. They have a action between a standard neck and saddle hackle. They have a sparser profile so you need to use more feathers to produce the same amount of bulk. Chinese saddle hackles are the most commonly used saltwater and Woolly Bugger hackle. Most of the time you will find them listed as large strung saddle hackle. They are usually sold in 1/4 oz or 1 oz packages. Hackle size and quality varies quite a bit. The most common colors are white, variant, and a full range of dyed colors.


A good Spey hackle substitute is goose shoulder feather that has been soaked in bleach and dyed. This material is sometimes called burned Spey hackle because the acidic nature of the bleach removes small webby fibers, leaving a feather which resembles a heron feather.

Capon. Neck and saddle feathers are available from these large neutered birds. On both, the feathers have rounded tips and are wider than standard hackle. They are excellent for saltwater and streamer wings. They are sometimes marketed as saltwater hackle or domestic wet fly hackle. They are available in white, grizzly, and dyed colors.

American Hackle. This is a brandname product of Whiting Farms. It is a bird that has been genetically raised to produce feathers for saltwater and streamer flies. Both saddles and necks are available. It is basically a premium-grade capon-style hackle. It comes in an array of natural and dyed colors.

Schlappen. This saddle hackle is all web. It has a great profile as the tail of large baitfish flies. It makes a very buggy Woolly Bugger and very full salmon flies. It usually comes strung and is usually from birds with a very low pedigree. Some of this feather is found at the bottom of a standard saddle hackle patch. It is most commonly available in white and dyed over white colors.

Strung Neck Hackle. This is a inexpensive long wide neck hackle. It is suitable for bass flies, Deceivers, and tarpon flies. It comes in white, badger, furnace, and dyed colors.

Cock Tails. These are literally the rooster tails. They are all web and have a fairly stiff stem. These are the ultimate for pike and offshore flies. They are also used as Spey hackle. The are available in white and dyed colors.

Burnt Spey Hackle. This is actually a goose shoulder feather that has been bleached and dyed. It is a substitute for the Heron hackle formerly used on Spey flies. They need to be soaked or crimped before tying. They are available in white and dyed colors.

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