Capes and hooks for Dry Flies.

[rannoch raider]

Can anyone offer advice on Capes for tying UK dries in sizes 12 to 16 . What sort of Grade of Cape is required to get a perfect finish? Is there a type and colour of cape that is used for a majority or a significant number of the more common patterns? What brands are the best quality and who are the best suppliers ?

What's your favoured hook for such flies. I'm getting back into smaller trouty stuff after a bit of a break and I'm just trying to find out what's currently out there?

All advice appreciated!
Jim

[Wildfisher]

Hook:  I only use barbless hooks and have tried  lots over the past few years - Fulling Mill Grab Gape 35025 for normal dries and wets and Fulling Mill Czech nymph 35065 for emergers.
Capes:  I use Whiting Bronze grade and Keough both are very good.

[Robbie]

I would second the recommendation for the Fulling Mill hooks, the dry hooks are good and strong. Quality of all their hooks seems to be consistent. can be hard to source them at time, but guess that is a good sign of high demand. Do wish thy would extend there range of sizes, especially in wet fly hooks.

As to cape, I use whiting pro-grade capes slightly cheaper but still have a huge number of hackles. A grizzle cape would be a good first choice, also like the Cree.

[Chase]

Hooks - I try to stick to 1 manufacturer so sizes, bends ect are uniform . Partridge or Kamasan for me , as far as I'm concerned there are so many makes and varieties its almost confusing .
Capes - Whiting and Keough - The better the grade the more usable hackles you will get in the smaller sizes . With capes you definitely get what you pay for and it can be - ouch .

[Fishtales]

Being a Philistine and a cheapskate :----- :worms

Hooks :- whatever I have in the size I need. Up to now that has been Mustad 9143, which are so old I can't remember when I bought them some forty years old, and they are running slowly out and I can't find a decent new hook. Yes I have tried a lot
Hackles :- Indian cock capes and some Chinese ones, some as old as the hooks and some only ten years old   :tongue2

[rannoch raider]

Thanks guys, I already had a few decent capes but I've picked up a few more since I posted. I'm still finding that some of the modern ultra light dry fly specific hooks are too light and are easily bent. I could see a decent fish being lost on some of these hooks. The Grab gape and Czech nymph types from fulling mill are good and I'm still a fan of Kamasan 170 and even 175's heavy as it is. Drennan do some decent hooks as well. I think some brands work better than others for different sizes.

[Lochan_load]

You could try the partridge 'standard dry' I bought some yesterday and they seem pretty good, definitely not flimsy which a lot are. I bought a half decent half and half cape. Half grizzle, half bleached cream, does me. About 30 quid I think

[Wildfisher]

I also use Tiemco 103BL hooks which are finer wire dry fly hooks but relatively strong. They are in odd number sizes.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tiemco-103BL-Hooks-Super-Sharp-Super-Quality-/182085421669?var=&hash=item2a65230a65:m:mGUlZZSyRbC75DsLmV_Toaw