Use Whiting Hen Saddles for tying soft hackle flies, wings on dry flies, tails on bass bugs, collars or legs on nymphs, and a pile of other uses. Each saddle offers a wide variety of sizes and generally includes those hard to find small feathers for smaller soft hackles. Here is what Whiting has to say about their Whiting Hen Saddles: The Whiting Hen Saddles are the most widely used hen saddle in the world today. It provides an excellent quality feather usable for a myriad of tying applications. The characteristics bred into this line of chickens in pursuit of the finest dry fly rooster saddle hackle also imparts excellent tying characteristics to the Whiting Hen Saddles. Long, narrow feathers for ease of tying Exceptionally fine yet strong quill for less breakage during tying, less bulk or build up on the fly for a neater fly, and less danger of destruction during use for a long lasting fly. Firm, resilient barbs. Slower to collapse in fast water and quicker return to original silhouette. Uniform and dense colors and markings for a better wing silhouette and a better color break up when used as a collar. Dense barbs and web for better wing silhouette, fuller flies and easier tying. Small to medium hackle sizes necessary for the increasingly popular smaller size flies. Whiting Hen Saddles hackle provides dense web and sturdy barbs that are excellent for a number of tying applications. When wrapped, they are ideal for throats and collars on trout, salmon and steelhead flies. The hen saddle feathers can be burnt or cut to fashion upright dry fly wings. Trico and thorax wings can also be created, as well as legs and wings on hoppers and other terrestrials. Whiting Hen Saddles is also perfect for the tails and hackle on smaller bass bugs.
