Ray's

[ThrowingTimber]

sure thing, Im meeting him for 7am breakfast then we're heading up to the show.

[tynan19]

At the show the profesional tiers really picked apart their hackle to get the best feathers. I learned a lot about how to choose which feather for what type of fly.

['ol pajamas]

Good thing to learn, same goes for bucktail.

[baldwin]

Good advice above. Bucktail closer to the base of the tail will be more hollow. It'll flare better when you crank down on the thread, for muddler-style deerhair heads. I like tying those for night, high-riding patterns that push water. That hair also has better buoyancy. The hair towards the tip of the tail is more solid, longer and less buoyant. Don't overlook the hair on the back side (non-white) of the tail. On yellow or olive bucktails, that hair is great for the top (dorsal surface) of the fly.
Check through your hackles the same way. As you become familiar with different patterns, you'll see that not all hackle, as with bucktail, is equal. Each feather will whisper to you it's ideal use. Especially if you spend enough late-nights in the surf.

[Roger]

Originally Posted by baldwin

Each feather will whisper to you it's ideal use. Especially if you spend enough late-nights in the surf.

That's a relief to read. I thought it was just the voices in my head.

Agree on all the above. Even things as mundane as strung saddles normally have a wide variety of feathers that can be used for many different flies.