Try Charlie Collins necks (http://store.catskillflie...lins-hackle.html). I have no direct experience with his rooster necks, but I can tell you his hen necks are extraordinary for color and quality. He's from the Catskills (Pine City, NY), and a lot of the Catskill aficionados swear by his stuff. As you say, about the only other solutions with the genetic hackle is using a lot of top sections of the larger feathers, I guess.

Edit: I'm told Charlie also sell packets of spade hackles for $5. a pack -- feathers in there for maybe a half dozen large spiders or skaters and enough tailing fibers for 500 regular dries.

I fished variants almost exclusively for years in the Catskills, and found them very productive. (Then I finally figured out how to tie wings decently.image) I recall a June evening on the Beaverkill when a GFV was the only fly that would generate any interest, and I quickly left the only one I had in the mouth of a nice brown.

Of course you could try emulating Charlie Defeo's technique of spinning a hair hackle -- shown here

image

Not for the faint of heart!!

EP

Edited 1 time by Eric Peper Apr 30 09 9:07 AM.