Brahma and Indian hen capes: do you use them?

[Izaak]

How useful are Brahma and Indian hen capes for soft hackles size 12 and smaller? Most of my tying has been with partridge, starling, and genetic hen capes. Am I missing out on something?

[Mataura mayfly]

Very useful.... as they are about the only hen hackles I can get here!
If you find there are not many feathers small enough for a particular size hook or style of tie, you can use other methods of hackle fixing than wrapping the stem around the hook shank. Stripping fibres from the shank and tying them as you would a fly tail, but spun around the shank and tied with the tips out over the eye. Tie the rest of your fly and fold the fibres back over the body, whip finish in front to keep the hackle swept back.
There is another method that involves clipping the centre from the feather tip and introducing the fibres over the eye of the hook to the desired length and tying off. Others here can explain it better or may be able to provide a link that explains it better.

But I like them, they are soft, available in a good colour range and as a rule they are cheap to buy!

[JohnP]

What he said.

[narcodog]

yup

[Izaak]

Mataura mayfly,

Here's a link to one way of hackling using larger partridge feathers with smaller hooks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DCYT7NR-m4

I hope this link works!

[Mataura mayfly]

The link worked.
That is one of the methods I was trying to explain..... what is it they say about pictures versus words?
Great link.

[Kelly L.]

I like both! Yes, I use them!

[Soft-hackle]

I love them. They can be used as a good substitute for various game bird feathers and are reasonably priced.

Mark

http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1543

http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1355

http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=43

[Mike Connor]

How useful are Brahma and Indian hen capes for soft hackles size 12 and smaller? Most of my tying has been with partridge, starling, and genetic hen capes. Am I missing out on something?

They work well enough on some things but if you can get the relevant soft hackles I would stick to them. This statement may well cause some controversy, but it is what I have found over the years. I like some hen hackles for some flies, notably light furnace ( often referred to as "Greenwell",) for some olives ( Greenwell's Glory for instance) but I avoid most others. It has always been a problem finding soft hackle feathers the right size for a particular fly, and it is doubtless convenient to use hen hackle substitutes, but the soft hackles invariably catch better, apart from a few exceptions. If you do use hen hackles try to find coarse webby hackles. The Brahma hackles look nice but I can't make any sensible comment there as apart from a few backs I have tried I have not used them.

TL
MC

[tie2fish]

I'm not real crazy about generic Indian hen backs, but do like good quality Brahma hen saddle.