hackle selection

[flynoob]

Hey guys,

was looking to tie up some griffiths gnats since they seem pretty easy. Bought a grizzly cape and went to work. However seems that my small size 20-22 feathers are so short its seemingly impossible. Did I make a mistake by buying what the fly shop owner said was a commercial grade neck?

Thanks

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Size 20, eh? You should do just fine with a feather that is about an inch long, or longer. Do you have a hackle gauge? If not, just bend the feather and measure the barbs to the hook gap. One and a half times the hook gap should be about right.

Spread the palmer wraps a bit apart if you have to. Also, nobody says you can't use more than one feather to wrap a fly - just tie off the first feather when you reach the useful end of it, and tie in another feather to finish the fly.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

FWIW, a commercial grade cape doesn't necessarily have shorter feathers in a particular size, but it'll have less feathers in each size than say, a platinum grade. You'll get more flies out of a higher grade cape than a lower grade.

Hope this helps...

H.A.

 

[alatt]

flynoob, this is a good fly for this time of year, but I find whiting 100's are perfect for this, they have grizzly in 20 & 22 , and length is no longer a problem

 

[ryguyfi]

the necks are all that's out there right now at a decent price. I have a grizzley neck that I've used for a few years and LOVE griffiths gnats in sizes 20-22. It's tough to get those small feathers on there right but it just takes some practice. A GOOD set of hackle pliers help or I just keep constant contact with the feather up against the hook with my stubby little fingers. Keep at it though, you'll get it soon enough.

I catch more fish on griffiths gnats than almost any other dry fly.