Understanding Saddle Hackle and Capes: A Fly Tyer’s Guide
If you’re new to fly tying—or even if you’ve been at the vise for a while—the terms saddle hackle and cape can be confusing. Both come from the same bird, both offer a variety of colors and patterns, and both are essential materials for creating effective flies. But they serve different purposes, and understanding the differences can help you choose the right feather for each pattern.
What is a Cape?
A cape, sometimes called a neck, comes from the front of the rooster, beginning at the base of the head and extending down toward the shoulders. Cape feathers are known for their wide size range, often varying from tiny dry-fly sizes near the top to larger, softer hackle near the bottom.
Capes are prized for their versatility. If you tie dry flies in many sizes—from midges to larger mayfly patterns—a cape gives you the most flexibility. The feathers are generally shorter than saddles but have stiffer barbs, making them ideal for dry fly collars that splay evenly and hold the fly high on the water.
Because one cape can cover sizes from 20 all the way up to 8 or 10, it’s often the best all-around choice for tiers who need variety in a single patch.
What is Saddle Hackle?
A saddle hackle, harvested from the rooster’s back, offers something completely different. Saddle feathers are long, narrow, and uniform in size. This consistency makes saddles a favorite for tiers who produce a lot of flies in a narrow size range.
A high-quality saddle may give you dozens of feathers perfect for sizes 12–16, or even smaller depending on the grade. The long quills allow tiers to wrap multiple flies with a single feather. Saddles also tend to have a slightly softer stem, which makes them easy to wrap cleanly without twisting or breaking.
While saddles don’t offer the wide size range of a cape, their value per feather and their usability for large quantities of the same pattern—like Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, or Stimulators—make them a must-have for production tiers.
Which Should You Choose?
The best choice depends on your tying style:
- Choose a cape if you need maximum size variety and value versatility.
- Choose a saddle if you tie many flies in the same size range and want long, easy-to-use feathers.
Most fly tiers eventually keep both on hand. A good cape gives you the flexibility to tie anything you want, while a saddle supplies the similarly sized hackles for all of your same sized fly patterns. Check out the Keough and Metz Hackle Value Packs which give you enough hackles to tie several dozen flies without buying an entire Saddle or Neck.
Check out our short (2 min.) Hackle Comparison Video, where we discuss Saddle Hackle, Rooster Capes and Hen Capes.
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