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.

Lines - Whiting - Hebert - Coq de Leon - Brahma - American - Laced - Spey.

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 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

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

Browns - Natural & Dyed

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

Duns - Blue, Grey, & Brown

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

Solid Colors - Natural & Dyed

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

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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

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

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Whiting 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

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

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Whiting 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

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 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

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 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

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

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Whiting 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

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

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