Genesis
In their just-before-opening-day ritual, many fly fishermen undertake the restoration and repair of their equipment. Ferrules and reels are cleaned and lubed; lines inspected and prepared, leaders straightened, nets and boots mended and patched, etc. However, most of us pretty much give up on damaged flies ... that is, those flies that spent the winter mashed into crowded fly boxes or left unintentionally on fleece patches. More tired flies are actually thrown out than are worn out or lost. At about a dollar fifty each, that gets expensive.
We all know that trout and salmon flies -- dry flies particularly -- are especially sensitive to abuse. After a few dozen casts, and especially after a fish or two, any fly will be out of shape. Unless the hackles and tails are straight, sharp and conformed precisely to the original shape of the pattern, the fly will neither float properly nor ride at the correct attitude on the water. Worst of all, it won't fool the fish!
Fifty years ago, my dad and his favorite Rangeley guide, Herb Welch, put me on to a pretty good remedy. Before we went fishing, they'd fire up an old tea kettle on the stove, stick the point of a dry fly into the end of a twig and carefully hold the fly in the cloud of steam a few inches over the spout. If the fly got too close to the spout, the hackles just curled up and died from the extreme heat. But if one did it just right, the hot water vapor would have a wondrous effect on the flies: the bent and matted hackles would be seen gracefully to separate and uncurl until they stood straight out and true in precisely their original shape and sharpness.
The teapot method, however effective, had several drawbacks. Inconvenience for one. The method needs at least a teapot and a stove. It takes time and it's cumbersome. Most importantly, it can do your flies more harm than good because of the likelihood of burning the delicate fibers which make up hackle material.
It occurred to me one day that there would be a market for a device designed specially to restore flies perfectly, without any of the shortcomings of the so-called teapot method. Thus the idea for HACKLEPERK was born.
Research
We felt the first thing to learn was: of what is hackle material made (technically), and how could its "behavior" be influenced. In other words, what does it mean scientifically that hackles get bent, mashed or deformed; and how can steam or hot air, or whatever, have any effect?
We finally developed an understanding and answer to all those questions with the help of several experts: Ernestine Weindorf of Natural History Magazine; Vuka Roussakis, an anthropologist and Indian feather restorer at the Museum of Natural History in New York; Mary LeCroy, a senior scientific assistant in the Bird Department of the Museum; Dr. Peter Stettenheim, author of the seminal work on the subject: "Avian Integuments" and, finally, Dr. Alan H. Brush, a biologist at the University of Connecticut. He helped synthesize all the information and reduce it to a layman's understanding. That led to the technical engineering for HACKLEPERK.
In brief, the keratin molecules which comprise natural hackle materials (animal hair, feathers, fur, etc.) have an astonishing property: memory. No matter how badly they get deformed, provided the basic fibers are not actually broken, hackle "wants to return to its original shape." (For the same reason, a permanent wave is definitely not permanent and when you cut your hair, it grows back exactly the same because the molecules never "forget.")
But the hackle molecules need help. When a feather or strand of hair gets bent out of shape and held in that position for a while, the microscopic bundles of fiber get "fixed" in the new shape and no amount of just pushing and pulling will get them restored. The help they need is in two parts: moisture, the vehicle to break down the weak disulfide bonds (if you want to be technical) and energy, in the form of heat, to agitate the molecules and revive the memory which is actually encoded in the fundamental structure of the molecules.
Once we understood those basics, we needed only to discover exactly how much heat and moisture would have the optimum effect without damaging a fly. The results of the ensuing laboratory research led to several engineering features of HACKLEPERK for which we have been awarded a U.S.Patent.
We worked with all manner of steam-generating devices, sophisticated measuring instruments and hackle materials -- from #1 Metz necks on down.
When we had enough data, we turned to professional engineers and industrial designers for a device which would meet all of our criteria.
HACKLEPERK would have to be:
1. handsome to look at, hold and feel;
2. compact and integrated (i.e. no loose parts),
3. constructed of the best materials suitable for their intended use-,
4. completely safe from hazard;
5. built to last virtually forever-,
6. engineered to produce the ideal quality and quantity of steam for thirty minutes or more;
7. designed to incorporate a device for holding a fly of any type and size in the steam;
8. contained in a strong, good looking storage bag that would last as long as the device itself,
9. manufactured to sell at a price reflecting its high quality, but at a level commensurate with its real value to the fly fisherman.
We immediately knew that the versatility, portability and convenience needed for HACKLEPERK demanded that normal household electric current should provide the energy to produce the steam. HACKLEPERK would be used at home, or back at the lodge, or wherever a fly fisherman readies his gear for the season or the next day's fishing. So in summary, HACKLEPERK would be an electrically operated, compact steam generator, beautiful and long lasting, engineered to refurbish worn flies to like-new condition in seconds, perfectly safe and representing economic value.
The professionals went to work in their laboratories and on their drawing boards. Several disciplines were closely involved, particularly electric and mechanical engineering, thermodynamics, industrial design and, as mentioned earlier, biology! The process took five months, during which time every element went through countless refinements: materials, heating methods, automatic switching devices, electrical circuitry and more. The 'look" of HACKLEPERK went through the widest spectrum of variations ... from something resembling a model army tank (with steam spouting out of the cannon in the turret) to a device that more resembled a pencil sharpener. The "look" that ultimately evolved was created by the professional Industrial Designer, George Schick of Easton, Connecticut.
On the engineering side, there were several major problems and dozens of small ones. Among the majors was the problem of heating the water to the right temperature and maintaining it for the necessary 30-minute period. Finding the techniques and elements to achieve that objective was the singular most difficult part of the development project. The solution was ultimately found by a team of two electrical engineers, John Sepe of Redding and Jeremy Hill of Fairfield, Connecticut, incorporating an exotic type of heater used for the most sophisticated applications in aircraft and space electronics.
Another big dilemma concerned the material and finish of the outer shell. It could have been aluminum, plastic or one of various ferrous metals. We ended up with cold-rolled steel because it gave the durability, weight and heft that we wanted. But finishing it was a question. Should it be mirror polished (too many fingerprints, too easy to scratch), or completely flat (too dull, looks like aluminum); how about sand blasted and lightly plated (so-so) or left natural (too oily, could rust)? After numerous sample finishings and platings, we elected the appearance and 'Feel" created by belt-sanding every shell and then applying a chromium electroplate to create a smooth, semi-glossy patina which is felt to represent the high quality of the entire product.
We debated long and hard about the pros and cons of incorporating an " on-off ' switch, which could easily have been done. We rejected the idea for safety reasons. Because one wouldn't want to leave any electrical apparatus like HACKLEPERK turned on when not in use, a switch provides the operator with an opportunity to make a mistake, i.e., to think he turned it off. Without a switch, there's absolutely no question whether it's on or off. If it's left plugged in ... it's on; if it's not plugged in - it's not. Simple as that.
Now go perk those hackles and fool more fish!
Jim and Linda Austrians
Inventors and owners of Brainwaves, Inc.