What can I say? Tom "Doc" Whiting has elevated the quality of dry fly hackle to new hieghts. I recently compared a 5 year old gold grade Whiting Farms Hebert-Miner cape to the new pro grade capes available now. Would you believe that the new Pro Grade cape is of the same quality if not a little better than the older gold grade cape? What someone  paid $90.00 for 5 years ago can now be purchased for $22.00. Simply amazing. What is really unbelievable is the new Gold and Platinum grade capes. These things are scarry, but in a good way. Can you imagine 7 usable inch long size 24 hackle on a cape? That is what is found on the new Hebert- Miner platinum grade cape that I just recieved. This is the first cape that has graded out platinum since Doc Whiting raised his grading standards. A truely amazing cape. I have a bunch of new gold grade capes , which are quite rare as they would have been graded out at Platinum last year (And cost $100.00), and they are unbelievable 10-12 inch long size 14-16 hackle with only a little if any web at the base of the feather.This is getting nuts!! What does it mean for the fly tier? Fantastic quality, really the best on the planet, is getting inexpensive. Now the average tier can get all the colors he wants and not break the bank...with 0 zero sacrifice in quality. For the tier that ties bunches of flies for himself and friends the high grade capes offer even more in savings in cost per fly.

 How do you feel about these fortunate turn of events?

If it is worth doing, it's worth doing right!