CAPES

[HUMUNGUS]

Although i have been tying flies for years i have never really been confident that i am buying the right cape for the job.
When tying traditional palmered wet flies i have always used generally cheaper capes and that is what i was used to.
They seemed to look allright and caught fish.
More recently i have bought some more expensive capes and these were listed by the seller as ideal for tying bumbles & palmers, etc. However when i actually tied a few flies with these more expensive capes i feel th ehackles are too stiff, they do not have any movement. Of the more expensive capes listed on some of the web sites, what are the correct type to buy for tying bumbles, palmers, snatchers, etc?
Anybody got any advice ?

[scotfly]

I never use genetic capes for Palmers/Bumbles for the reason you have given.

i feel th ehackles are too stiff, they do not have any movement.

Stick with cheap Chinese or Indian capes.

[Traditionalist]

I will second what Scotfly wrote. Many of the genetic capes are simply not suitable for dressing  the flies you mention.  The cheaper Chinese capes and many of the indian capes are better.

If you can get them, domestic capes are also usually very good.

TL
MC

[garryh]

the G.A.C. sell genetic hen capes by hareline dubbin inc.nice and soft and shiny,also long enough to palmer with.i got a black and an olive ,cant remember the exact price but I'm sure they were around nine quid each.

     cheers Garry

[Gander]

Not an easy question to answer. A lot depends on the fly and a lot depends on the cape.

If you are looking for movement rather than water disturbance, go for the cheaper chinese cock hackles. A more bumbly type fly is designed to disturb the meniscus with that double body hackle, so genetic can be an advantage. Don't touch neck saddles for wets though. They really would be too stiff.

You also need to consider that there is a wide range of genetic capes with differing hackle properties. Most recently, I have been buying Metz grade two saddle capes. These to me are ideal for wet flies. As for Snatchers, sparse is the name of the game. Take a look at the fly pictured in the "New for 2008 - Snappers" thread in the flies section.


http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6498.0


I used a Metz grade 2, but stripped the leading side. To me there is plenty of movement in there.