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<whiting hen capes>

Whiting Hen Saddles

Soft hackle has seen a huge resurgence in popularity. When I go to shows, it is no longer uncomon to sell more soft hakle than dry fly.

The soft webby quality of hen feathers quickly absorbs water, keeping your fly below the surface.

This line of hen is smaller and has long slender feathers in the neck. If you're looking for a larger, wider feather, check out the hens from my saltwater line.

Tips for Tying with Hen Cape or Hen Saddle?

Hen Saddles on the other hand are a larger feather with rounded tips and a bit softer. Generally, you will only find a few sizes on a saddle. The fiber lengh is longer and a bit heavier than neck feather and when used as a collar, it gives the fly a nice full look.

Hen capes offer the widest choice in sizes and colors . The feathers are long and narrow yet soft. One of the benefits of a hen cape is that the smaller sizes on the top of the neck have a stem long enough to give you a few wraps - even on the smallest of flys. To see the full selection, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes.

*Many old soft-hackle patterns call for material no longer available. Species such as snipe and plover are protected under US Fish and Wildlife laws. The good news is that these hens offer a wide range of colors and fiber lengh perfect for tying these flies.


 

whiting hen hackleWhiting Hen Saddles

These hen saddles are from the Whiting and Hebert line. The nice thing about these hen saddles is that even the small feathers are long, making tying small sizes a breeze.

I've grouped both lines together here. Increasingly, they are becoming hard to tell apart. The main difference is that the barring on the grizzly is tighter and more clear on a Whiting than a Hebert. And as with the rooster capes, there is a better selection of natural colors in the Hebert.

 

***To see other Whiting Soft Hackle products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes and Whiting Soft Hackle with Chickabou.

 

    Grizzly - Natural and dyed colors  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed Grizzly

grizzly dun dark dyed blk variant grey bleached
brown olive brnt org g brown g olive straw claret

 

Whiting Hen Saddle / $20

To order, select a color;



 

 

 

    Browns - Natural & Dyed  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

brown cream ginger lt ginger dk brown dyed wild type

 

 

Whiting Hen Saddle / $20

To order, select a color;

 



 

 

 

    Duns - Blue, Grey, & Brown  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

blue grey brown lt grey dk grey lt brown dk brown
barred blue speckled blue barred grey charcoal pwd brown splash grey splash

 

Whiting Hen Saddle / $20

To order, select a color;



 

 

 

    Solid Colors - Natural & Dyed  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Solid Colors

black white dun claret olive dk olive g olive
brown g brown straw burnt org copper beatle gr dyed blk

 

 

Whiting Hen Saddle / $20

To order, select a color;

 



 

 

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Coq de Leon Hen Saddles

These soft hackle speckled hen saddles are a mixture of browns and tans that give your fly a natural buggy look. The larger feathers on these hen capes are ideal for scalpen patterns.

 

 

***To compare with other Coq de Leon Hen products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes and Soft Hackle with Chickabou. To see the full line, please visit; Coq de Leon.

 

    Coq de Leon Hen Saddles  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed Colors

medium
speckled
dark light brown olive golden brown burnt orange
red yellow orange chartruse purple hot pink claret

 

Coq de Leon Hen Saddles / $35

To order, select a color;



 

 

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dry fly hackleWhiting Brahma Hen Saddles

These small birds were originally bred to be a partridge substitute. The delicate mottling on these feathers is a favorite for tying soft hackle flies.

 

***To compare with other Brahma Hen products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes and Soft Hackle with Chickabou. To see the full line, please visit; Brahma Hen.

    Whiting Brahma Hen Saddles  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

natural brown dark olive golden brown golden olive olive golden straw
m brown burnt org dun pale yel red chart pink

 

Brahma Hen Saddles / $28.80

To order, select a color;



 

 

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dry fly hackleWhiting American Hen Saddles

More like marabou on a stem, the feathers on these hen capes are unique to saltwater patterns. Check out the shrimp patterns on google to see just how useful feather this is.

 

***To compare with other Whiting American Hen products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes. To see the full line, please visit; American Hen Hackle.

    American Hen Saddles - Grizzly  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

grizzly dark brown olive g brown g olive burnt org
red yellow orange chartruese kingfisher hot pink purple

Listed are the colors available. This line is in short supply these days.

American Hen Saddle / $35

To order, select a color;



 

 

***To compare with other Whiting American Hen products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes. To see the full line, please visit; American Hen Hackle.

 

    American Hen Saddles - Solid  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

black white dun claret olive g olive burnt org
red yellow orange chartruese kingfisher hot pink purple

 

American Hen Saddle / $35

To order, select a color;



 

 

***To compare with other Whiting American Hen products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes. To see the full line, please visit; American Hen Hackle.

 

    American Hen Saddles - Laced  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

white brown buff variant shrimp olive claret
red yellow orange chartruese silver doctor hot pink purple

 

American Hen Saddle / $35

To order, select a color;



 

 

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dry fly hackleWhiting Spey Hen Saddles

More like marabou on a stem, the feathers on these hen capes are unique to saltwater patterns. Check out the shrimp patterns on google to see just how useful feather this is.

 

***To see other Brahma products, please visit; Whiting Hen Capes and Soft Hackle with Chickabou, or Spey Hen Hackle.

    Spey Hen Saddles - Solid  
<dry fly saddles>  

Check the drop-down menu for availability. Please call for colors not listed.

Natural and Dyed

grizzly brown ginger tan black white silver
red yellow orange chartruese kingfisher hot pink purple

 

Spey Hen Saddle / $12.50

To order, select a color;



 

 

 

 

 

     
Mayfly Winger feathers 4 for $15.00  

Mayfly Winger Feathers

Many people ask "what is the best feather to use for tying wings on my dry flies?"

Years ago, tyers were able to use hen necks. However, with hackle growers breeding for smaller and smaller hackle sizes, today these feathers are too narrow and "dry-fly" like.

Well, here is a feather that works well; nice barring, web right up to the edge, and nice round tips - all making for the perfect siloette on the water.

Looking for more colors? Check out my page on Winger Feathers

 

 

 

 

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"No Questions Asked" Return Policy

If you order feathers from me and are not happy for whatever reason, please contact me right away and I will resolve the problem. I don't want you to be unhappy with anything you purchase.

Thanks, David 608-332-4220

   



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whiting Soft Hackle Feather Lines

 

whiting hen hackle

 

coq de leon

 

whiting american hackle

 

whiting american hackle

 

whiting american hackle

 

 


 

 

These other Growers also offer Hen Saddles

How do they compare?

click on a logo

 

- Links -

 

 

metz feathers

A long time favorite among tiers for winging, these feathers are not as long.

 

$20

 

 

 

<dry fly hackle>

The barring is slightly cleaner and the feathers a be softer.

 

$15

 

 

 

<dry fly hackle>

Tiers like these for their soft fibers, but the feathers are larger.

 

$15

 

 

 

<dry fly hackle>

Nice soft fibers for tying wingless wet flies.

 

$20 / set

 

 

 

Comparing Neck, Saddle, and Matuka

3 distinct feather types

 


Length & Shape

 

 



 

 

Whiting Soft Hackle

Other Soft Hackle offered by Whiting Farms

- Links -

 

 

Hen Capes

4 distinct feather lines

 

Whiting

 

Coq de Leon

 

Brahma


American

 

 

Soft Hackle with Chickabou

4 distinct feather lines

 

Whiting

 

Coq de Leon

 

Brahma

 

 


Woolly Bugger Saddles


Olive

 

 

Mayfly Winger Feathers

 

Winger Patches

Webby feathers with nice round tips



 

Classic Soft Hackle Feathers

These are some of the finest feathers for classic soft hackle patterns

- Links -

 

 

Snipe

 

 

Starling

 

 

Partridge

 

 

Woodcock

 

 


Lemon Wood Duck

 

 

Coq de Leon - great for legs

 

 

 

Whiting Soft Hackle

 

Golden Brown