Behind the Research - Saddle Hackle Feathers

As I began to scour the internet for feather information, I found that indeed, the feathers are real and that they come from roosters.  Premium rooster feathers used to tie flies, in fact.  Delving into a world I knew nothing about, I was led to fly fishing forums discussing which feathers are the best for certain flies and which colors and combos attract certain fish.  I felt I was getting closer to the information I needed to start a small internet business but was still not certain which feathers were going to make good hair extensions.

And this is where the real madness began.  What I didn't know when I began to arbitrarily order feathers from sights like Cabela's and JS Fly Fishing, was that there are many different lengths, widths, grades, and brands of feathers and that not all of them were going to work for my venture.  I've spent a good amount of time getting it wrong.  This site is designed for the amateur to get it right the first time, as there isn't a whole lot of information about using fly feathers as hair extensions.

The first thing that you need to know is that people use "saddle hackle feathers" for extensions.  The key word in this description is "saddle."

This diagram would've saved me a great deal of time and energy had I found it before I began the feather ordering process.  Please note where the saddle of the bird is.  The longest feathers come from the wing. Many fly fishermen also use the cape to tie flies.  Full capes and full saddles are available for purchase on most websites.  They also come in halves and quarters.  Before knowing about saddles, I purchased a bunch of capes that had to be sent back.  Capes are not the way to go - not for hair extensions at least.