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Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 12:03 pm
by tworod
A solution for tiny delicate hackles of any type is a micro-vascular clamp. You can find them on the internet and are commonly used for eye surgery. Excellent for tiny dry fly hackle too though with the genetic hackles being 6-12 inches long these days the need is a lot less than days of yore.
Here is a picture comparing the micro clamp with a standard Herb Howard hackle plier. The obvious advantage is how narrow the tip is.

Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:33 am
by letumgo
Wow, that would be perfect. Thank you very much for the suggestion. The search begins!

Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:38 am
by FlyFisherMann1955
Tworod,

Are the jaws on your clamp smooth or serrated?

Thanks- Ken

Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 9:03 am
by letumgo
tworod - Your suggestion will add to my growing collection of hackle pliers. Always nice to have options to suit the task at hand. In hindsight I probably should have been using the blue pair in the middle. They have a nice spring mechanism which stretches to gently to protect delicate hackle.

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Dana - Here is a close up picture of the finished flies (spool of Pearsall's silk to show scale).

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Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 11:33 am
by tworod
FlyFisherMann1955 wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:38 am Tworod,

Are the jaws on your clamp smooth or serrated?

Thanks- Ken
Serrated and given the intended surgical use they are very gentle on hackles whether at the stem or tip.

Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 6:33 pm
by FlyFisherMann1955
Okay, the search is on. I've tried the Dr Slick "Extra Hand Tweezer", which are serrated, but I still break the tips off some the starling feathers with them.

Thanks- Ken

Re: Peacock and Starling (Glanros / Henwing Style)

Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:09 am
by Theroe
Thank you Ray. That’s really a tremendous pattern.