If you're a tyer who reads the forums, you know that this is a feather that some tyers love and others hate. If you understand how to tie with it, you're sure to love it. Try and get it to do something it was not designed to do, and you'll hate it.
Dr. Whiting has selectively bred this line for 3 distinct qualities. A heron substitute, a spey cock feather, and a marabou like feather with a longer stem for tying saltwater patterns such as the shrimp pattern you'll see below.
The almost "ratty" look of the spey cock tails is what makes these feathers so special. Unlike regular schlappen, the fibers don't completey marry. So when you tie with it, the long fibers give the unique look that you see in the flies pictured above.
Similar to the feathers from the cape, the fibers on a saddle are long and flowing.
The advantage of the saddle is that the feather are much longer and the stems are far more flexable.
