Herb's Hackle Stacker

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    Posted: 24 Dec 2022 at 10:55am
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Lots of ideas on YouTube one can adapt or simplify.     Having become a confirmed wet liner in recent years I have tied hundreds of Wooly Buggers for my winter assault on the Tongariro silver bullets.      The idea of quickly converting a smaller streamer into a bigger one and vis versa appealed to me.     This can be done by stacking an extra hackle tied on a small tube on top of the base fly by simply sliding it onto the leader.     

I have been tying tuna flies on popsicle tubes for years.    The best way to collect a supply is at kid's play grounds that are near a diary.      Best go there when it is raining as mothers get quite concerned when they see a man without kids wandering around the swings and slides.     The tubes come in 2 diameters.     If you have a choice collect the smallest diameter ones.

The photos give you some idea of the popsicle tube on which I wind a long fiber Marabou hackle.     Once secured I cut it off the remaining tube.    How long a stub you leave on depends on how long you want your fly to look after you slide it onto the base fly.     You can not only vary the size you can also change the colour combination, slide a colour or tungsten bead on between the fly and hackle.    If you are not happy with that you can return to your base fly by just cutting the tippet and slide all the extras off.     No need to tie streamers in different sizes.

I am still trying to find a simple way to make the base fly articulate.    This is possible by tying it on with a small loop knot and a very small bead before sliding the hackle tube on.      Work in progress.

Cheers and Merry Christmas to all.

Rainbow

Ps all the stackers in the photos are tied on larger diameter tubes.    I now prefer smaller tubes.
However, you could also use brass tubes for extra weight.    If you don't like them sliding up or down on the leader you can fix it with a toothpick.


   


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rainbow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2023 at 9:03pm
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I stopped using the popsicle tubes and changed to a slightly flexible transparent tube.      I tied rabbit streamers on which I stacked the tube hackle.     Both integrated really well as a single fly.     All my hooks have a straight eye.     A 2mm deep cut at the end of the tube allows the eye to be pulled into the cut, which locks it in place.      The cut is one reason I changed to a flexible tube.     When this ghastly weather clears, I shall see how they swim in flowing water.     They will have plenty of movement. 

I am really surprised that NZ has not woken up to tube fly streamers.     Much easier to tie than Intruders and just as good if not better and more versatile 

Cheers

Rainbow
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rainbow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2023 at 10:37pm
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Silicon Stacker.      It worked really well on its own last season on the Tongariro but now with the tube hackle it will be awesome.

Rainbow



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rainbow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2023 at 6:26pm
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Tried Spey casting these flies with the ULS 3D shooting heads.     No problem, even the silicone softbait variants flew out to the other side of the river.     They all swam well with or without the fly being locked in the tubeof the stacker.    happy with the results.

 Cheers

Rainbow
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Stevoe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2023 at 8:00pm
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Looks like a great idea Rainbow.
I will have to give this a go, as have started tying tube flies. No doubt you have used them since you wrote this - do you find the catch rate as good as say a range of woolly buggers?
Fishing is the answer, what was the question?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rainbow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2023 at 10:14am
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I have swapped them around as I have at least a couple of hundred Woolly Buggers.     My tube flies work well although I have not used the hackle stacker on my Woollies too much.    I have lately experimented with putting a sparse marabou hackle on the head of my normal Woollies to get more movement.     The body hackle keeps the marabou from collapsing.     It still lets the Chenille body shine through.     

BTW I love the Marabou feathers I have got from AliExpress      They are all blood quills and super for my tube flies.     A real bargain.      See photos

These feathers come in meter long ribbons      All for about $4
Why buy flies when you can experiment endlessly?

Cheers 

Rainbow
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