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Muddler wings
Where can I get really good Mottled Turkey Wing feathers for Muddlers?
I'm looking for premium quality with no barring. My most recent attempt, buying top name packaged brands from an outstanding retailer, resulted in mottled samples with some barring superimposed and with all the barb ends unbelievably torn up. I realize some modest barring is acceptable but that's not what I'm looking for. Thanks.
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try the following link
http://www.feathersmc.com/products/B...0Wing%20Bronze
scroll down to find more turkey varieties
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EXCELLENT link Norm!!! There birds listed there I've never even heard of!!
Ray, I thought mottled and barred were pretty much the same thing, but aftrer seeing the differnt ones listed in that link I see there's a big difference. I think you want the turkey wing quill and not the tail if you don't want barring.
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I buy all my seal fur dubbing from this guy and he is a first class person to do business with. Outstanding products and first rate service. No affiliation, just the opinion of a very satisfied repeat customer.
Jim Smith
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Yes I do want WING feathers. Those in your vendor photo are TAIL feathers.
Some lower quality secondary wing feathers will have both barring and mottling with a transition part way up the feather. I've been told that the best, all mottled, ones are from a Texas or Rio Grande strain but I don't know about that.
Thanks for your interest.
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Ray,
You may want to consider posting on one of the Texas hunting forums. Might be some cast & blasters there who could help you out.
Regards,
Scott
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maybe here
http://www.customfeathers.com/gallery1.htm
if not theres always GOOGLE or BING
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I stopped using turkey feathers for the wing , because they would never really stay in shape : they would seperate or shred.
I now use rabbit fur, gives the fly more movement when holding still in the current, or behind a rock.
If I want a little more attraction factor, I will make the wing with a wisp of antron, or z-lon.
Give it a try, you might be pleasently suprised!
chris
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Chris,
Me too.
I gave up on turkey wings altogether....takes to much time to do properly and they shread too easily...I tried using a fixatif on the wings, but that killed the action.
I decided to switch to the 'Kiwi' style muddler after the first time I saw one.
You should see my new 'purple muddlers'......
Ray,
Yours is not a new problem
In my older copy of Jack Dennis' WESTERN TROUT FLY TYING MANUAL he complains about the lack of availability of quality turkey feathers for muddler wings.
His 'solution' was to use slips from the same wing feather for both sides of the wing...this gave the wing an offset to one side...which he claimed gave the fly a bit more 'action' in the water...I tied some that way, and they do 'move' more..but they look odd.
I got lucky a few years ago and befriended a fellow that spends time in Texas during the winter. He occasionally brings me turkey feathers that are salvaged from hunted birds...the quality varies, but some of them have been outstanding...plus, of course, they are free.
Good luck with your search....
Buddy
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The last pair I bought, I got from Sportsmans Warehouse, before the change in ownership. They very quite a bit in darkness, barring and quality. It's better to buy them in person or from someone you can talk to on the phone and explain exactly what your looking for. I'm not sure that most hunted turkeys have the mottled oak feathers I think your looking for. The availablility seems to be cyclical. When I first started tying, I could not find them at all. A few years later it seemed like every flyshop had a good supply. Good luck.