To start things off I want to make it clear that Charlie Collins is NOT retiring, I repeat this is NOT his retirement! The last thing I want people to take away from this is the wrong thing. You can still order his product through the mail the same as always. You can look on his website www.collinshacklefarm.com at his colors and find the information on how to order his product along with his phone number to talk to him, give it a try, write him a note or pick up the phone and call him if you haven't before I promise you will not be disappointed and will take away more than just another dry fly neck.

       I would like to take some time to keep you as customers up to speed as my flock continues to take shape and grow, and I am doing this with Charlie's permission. In the early weeks of March Charlie called me and explained to me he was looking for someone to work with over the next few years to ensure his bloodlines did not dissolve eventually. His offer was not to sell them as he very well could, but to pass on the birds the same way that his predecessors did before him. To this I graciously agreed to and am honored to do so, and we arranged for me to drive to his farm in April to get the first round of breeding roosters to work with. This week I made the 4 hour drive and the "boys" are back, settled in, and working hens over as I'm writing this.

       When I questioned him about writing about this online he wanted to be sure that the credit for his birds was given to the guys that got him started: Harry Darbee, Dick Bittner, Andy Miner, and his close friend Doc Fried. Without the drive and determination of the pioneers of these genetic hackle chicken we often take advantage of and not think about in our everyday tying we wouldn't have much more than barn yard birds to work with today.

       With Charlie's bloodlines to influence on my current flock and also to keep his line pure as well it's like someone picked up my game piece and projected it forward another 20 years or so. For those that have used Charlie's hackle know that the quality of his stems are second to none in the hackle market today and his necks will rival any of the "big name" growers. Not to mention his guidance an mentorship on all my questions along with my original mentor Jan Pickel if I fail to have a quality product, the blame will be pointed at no one but myself. While I admittedly am nervous to be taking on such a tremendous bloodline I'm confident in their guidance to continue on Charlie's breeding goals and stringent standards of his birds.

    I want nothing more than to be able to offer you as a customer a quality product that you will enjoy using as much if not more than the large names in the business at a fraction of the cost. I will continue to strive for those thin flexible stems that don't "pop" or "twist" when wrapped, short stiff barbs and minimal web like Charlie has. The vibrant natural colors along with barred versions will remain my focus. The true Catskill style dry fly with sparse hackle is a work of art and of utmost importance by my book and I will raise the birds true to the "catskill style" that Harry Darbee, Doc Fried, and the others have and as Charlie continues to do.

     For Fear of this being any more long winded than it already has I will leave it at that. I'm not writing this to try and sound boastful or ramble on with many "I will's" I'm simply doing this as my way of giving credit and simply saying thank you to Charlie for what he is doing for the continuation of the history of the birds and what he is doing for me and my flock. I'm humbled and honored to carry on what others have worked countless hours toward. With this I step off with my best foot forward, I can't wait to see what the future holds.


        Tight lines and good tying,
                     Evan Brant
                    -Sideling Hill Hackle