Always learning!
Have been doing this a while and still would much rather use fur over feathers. A lot of people have a hard time working with craftfur, but i would prefer it over marabou or hackle. Tie a lot of stuff with craftfur, bucktail and rabbit zonkers.
Making big hellgee or bugger will require large hackle feathers to palmer the body. Tend to break a lot of hackle trying to make w.buggers and it gets very frustrating - but maybe i just try to wrap too tight. On larger w.buggers, i also like to counter wrap wire over the palmered hackle to keep it in place better. Could use the silicone skirt material to place legs along the side of a chenille body to make hellgee pattern.