FLYMPH FORUM

Hi
It is time for me to buy a new partridge skin. The old one (donno if it is hen or cock) I´ve put in Picric acid, I hope it will turn out nicely olive.

Now, could you maybe help me to decide to buy a cock or a hen. What is the main difference, and what would be best suitable for soft-hackle flies?

Thanks, and enjoy the weekend
Martin

Both are suitable for wingless wets, however the cock skin is what is most commonly used by me and I believe will give you a larger variety of feathers of better coloration. If you can, find one wild shot, I have found the markings on the wild birds to be much more prominent than commercially raised birds.

Have never seen the sex of a Hungarian partridge skin specified, either from a fly shop or eBay listing.

CM_Stewart wrote:Have never seen the sex of a Hungarian partridge skin specified, either from a fly shop or eBay listing.

I've seen at Cookshill that you can specify the sex.


/Martin

Old Hat wrote:Both are suitable for wingless wets, however the cock skin is what is most commonly used by me and I believe will give you a larger variety of feathers of better coloration. If you can, find one wild shot, I have found the markings on the wild birds to be much more prominent than commercially raised birds.

OK, thanks, that is what I wanted to know.

/Martin

Like all birds the males have more vivid coloration.....but the females have plenty of plumage that is higly usable and often softer or more webby. Which at times can be very usefull, or advantageous. i like the earthy more muted coloration of females very often.....nature has given them a way of just blending in so they are not as easily noticed when on the nest. And those feather traits can work in your favor when fishing. i've read some bout the Trouts visability.....UNREAL. i'll hunt up this book i have and post the title and author for ya. Amazing stuff.

...maybe I'll buy both cock and hen...and put one of them in Picric Acid...

/Martin

Stay clear of Hungarian Partridge if you are looking to tie traditional English soft hackle patterns and look for a male English Grey Partridge skin these are the prescribed hackles.

BobSmith wrote:Stay clear of Hungarian Partridge if you are looking to tie traditional English soft hackle patterns and look for a male English Grey Partridge skin these are the prescribed hackles.

From what I've read Hungarian Partridge is the same bird as English Grey Partridge...??

/Martin

Bob got me interested enough to do a very quick search and here's what I found when I searched for Hungarian Partridge ( Perdix perdix).

Other Names: Gray Partridge, Hun, English Partridge, Bohemian Partridge, European Partridge.

Range: Great Britain, Northern Spain, France and Italy east through Europe into Turkey, Russia and western Siberia. Introduced throughout the world and well established in the United States.

Subspecies: There are seven subspecies according to Robbins. P. p. perdix, P. p. hispaniensis, P. p. armoricana, P. p. sphagnetorum, P. p. lucida, P. p. canescens and P. p. robusta.

Perhaps Bob is talking about a sub species however how one goes about determining which sub species is actually the one used to tie traditional English soft hackles I have no idea.

Regards, Jerry