From: "Steve Brettell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> I'm having trouble winding on partridge for soft hackles. Does anyone
have any suggestions?
Two suggestions...
Grab the hackle by the tip and gently stroke the fibers down, then tie
it on by the tip and wind it on, holding it by the stem or with your hackle
pliers. Be sure you have it positioned with the "wet" side forward
(that's the convex side, the side that is on the outside as it grows on the
bird).
Or, you might try stripping the fibers off one side of the stem before
winding the feather. The hackle will be sparser, but it will lay back more
neatly. If you're tying the hackle on by the tip, strip the fibers off the
left side; if you're tying it on by the base, strip the right side.
Janet
