In this "Tips & Techniques" fly tying video, I explain some common uses for hen hackle. As a beginning fly tyer over 20 years ago, I knew little about the differences between hen and rooster, thus I wanted to give a brief overview and show a few common applications for the actual hen feathers. There are many more uses for hen hackle, but this video features the common ones that I employ, especially with JV Hen Hackle.
The various applications I show are: Tailing and legs (especially for use with patterns such as the Copper John), beards on wet fly patterns, and soft hackles. These are just a few possibilities for utilizing hen hackles.
Speaking of JV Hen Hackle, I want to give a shout-out to Cleawater Hackle, which is where I get the majority of the hackle I use. They have an incredible product called JV Hen Hackle, which offers smaller and softer feathers, especially for those tying trout flies. The feathers will tie down to 18 on soft hackles, and there are lots of great colors (I discuss the JV Hungarian Partridge Hen Hackle a lot in this video!). When you visit their site, be sure to let Lars (the owner) know that I sent you: http://www.clearwaterhackle.com/jv-hens/
Thanks for viewing this YouTube fly tying tutorial; feel free to leave any comments/questions on this site, or email me: tcammisa@gmail.com
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