In fly tying, the term “web” refers to the part of a feather where the barbs have a distinct fuzziness, in contrast to the clean, well-defined single strands found on dry fly hackles.
A webby hackle, often derived from a chicken feather though not exclusively, is characterized by its longer, thicker, and softer fibers compared to a strung saddle hackle. It also tends to be duller in color rather than shiny. Due to these properties, webby hackles are versatile and can be used in a range of fly tying applications, including collars, saltwater flies, wooly buggers, freshwater streamers, and bass patterns.
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