Metz Saddles & Necks - Whats the difference?

Metz Necks / Saddles / Microbarb / Magnum?! What do they all mean?

Cock hackle are generally used for tying dry flies, with larger feathers being used for Salmon / Pike / Saltwater patterns.

Hen hackles are used more for wet hackled, some new age tube flies and soft Salmon flies.

Quick over view of the fly you are tying with which Metz hackle you need, more indepth information about each further down.

Metz Cock

NECK - Most commonly used for dry flies and allow you to tie flies in a range of sizes. Available in 3 grades

1. Providing more feathers than the lower grades, most commonly used by commercial or Pro Tyers. Can be very difficult to source due to the high standards of the grading system.
2. Has fewer feathers, most common grade purchased by the every day angler.
3. Perfect for the beginner or someone who doesn't tie very much. Available in half necks.

SADDLE - Have much longer feathers which tend to be in the larger sizes. Good value for money if you are tying sizes 10/12. Can tie multiple flies from one feather. Available in 2 grades

1. More feathers that are longer in length.
2. Most commonly used by the every day tyer.

MICROBARB SADDLES - Lovely long thin feathers with a little taper and give you plenty of feathers to tie dries in sizes 12/14 sometimes even a 16.  You can tie up to 10 flies from one feather. Available in 2 grades

1. Has the ability to tie the smaller size 16
2. Most commonly used by the every day tyer

MAGNUM COCK NECKS AND SADDLES - Much wider, webby feathers that are perfect for tying larger flies for Salmon / Pike / Saltwater flies. It is almost impossible to obtain a Grade 1, the market really only has Grade 2 available.

• NECKS - Shorter feathers in many different sizes are perfect for Salmon flies in sizes 4-10. Available in dyed colours popular to the Salmon patterns
• SADDLES - Used for large Pike and Saltwater Streamer patterns along with the tails in Deceiver type patterns

Metz Hen

NECK - Mainly used for tying wet hackled flies like Spiders. The feathers are wider and softer so lend themselves perfectly for soft swept-back hackles. Much shorter in length than a cock feather but this is not a problem as wet hackled flies work better with fewer wraps thus producing a more sparsely tied pattern.

SADDLE - Just like the Cock Saddle, Hen Saddle feathers are wider and are perfect for the new age tube flies and soft hackle Salmon flies. They can also be used as the side feathers in lure patterns just like Mrs Simpson.