At a Glance: Hackle, Feathers, Marabou, Tailing
Our selection of hackle feathers, marabou, and tailing feathers meet the quality demands of serious fly tyers, as we source them from top fly shop names like Wapsi, Metz, and others. The feathers on the half and whole necks and saddles for dry flies feature stiff fibers. Primary uses include hackle collars, such as found on dry flies like an Adams or Royal Wulff, or as palmering along the body as done for an Elk Hair Caddis. Hackle helps float the fly and also imitates legs. Some saddle hackles are also used for streamers such as a Woolly Bugger and other streamer flies. Often, a softer, webby hackle is more desirable in streamers, as they flow and move better in the water versus the stiff dry fly hackle. You can find hackles here in many dyed colors, along with dyed Grizzly hackles for use on many trout, muskie, pike, and bass flies.
Fly tiers also use soft hackles on wet flies and other sub-surface fly patterns. Pheasant, partridge, or hen necks are perfect for these flies and are found in both natural color and dyed colors. Marabou feathers have many uses as a fly tying material, especially as a tailing or body palmer on streamers, and flies designed to catch steelhead and salmon. Some bass bugs and saltwater flies use marabou as tailing, too. FishUSA offers marabou in a variety of colors. Tailings are used on many fly patterns, from dry flies, wet flies, and nymphs; stiff dry fly neck hackle can be used for tailings along with synthetic microfibers.