Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

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FlyFisherMann1955
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Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by FlyFisherMann1955 » Sat May 04, 2019 11:11 am

Please share your thoughts on the top 6 most commonly used hen neck colors that a soft hackle/wet fly tyer shouldn't be without.

Thanks- Ken
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tie2fish
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by tie2fish » Sat May 04, 2019 1:15 pm

Light blue dun
Medium dun
Grizzly
Coachman brown
Honey dun
Medium ginger
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Ron Eagle Elk
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by Ron Eagle Elk » Sun May 05, 2019 9:05 am

I kind of go with tie2fish's list, except I don't find myself using grizzly that often. I would take that out and put a furnace neck in it's place.
"A man may smile and bid you hale yet curse you to the devil, but when a good dog wags his tail he is always on the level"
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SenecaLaker
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by SenecaLaker » Sun May 05, 2019 10:44 am

I have a few necks that I seem to migrate to. One is a green wells neck and one is a badger neck. The both have a darker color near the rachis with lighter color near the outside of the barbs. I have no other reason other than the darker color inside seems to cast more of a shadow near the thorax. Probably a confidence thing , but I seem to do better with that approach.

Dave
Johnno
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by Johnno » Wed May 08, 2019 2:39 am

I’m surprised black isn’t in that list But I do struggle to see what I’d take out to accomodate it. Perhaps the grizzly. For me personally I’d also take out med Dun and replace with natural Coq De Leon... same sorta colour but with wonderful speck
Mike62
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by Mike62 » Wed May 08, 2019 5:32 am

I seem to have about 50 shades of brown. I went looking for the proverbial whiter shade of pale and dug around until I found one; it was brown. I have a beautiful dark-ish dun neck I like, a lot ...though it might be a little on the brown side of dun.

Black is good; maybe I should get some black hen. Whenever I think of using black I'm usually tying small and I reach for starling.
Trifly
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by Trifly » Wed May 08, 2019 5:45 am

Brown
Ginger
CDL
Dark Dun
Brahma
Light Dun
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Old Hat
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by Old Hat » Wed May 08, 2019 2:14 pm

My most commonly used 6 hen are:

Honey Dun
Light Dun
Dark Dun
Rusty Dun
Furnace
Badger

I prefer dark dun over black and I'll use the rusty dun or furnace for brown depending on how dark of shade I want. I use the honey dun or light dun for any of the lighter bugs. I do have a grizzly dun that I like a lot but probably use the badger more as the grizzly dun isn't much different from the light dun when wrapped.
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Althehackleman
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by Althehackleman » Fri May 10, 2019 8:11 am

Only six?
If only I could have six then I could change my name.
But here goes.........
Grizzley
Medium blue dun
Cree
Golden badger
Light blue dun
Silver badger

And then about six more......
Or maybe a dozen more.
Thanks
Al
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redietz
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Re: Top 6 Commonly Used Hen Neck Colors?

Post by redietz » Tue May 14, 2019 10:53 pm

The ones I use:

Iron blue dun
Light blue dun
Cream
Furnace
Ginger
Brown (aka Red)

I don't think I've ever used hen grizzly except as wings on an Adams dry. If I want grey barred hackle, there are plenty on a Hun skin.
Bob
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