Quill tip flies

[Moggy]

I know about the Quill Gordon, Ginger Quill etc, but does anyone know of patterns using the whole quill end? Seems to me that the pointy end of the quill would be perfect as a bouyant dry-fly body simply whipped onto the hook, and I'm surprised I've never seen them used.

Moggy

[Alan Roe]

trouble is they are very fragile and would soon leak. incorporating closed cell foam into fly dressings is a far more effective way of providing bouancy a good example of this is using closed cell foam as a post for winding hackles round when parachute hackling

[Moggy]

trouble is they are very fragile and would soon leak. incorporating closed cell foam into fly dressings is a far more effective way of providing bouancy a good example of this is using closed cell foam as a post for winding hackles round when parachute hackling

Thanks for that Alan...but don't you think that if I gave them a good layer of varnish or even epoxy that that would toughen them up? It was more the shape that I felt was fitting. I've used foam and polestyrene balls and all manner of packing materials to get bouyancy, but I just envisaged a daddy long-legs for example with a quill body, maybe coloured with Pantone or similar.

[OwdTrout]

A quill body for a daddy is a traditional pattern. I well recall Alan showing it to me, many, many, many years ago. these days I just use a length of suede chenille singed at the end for daddy bodies. Like this-

 

Cheers

OT

[Moggy]

Have you tried using the quill body, OT? Am I wasting my time as Alan suggests? It's just that; if there's one thing I've plenty of, it's quill-ends! One successful "fly" I have made using a sturdy goose pen quill was a Quill Popper from Hugh Falkus' book on seatrout. But I'm getting the feeling that if it was an ideal solution, there'd be a lot more patterns with quill bodies!

 

The chenille body looks excellent by the way...I'll give that a shot. I always have problems knotting the legs though...any advice there?

[OwdTrout]

I've never fished with them, though I have tied them. Quite honestly the best thing to do with a quill is cut the end off and bake it in hot sand for about 15 seconds. Then it is ready to make a pen from! Sealing the cut end is always a problem.

 

As for daddy legs two things. First find a tame carp fisherman, sneak up on him, (not difficult they are a rather sedentary bunch) and steal his latched boilie needle. They are great for knotting pheasant tail fibres. The other simpler method is to but a full feather ready knotted. The last one I bought only cost about a fiver and lasted me a couple of years. (I was tying commercially then).

 

It is quite amazing how they train the pheasants to do this. Such a waste though, as, for the feather to be of any use, it must be "harvested" before the bird drops it. Discarded feathers are of little use in fly tying. Once the bird has knotted all the fibres its curtains for it, or should I say the pot.

 

Cheers

OT

[Moggy]

I've never fished with them, though I have tied them. Quite honestly the best thing to do with a quill is cut the end off and bake it in hot sand for about 15 seconds. Then it is ready to make a pen from! Sealing the cut end is always a problem.

 

As for daddy legs two things. First find a tame carp fisherman, sneak up on him, (not difficult they are a rather sedentary bunch) and steal his latched boilie needle. They are great for knotting pheasant tail fibres. The other simpler method is to but a full feather ready knotted. The last one I bought only cost about a fiver and lasted me a couple of years. (I was tying commercially then).

 

It is quite amazing how they train the pheasants to do this. Such a waste though, as, for the feather to be of any use, it must be "harvested" before the bird drops it. Discarded feathers are of little use in fly tying. Once the bird has knotted all the fibres its curtains for it, or should I say the pot.

 

Cheers

OT

Right...knowing nought about carp fisherman or boilies, I don't know what that bit of kit looks like! But I'll find out. This is yet another arguement fror getting myself a nimble fingered oriental wife!

 

That pheasant deserves a place in the book "Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by the way!

 

Cheers...Moggy

[OwdTrout]

This is yet another arguement fror getting myself a nimble fingered oriental wife!

 

Been there, done that. Ask Al!!! Far better to learn to do it yourself.

 

A latched boilie needle is basically a knitting machine needle set into a handle. It is a hook with a hinged latch to form it into a tear-drop shaped loop when it is closed. You can get it either from a shop that does knitting machines, (don't know what they charge) or from a tackle shop dealing in carp gear (about £2 often less). Don't buy the one sold for tying knots in pheasant tail fibres, they cost £7:95 3 years ago. Rather than pay that, get the boilie needle and send me the fiver.

 

It is not difficult to knot them on the tail feather like this. It makes storage less of a problem.

You can do it while having an inane couple of hours in front of the TV. I can't I don't have one.

 

Cheers,

 

OT

[Moggy]

That's something else we have in common then OT...well...I actually own two...but they're both at my ex's flat and both for sale. Listen to a lot of radio when I'm indoors though...4 for the serious stuff and 7 for the humour and drama. Just as entertaining as the idiot box if not more so, and you can get on with other stuff while being entertained. I'm actually just in the throes of routing a couple of speakers into the hobby room which is adjacent to the kitchen so that I can listen more otr less wherever I am in the flat!

 

I've just found one on the net...I can see how that'd work! I know a chap that's into his carp-fishing now that I think about it...I throw him a mail and see if he's got a spare. Thanks again for the help.

Edited March 28, 2009 by Moggy

[OwdTrout]

The spies have been out. Finally we have a photo of Mr Lureflash's highly trained pheasants. Apparently it takes up to a year to teach a pheasant to tie the overhand knot. Then they just leave them to work alone like this fine example. Another month and it'll be history for this poor chap. Still several fly tiers will be grateful they don't have to knot their own,

Cheers

OT