A place to discuss the collecting and tying of classic flies, the tyers who made them famous, the tools, materials and techniques they used as well as the waters they were designed for. While classic is generally used to describe old things, classic is also used in the sense of first class or in the highest form. Therefore a fully dressed Salmon Fly, or a Carrie Stevens Streamer are just as much classics as a Chernobyl Ant would be. Enjoy the forum.
Sunday during a tying get together with friends a buddy of mine had some old Metz capes and saddles (‘commercial’ grade I think?) he wanted to get rid off. I picked up a dark barred ginger, cree and a barred dun. They were very greasy so I gave them a warm dish washing soap bath. The barred ginger and especially the cree were very greasy. The fibers were matted when you bent the feather. The dun has the nicest hackles of the three. Nice dry and straight barbules.
These capes are quite different than what I’ve seen before. The smaller size feathers are very long and stems are flexible. But if you go up the cape and look at feathers for size 10 and larger the stems are very thick and stiff. Totally unusable for wrapping.
After the first bath
Still some matting barbs
Gave the Cree and barred ginger a second wash. Also cut off the upper part of the cape which isn’t of any use. I could have kept that part for using on streamers etc. Especially the Cree looks much better. Almost no matting. The upper part will get used by another friend who will use them for tying bonefish flies so no part will get wasted.
Looks much better
I gave the old Metz capes I recently washed a swing on the vise after dinner. These hackles are pretty darn nice!
Hackles being so expensive (then & now) I always thought of using very mild detergents like for wool clothing etc.
Since I got these capes very cheaply and the capes being very greasy I used a more aggressive detergent like dish washing soap.
I washed them in warm (a bit warmer than luke warm) plastic tub, a few drops of dish washing soap and get the foam going. The capes stayed in the bath for about 10-15 minutes with rubbing with the fingers a couple of times to get the soap into every corner of the cape.
After that I rinse them in luke warm water several times and I just let them dry slowly on a news paper. You could use a hair drier at low warmth to speed up the drying, which I did when the two capes were washed for the 2nd time. The skin will have to dry slowly so no blow drying on it.
Oh I also scraped the skin with a spoon using medium pressure the fatty parts of the pelt. Go in the direction of the hair pockets rather than against. This helps to prevent the feathers getting more oily than necessary.
Hackles being so expensive (then & now) I always thought of using very mild detergents like for wool clothing etc.
i would probably use a down detergent - for down sleeping bags, duvets, and (classic) down jackets. Something like 'Soppy' here in NL - used to be marketed by now defunct camping and outdoors pioneer Slee.
Here is some common sense information on hackle care and washing that I recently read. I've never done this; just sharing. I've read that Collins capes/saddles are great but often require washing.
The link provided by dale has good information. I like to use Dawn dish washing soap in warm water. Haven't tried the vinegar rinse, just water. Years ago I acquired some locally raised rooster and hen necks. Some of them were pretty greasy and dirty. The Dawn wash made them look great. Eventually I was skinning and drying some chicken skins for my own use. They would have dirt, grease, and dried blood on them, and a quick bath made them look like a million bucks.
Previously cured skins can be dried in the house. Uncured, green skins smell like a wet chicken after a bath. I would pin them on a board and hang them in the garage or the barn, up in the rafters where mice or the barn cats can't get at them. The feathers are prime in the fall, and I don't worry about flies on the drying skins after a frost here in the north.
I have some old Metz hackles. Whiting is great for small hackle, but some old Metz and Collins have some naturcolours that are great.
For washing, I use Synthrapol - an industrial ph detergent- which I have acquired when I started dying feathers and fur. Yes, I also use white vinegar or very dilute acetic acid (stop bath in film developing).
If the cape is fresh or bugs an issue .... a little rubbing alcohol. After dry, borax and into the freezer for 2 weeks. The idea of a week between the two freezing is good that I read in an above link if good.
