Hi Del
Necks will give you a wider range of sizes to tie with and they also
have spade hackles which can be used for tailing material. Spade hackles
have very stiff fibre and are located at the sides of the cape. A good
saddle will contain mainly 1 or 2 sizes. For example a saddle may
predominately have size 12 and 14 hackles with a few 10 and 16s. If the
flies you tie are mainly in one or two sizes then a saddle with the
correct size of hackles will probably suit your needs better. Saddles
generally have finer stems and have stiffer fibres and the feathers are
definitely longer. If you consider the fine quality genetic hackle on
the market today compared to the hackles raised by the same breeders 5
to 10 years ago the advances in hackle quality has improved
considerably. A number 3 grade neck today is as good as a number 1 grade
ten years ago. I do use saddles when tying certain patterns but my
preference is to use Metz # 3 necks because I believe they have the
feather quality needed to tie a good dry fly, provide me with a wide
range of sizes, the larger feathers can be used for streamers and
stripped quills for fly bodies and are considerably less expensive than
a number one neck. Often I will purchase #3 cream or white necks and dye
them to the shade I want. When purchasing necks or saddles be sure to
remove them from the package and closely examine the feathers. Bring
along your hackle gauge and check the feathers for size, especially when
purchasing saddles.
One item that is coming up in discussions on flies is tippet twist. One
notable fly tier( AK BEST) believes this is caused because the
fibres of the top grade hackles are becoming so stiff they are acting
like a miniature turbine causing the fly to spin as it is cast. If this
is true it may be an advantage to use #2 or #3 grade necks that have
slightly softer hackle fibres.
Hope this is of some help
Regards
Mel
