When a feather pelt is called variant it means it has variable feather colors and patterns. It does not mean the quality of a pelt is variant. An example is a grizzly variant - it is predominately grizzly and typically has any one of these feathers also on the pelt: badge, furnace, or brown. The quantity and pattern of variant feathers varies from pelt to pelt and is as unique as your fingerprint.

This incredible dry fly hackle began its odyssey in 1954 when legendary Catskill fly tier Harry Darbee generously provided Andy Miner with some of his Darbee hackle stock hatching eggs. What resulted from this gift was a pivotal event and foundation for the future of genetic dry fly hackle. A Minnesota lawyer by profession Any Miner was also a meticulous, patient soul and through judicious study, experimentation and perseverance bred a markedly better hackle rooster. In 1974 Ted Hebert of Laingsburg, Michigan obtained the of the Miner hackle stock. For the next twenty plus years Ted Herbert continued the genetic selection as Andy Miner had taught him and further advanced the stock is pursuit of ever improving hackle and beautiful colors. In 1997 Tom Whiting, Ph.D., President of Whiting Farms, Inc., assumed stewardship of this superb gene pool. Dr. Whiting's goal is to preserve the inherent characteristics of this exceptional hackle stock while continuing the development and refinement of its hackle qualities and unique natural colors. 

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Feathers

Whiting Farms

Metz

Flies

Rainy's Flies