Desert Eagle wrote:
Evening folks,
Seams kind of quiet and thought I would toss out a problem I am having
and see if anyone can give me a fix for it.
I am working on my "Black Gnats" and have a problem. The recipe calls of
"Black Hackle Barbules" for the tail. Now I assume they are referring to
just pulling some of the side off a black hackle and using it. What I have
tried, ( "Not" getting into the few actual dry fly hackles I have), is not
at all satisfactory. Even on a #14 dry fly hook the finished product
collapses the tail and just "Mush's" it out. It will not stand straight. I
do have "some" pheasant hackle that is soft but at least it is a "Bit"
stiffer than this other stuff. Problem is, it isn't black and still not as
stiff as I would like.
I have gotten up to 12 segments, ( 16 on one), rope dubbing the body on
a # 14, dry fly hook and the hackle actually looks very good. "But" the tail
ruins the whole appearance.
Dose anyone have a suggestion as to how to maybe stiffen up the hackle,
or something else I can do to make these look as good as the rest of the
fly, or something else I can use ? I thought of Biot but don't have any
black in that either. I want these to be the best I have done yet, ( Except
for my "Prize" winning flies for the Rope Dub Swap).
Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Working smaller and smaller,
Jimi
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