Duck Quills

Who has the best quality & longest duck quills ? Need really good ones for wet flies.Trying to find a good source to order nice quills .

Hi Joe:

You and more than a few other guys are in the same boat. Here's some info you might find helpful.

E. Hille in South Williamsport, PA, has long been the best place to buy duck quills. I've been buying mine there since 1964 when I started tying. They started in business in 1936. They still dye their own quills from white. Sell them taped together because that what Ernie started, or else it was also popular with the other fly tying houses of the time like William Mills & Son, Herter's, E. C. Gregg Fly Tying, etc.
Right now Hille's is in flux. Ted Seibert, former shop manager for some years, left last June to pursue a new career in divinity school. Ted's father, Lou, still works there and has been Hille's "Dye Man" for years. Lou recently had back surgery and he's off for a while.
Also since Ted's departure, E. Hille has been for sale, or the owner, Ken Rice, might entertain hiring someone who wants to become shop manager with a "bull by the horns" approach. But I think sell is the preference.
Hille's stock of duck quill is currently at an all time low. However, they have barrels of white domestic duck quills, unpaired, in the shop basement. I spoke to Sandy, (Ken's wife) about ten days ago - she said they have begun pairing some of the white. I even offered to help, putting in a few hours to help pair them up, but I've been so busy lately so I don't know if that will happen. Bottomline is I don't expect Hille's to have a stock of white & dyed duck quills for at least two months, but it might be sooner. I think their web site is off-line. You can call them to request a catalog. 570-323-7564. The way to buy the quills is stock No. 572 D, (5 matched pr. same color) for about $4.50. If interested people call them and perhaps put in and order and request to be placed on a waiting list, they might accommodate.

Next bet: Try Mike Hogue - Badger Creek Fly Tying, Ithaca, NY. e-mail: Mike@eflytyer.com
Mike was telling me at Ft. Washington show that he'd found another (what he said) good place to buy duck quills and had placed a large order. At the time of the show (March 12) the order hadn't arrived. I'd contact him to check that out.
Another thing: Wapsi duck quills are usually runts, rather puny, not bad quality, just don't expect to tie wets larger than a size #10 with them. Even wholesale if I were buying them I'd order twice the amount I needed to end getting the number of decent pairs I actually wanted. Here's my supposition: I think most of what Wapsi sells as "goose wing quill" is actually large sized domestic duck. Find a shop that sells Wapsi goose wing quills, and you'll have a good source for "duck" wing quills. You'll be able to tie wet flies down to #6 easily.
I know Fishing Creek Angler, Benton, PA, where I do most of my winter fly tying classes, has a pretty good stock of goose wing quills. 570-925-2709. e-mail: infofca@epix.net

Finally, I hope that with more and more tiers getting interested in the old classic wet flies, not just to tie because they're pretty, but to tie because that catch fish, that perhaps if we holler loud enough, some of the wholesale / material preparation outlets will increase their production and availability of duck qing quills.

Joe: if you really have trouble finding anything suitable, let me know. Get some guys together and I'll put in an order with Wapsi for (I'd suggest goose quill) because I have an account there.

Let me know how you make out.

Thanks Don. I'll keep in touch. Your classic wet fly class was superb. I'll highly recommend Don's class to eveyone.
Joe

I didn't know that folks had stopped using wet flies. I never stopped because they do catch fish. Don't know where I would be without my McGintys, Yellow Millers, Orange Millers, White Millers, Professors, Parmachene Belles, Royal Coachmans, Gimps .... and so on. Not really nice classic wet flies as I use them for bream more than trout. Not sure if I should call them classic or just traditional. I think the reason most folks don't tie wet flies more often is because of the practice it takes to get the wings right. Its like riding a bicycle for me. I don't forget how to tie the wings from the time I first learned how but it takes practice to get back in the seat and get it right once I quit for a while.

Because I tie the above type wet flies for bream to look at and not really nice wet flies for folks to look at (the fish don't care as long as they swim right), I don't need expensive or high quality duck quills. Cheap craft store/department colored "Indian" feathers (colored duck quills) work just fine for me.


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"



[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 02 April 2005).]

Folks,
E. Hilles web site is up - here it is:
[url=http://www.anglersupplyhouse.com:bc4c6]http://www.anglersupplyhouse.com[/url:bc4c6]

I have bought tying materials from them and have been very pleased with the quality. Cheers, Alec

Be sure to read my first post response to Joe Allison regarding the status of Hille's Angler's Supply House in South Williamsport, PA.

E. Hille Angler's Supply House web site is currently down. They are NOT out of business. Read my first post for info on why.