RE: [VFB] WAS art of angling NOW dry hackles

[Reuven Segal]

I use a number of different hook brands so it would have meant getting different gauges and thus too expensive(heck- even one of those things are too expensive!!). I got a photocopy from a chart of the gauge, measured out the curves, drew it up in Solidworks-colour-coded the sizes of course(what can I say? Engineer), laminated it for the different brand hooks, put a nail through the centre and used them for….a day. Then I returned to reality, threw it in the bin, and used straight-forward limited experience to measure by eye. It is best that way, especially if you are of the school that clips the bottoms of the hackles(ok- only on the crappy over-hackled flies).   R   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Peter Gramp Sent: Tuesday, 16 May 2006 9:05 AM To: vfb@troutnet.com Subject: Re: [VFB] WAS art of angling NOW dry hackles   Hmm, now I'm paranoid regarding my subscriptions... I haven't received a fly tyer in ages, but I renewed via visa card at the Sommersett show... Things that make you say "Hmmm..."   On a different note, I just got my hands on a half- neck of "Grizzley barred Dark Ginger" which is as close to cree as I can get on my crazy budget... Some of the 'miscellaneous ultra- webby Size 8 or larger ' feathers (not spade, but just below on the neck) are of little use to me apart from stripped quills, and for feathers of this color, I'm reluctant to strip them for dry-fly bodies.  Could anyone (preferably new tiers) use these for wets and/or streamers, free of charge?  It's not a lot, so don't get your hopes up, but it'll fill a few business envelopes.    While I'm thinking of hackles, I'm curious how everyone sizes dry-fly hackles -- I preen an entire neck or saddle, then use the griffin guage that attaches to the vise stem.  I've found it difficult, though, due to the large width of the printed borders between hackle sizes.  I've seen the Whiting hackle guage, but it seems an expensive route to go for such a relatively simple tool.  Has anyone tried using a golden- means tool on hook gaps and drawing a linear step-map of the respective golden- means for hackle-length?  (If this makes no sense to you, I apologize, as it's the scientist coming out in me...)  I'm curious what you use - if anything - to size hackle. Thanks and tight lines, Pete