----- Original Message ----- From: Dean Endress Yes, some of the Genetic Hackle necks cost alot, but you don't have to buy the Gold series, you'll do just fine with the Bronze series...which have hackle as good as the Grade 1s from say 10 years ago.. Dean
Dean, I agree with all of your observations, except this one, and that depends on whether you're talking necks or saddles, actually. In necks, a bronze cape of today is of at least the quality of a #1 of 10 years ago, many being far better. In saddles, there is no comparison to the saddles of 10 years ago- period. But one thing I try to make clear to everyone- and I had to see it and learn it first hand at the farm in Delta, Colorado- is the point of hackle quality. Tom kills any bird with inferior hackles of any kind and ends its gene pool right then and there. So the difference between a Bronze and a Signature Platinum is the FLY COUNT, or how many flies the saddle will tie- nothing else. The individual hackles on a bronze may be shorter- or longer- than on a Gold, but are identical in quality. But the overall hackle 'count' would be less for the bronze. So for the budget-minded tier, a bronze saddle will tie just as high a quality fly as a Platinum, just not as many. DonO
