Re: [VFB] Saddle vs Neck Hackle

[TSMD]

I suppose Murph's story about overloading with hackles and rods can be repeated by many of us.  I too have most of the Whiting saddle colors Murph mentioned (including Cree). I only recently purchased a few necks, and used a little more logic there, settling for grizzly, grizzly dyed coachman brown, dun, ginger varieant (mostly cree coloration) and white. The real irony is that I fish nymphs probably 90% of the time.  I will seldom put on a dry unless I see fish rising.  So why all the feathers?  Well I tie a lot of dries just in case... and  deep down somewhere I feel like I'm not a real fly fisherman or tyer if I don't tie on a dry every now and then.  Besides that, these genetic feathers are beautiful and it is fun just to own them.

I have a fishing buddy who is a dry fly purist, we have a symbiotic relationship when we fish together. He'll call me over when he comes upon deep holes, and watch while I "dredge" them to pull out the fish. Generally speaking I catch more and bigger fish on nymphs, but he doesn't care, he just enjoys the casting and surface action associated with dry fly fishing. 

Tom Davenport