What Would You Tie...

If you were given a bunch of free duck feathers? I will be receiving some feathers from a fella here locally who wants only some flies tied for him as payment. He is sending all duck and maybe a few goose feathers, from mallard, woodies, galdwall, and teal. He has indicated that he is interested in steelhead and crappie (I know interesting combination huh!) flies. I'm not thinking that I can tie anything really crappie-specific, but I am wondering what ideas you guys might have. Also, as I have never fished for Steelies, what would you recommend tying up? He lives in Northern Ohio and will probably be fishing for the Eerie Steelhead this winter. What would you tie with these feathers? I am hoping to give him about a dozen flies (not necesarily a dozen different patterns, but a good variety). Thanks guys!

Wild One,

Go to FAOL main menu

Click on FLY TYING

In the search window type: "Reverse+Spider" and then click "enter"

Scan down to the #4 article on the Reverse Spider

This is a pretty easy tie and it does list your material and is for steelhead

I have downsized every thing and it is also a very good trout fly in the downsized version


If I come up with any other suggestions, I will pass them on.

Try these, Mallard, Teal and Woodduck flank feather work well for;

Hornbergs

Various flank feather winged wets like the light and dark cahills (very good fly for Steelhead that have seen everything!).

Shad pattern streamers.

Search through the fly tying archives. I'm sure other suggestions will be available.

Hmm,

Some old time patterns, like a Mallard & Claret, or a Teal Blue & Silver might be worth inclusion. A Butcher (or Bloody Butcher) uses the blue patch from mallard wings an dalthough I've never seen one tied larger than size 10, I would think it would upsize well enough and work for steelhead.

- Jeff

Zoo Cougers!

hmmmm if you could get goose biots you could tie a stonefly for the steelies, maye even the egg sucking version 8)

Look up Ricks favorite Crappie Flies in the panfish archives. Do the bead body minnow, which uses a gadwell flank feather for the wing. I have caught crapie on this one. Is is not a hard tie.


Also take a size 10 hook. Wrap hook with lead or subsitture. Tie in a craft fur body. Place a gadwell or mallard flank feather on each side. This is a minnow imitation. This patter is on the Web specials on the Feathercraft web site.

Rick

alot is going to depend on what he sends you . wet flys /dryflys /soft hackle flys add bead chain eyes to a small hook

wrap a flank feather around the shank wet fly style to form a body if you need more then one feather tie the other down and add a new one in wrap forwards then kinda lay it all back with a few wraps so it looks like a small crappie jig whip finish

if you got some fuzzy feathers make like a modafide damsel nymph bead chain eyes tail like marabue . then make a body of dubbed marabue of fuzzy feather then take a flank feather or marabue or fuzy feather and wrap it wet fly style behind the eyes don't make a beard out of it leave it 360 degrease .

Wow, thanks for the advice guys. Definately some patterns that I hadn't thought about, but are perfect. Keep em coming! 8)

Don't know if he wants you to use the duck feathers to tie flies for him with but here are a few of my favorites:
Steelhead
green butt skunk
polar shrimp
I take these with me as a go to fily and they work very well in my area

crappie
crappie candy
cackleback
both of these are time proven flies that the fish seem to love again in my area hope this helps