Hackle Stacker · Dry fly
Late pink light on an autumn afternoon
A size 16 Hackle Stacker dry fly in pink, pale tan and white, tied to imitate the Pink Albert mayfly for trout in autumn.
October Pink Albert Hackle Stacker is a size 16 mayfly dry with a white post standing over a splayed collar of pink hackle. A long pink tail, a segmented pale biot body and a small purple thread head finish it.
- Pattern
- Hackle Stacker
- Imitates
- Pink Albert (Epeorus albertae), typically late summer afternoons, with late pinks lingering into mid October
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Size 16 Pink Albert mayfly imitation
- Pink hackle stacked into a flat collar
- White poly post for easy sighting
- Segmented pale pink biot body
- Long pink tail for balance on top
On the water
A tuft of white poly stands up like a flag. Below it, pink hackle fans out in every direction, and a ribbed biot body runs back to a tail of long pink fibers. A dab of purple at the eye closes it off.
The folks at idahoangler.com named a pink hackle stacker for the South Fork Boise in mid October, when the last pinks were still drawing rises among the fall olives and caddis. I take that at its word. Fish it dead drift on a slack line, let the collar sit flat in the film, and keep your eye on that white post.
The thread loop is the heart of it. Wind the hackle up the loop, then pull it forward over the thorax, and the fibers flare into a flat star that holds the fly low and steady. Too many turns and it turns into a ball.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Rig on 9 ft leader tapering to 5X or 6X tippet; go lighter on glassy water.
- Dress the hackle and tail with floatant; leave the body to ride in the film.
- Cast above the rise and mend early so the fly drifts drag-free past the fish.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Pink Albert (Epeorus albertae), typically late summer afternoons, with late pinks lingering into mid October
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Riffles, seams and flat tailouts
- Also fishes
- Also fishes as a pale mayfly on slow flats and tailouts, and in a pinch during light-coloured summer hatches on overcast days.
Make it yourself
Intermediate5 materials · 11 steps
- Pattern
- Hackle Stacker
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Standard dry-fly hooksize 16
- Thread
- Purple 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailPink dyed hackle fibers
- BodyPale pink turkey biot
- WingWhite poly yarn
- HacklePink dyed rooster saddle
- HeadPurple 8/0
Details
- Imitates
- Pink Albert mayfly (Epeorus albertae)
- Colors
- Pink, White, Pale tan, Purple
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (11)
- Mount the hook in the vise and start the purple 8/0 thread just behind the eye, then wrap a smooth base to the bend.
- Tie in a slim bunch of pink dyed hackle fibers at the bend, about one and a half shank lengths long.
- Tie in the pale pink turkey biot by its tip at the bend, notched edge facing back so the wraps show a raised segment.
- Wrap the biot forward in touching turns to the 70 percent point and tie it off; trim the butt.
- Tie in a short length of white poly yarn on top at the 75 percent point and post it upright with thread wraps at its base.
- Form a loop of tying thread about 5 cm long just behind the post and hold it upright with a gallows tool.
- Tie in a pink dyed saddle hackle with fibers about one and a half times the hook gap, shiny side forward.
- Wind the hackle up the thread loop in five to seven turns, bottom to top, and secure the tip by passing it through the loop.
- Pull the loop forward over the thorax so the hackle flares into a flat collar, and tie it down just behind the eye.
- Trim the loop tags and the white post to about one shank length.
- Build a small, neat purple thread head, whip finish and add a drop of cement.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: about one and a half shank lengths, a slim bunch of pink fibers.
- Body: biot covers the rear 70 percent of the shank, slender and evenly segmented.
- Wing post: white poly about one shank length tall, trimmed square.
- Hackle: fibers about one and a half times the hook gap, five to seven turns on the loop.
Tips (4)
- Soak the biot in water for a minute before wrapping; it softens and won't split.
- Keep the thread loop under light tension on the gallows tool so the hackle wraps lie tight.
- Pull the loop forward slowly and evenly so the fibers flare in a full circle.
- Choose saddle with stiff, shiny fibers; it carries the fly on top through a long drift.
Common mistakes (4)
- Winding too many hackle turns on the loop gives a bulky ball; stop at five to seven.
- Tying the post too far back crowds the eye and leaves no room for the loop; place it at 75 percent.
- Wrapping the biot with the notch forward loses the segmentation; check the edge before you start.
- A fat tail bunch tips the fly sideways; use only a few fibers.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$47.30
$3.94 a fly
Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Pink dyed hackle fibers$11.95
- Other material: Pale pink turkey biot$4.50
- White poly yarn$3.50
- Pink dyed rooster saddle$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$80.89
$1.69 a fly
Bought separately $85.15 · you save $4.26
Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Pink dyed hackle fibers$23.90
- Other material: Pale pink turkey biot$9
- White poly yarn$3.50
- Pink dyed rooster saddle$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$206.84
$1.44 a fly
Bought separately $235.05 · you save $28.21
Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Pink dyed hackle fibers$71.70
- Other material: Pale pink turkey biot$22.50
- White poly yarn$10.50
- Pink dyed rooster saddle$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$197.30
$16.44 a fly
Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Pink dyed hackle fibers$11.95
- Other material: Pale pink turkey biot$4.50
- White poly yarn$3.50
- Pink dyed rooster saddle$11.95
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$223.39
$4.65 a fly
Bought separately $235.15 · you save $11.76
Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Pink dyed hackle fibers$23.90
- Other material: Pale pink turkey biot$9
- White poly yarn$3.50
- Pink dyed rooster saddle$23.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$338.84
$2.35 a fly
Bought separately $385.05 · you save $46.21
Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Standard dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Purple 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Pink dyed hackle fibers$71.70
- Other material: Pale pink turkey biot$22.50
- White poly yarn$10.50
- Pink dyed rooster saddle$71.70
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“a fly tied for South Fork Boise River, Idaho”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- hackle stacker
- pink albert
- epeorus
- dry fly
- mayfly
- pink
- size 16
- october
- autumn
- trout
- biot body
- poly post