In defense of the traditional hackle collar
Above photo: A #20 adult caddis with a sparsely hackled thorax.
I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who lives in eastern Pennsylvania about the scarcity of new patterns now using conventional hackle collars. He noted that for the last twenty-five years, CDC has taken center stage and appears to drive much of the new pattern design. This is not necessarily a negative commentary on fly design; it's just a simple observation. If we look at some of the legends of fly tying, like A.K. Best, Vincent Marinaro, The Dettes, and even Dave Whitlock, the majority of their fly patterns used conventional hackle collars. I'm not saying they didn't use CDC; I'm simply stating that when I was in my mid-twenties, hackle collars were a mainstay for most dry-fly patterns at the forefront.
The pure simplicity of a hackle collar is a wonderful thing. It can be wound in a manner that is very gestural and impressionistic. From a purely functional standpoint, it combines gossamer floatation and extreme durability. Sparsely wound, it creates a transparent silhouette that is easily adaptable to flies of every size, color, and geometry.
Like CDC hackle can be trimmed and preened in a multitude of ways. Nowadays, it is much easier to purchase premium saddles and capes than it is to find premium-grade CDC feathers. Supply and demand have led duck farms to use much more juvenile duck feathers, even though older duck feathers are much more laden with high-quality fibers; older is simply better. The younger ones, sometimes only 3 to 4 months old, are harvested, resulting in very anemic CDC feathers. I use CDC quite a bit for emerger patterns and truly believe it has a multitude of applications for dry flies. I do think, however, as an avid tyer, I have recalibrated and taken a 500-foot view, and made adjustments in my tying over the last ten years. By recalibrate, I mean look at all the material variables and ask myself the fundamental question: which one catches the most fish, and which one imitates the natural most convincingly? Both CDC and conventional hackle collars have their applications; can they be interchangeable? Most definitely in many cases.
The traditionally wound hackle collar has provided a wonderful dressing over the last century, and it always brings a smile to my face when I pull the perfect hackle from a neck or cape and wind it on a hook.
~Clint Bova www.cjbova.com
