Neck Grades

i like whiting... but have a hard time supporting them after the recent saddle hackle stuff

they are re-doing products at MUCH higher prices to make money off the fad and their own mistakes

the birds were already harvested.. so threre was a limited supply when things blew up in dec/jan
but no we will have to pay these high prices in future years... long after the fad passes
they also F-ed some harvests last year on specialty birds... so the retailers bumped prices due to low supply
now the msrp got bumpped up for the next year for no reason... other than they saw retailers selling at higher prices and they (whiting) wanted a cut of the margin

Thanks alot fellas. I always thought the grade had to do with the quality of the hackle. So if I understand correctly, the grade refers to the number of feathers and the range of sizes on the neck?

fish metz has a book i think it is called all about hackle
i got it out of the library.A very interesting read.
also go to flyanglers.com on the left side click on fly tying than on the left of nexted page go to hen hackle and cree hackle dennis conrad gives his phone no.for you to call him you can check his hackle.hope this helps

For me, grade doesn't mean as much as what I'm tying. I have a couple of sample/promo capes and necks that probably wouldn't make the cut for any retail distributor, but you can find some very nice feathers for virtually any type of tie off of them.

On the other hand, some of the nicer capes will have very long quills with high barbule count, which yield 3 or 4 flies from each quill, if that is important to you.

Kevin - you like the quality of the 100 packs ?    I've never used them, or know anything about them.  Was thinking about picking some up with winter.
 
 
I stopped at flyfishers for the first time in a long while yesterday and noticed about 95% of their hackle was missing.   Thought nothing of it until I read this article this morning.
 
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/high-fashion-or-bait-fly-ties-now-hair-extensions-2492725/
 

less waste with the 100's too

thanks fellas.   I used to, but don't anymore do much tying beyond 12-16 for drys other than the occasional slate/green drake and maybe an 18 BWO.. so these make more sense.   I saw flyfishers still had a bunch.  Maybe the college girls missed them or they maybe don't work for their thang.

not to say you should empty your bank accounts... but the 100 packs will soon be hard to find
since full saddles have disappeared or jumped to $500+ on ebay... the 100packs at msrp of $18 are soon to be in short supply
i didn't see it, but was told a sz12 natural grizz 100 pack went for $100 on ebay last week

it looks like the dyed and natural grizz are the ones being bought up... i saw40+ 100packs at the shop yesterday sz 16-22
but with the short demand and high cost... the fad will only last longer... adnd with it being about a year till new feathers hit the market
who knows

while i use them for hackle on dries (100packs)...
I am mainly using them for movement and profile on large streamers and steelhead flies

Wow, I have a #1 grade Hoffman/Whiting  super saddle in grizzly that i got for $35 when the old fly shop in Erie closed.
It's mostly size 10, 12 and 14 feathers. Hardly used.
Maybe it's time to send it to ebay.
 Also have a brown #1 super saddle I purchased for the same price on the same day.
 
DryflyTU,
I'm still tying with quite a few old Hoffman #2 necks purchased in the mid 90's.
Last year i finally plucked out the last of the #14 and #16 feathers off a barred ginger variant.
So, I went and purchased a new whiting bronze grade neck in barred ginger. I was blown away at the length and number of 14 and smaller feathers.
I should be set for....forever.
Their midge saddles are also amazing. Feathers down to 24's on my dark dun.
 

Click link.

THESE ARE SALON GRADE PREMIUM GRIZZLY FEATHERS

Wow these prices im hearing are ridiculous. It has been many years since I've purchased any necks or even tied any dry flies. I don't know if they're still around; but we had loaded up on collins hackle farm rooster necks hen necks and saddles back in the early 90s in all different grades. They were great and still are. We often tied down to 18s with them when it came to bwo and sulphurs. And the hen necks tied excellent hairwings for salmon; saddles were great for streamers.In those days I think a grade 1 rooster neck went for no more than 50 bucks? I can't believe they are paying 100s of dollars for them now. Although I haven't been to the somerset show in years; collins was always there back in the 90s. I highly recomend collins. I don't see them selling out the way these other bigger names obviously are.

Dudes; I actually just checked out collinshacklefarm.com and grade 1 necks are only 59.95... you can't beat that with a 10 weight ugly stick...