Ruffed grouse feathers?

[Sully]

What can I tie using them? I have 2 large cans full of them ( minus the tails...thats what the hunters want to display) and dont have the foggiest what to tie with them. I mostyl fish dry flies......

[Wes]

soft hackles, march brown spinners and duns, hopper wings (like flat over the body).

[DG]

Anything you can think of. I had a fly all ready for ya, but then I read the "minus the tails"...

[DUB]

The Breadcrust. A great caddis emerger.
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/fly...fm?parentID=86

My bad. MINUS TAILS!

[Gandolf]

Hi Sully,

Like DG, I had a fly immediately in mind and then read "minus the tails." The breadcrust is a good fly, but is tied from the tail feathers. That is the fly I first had in mind, and would guess it is also what DG was also thinking of.

That said, I have also used them for soft hackles, and for legs, etc. on nymphs. The problem with them for drys is that they are not stiff, but are soft and webby, thus ideal for soft hackles and nymphs, but virtually unsuitable for drys.

A problem with some of the feathers is a rather large stem, except close to the tip. This can be overcome and has been discussed in the past, but getting in to that could hijack the thread. I have personally not used grouse feathers for hopper wings or for caddis wings, but have used similar feahters, and the suggestion above is a good one. Such feathers can be treated with fleximent and used for such.

Regards,

Gandolf

[Sully]

OK fellas.. I can tie up some soft hackles with them. I dont want to just toss them.

Grouse hunters here want the tails for display...so the rest "goes to waste". I will need hoppers too...so there's another use of them.

Thanks

[MikelC]

Sully,

Ruffed grouse, also know as "Partidge". Just a thought

Mike

[quivira kid]

They're absolutely worthless. Send half of them to me, and throw the other half away! *G*
The mottled feathers should make fantastic collars for wets and nymphs.

Do a little experiment next time you want to tie a nymph... Look up the "Trout Chow" fly and sub in that grouse for partridge.

[JeffHamm]

In Nova Scotia, and Northern Ontario, partridge is the common name used for ruffed-grouse and sprucehens. You aren't supposed to shoot a sprucehen (they are dumber than a bag of rocks while a ruffed grouse is only as dumb as a stick ), but they can be hard to tell apart. People know the "correct" terms, but just call 'em partridge. Anyway, they would make great soft hackles and could be used anywhere "true partidge" is used also.

By the way, ruffed grouse stuffed with brown and wild rice, with butter pats in the rice and on the outside, with 3 or 4 strips of streaky baccon wrapped around the bird and sprinkled with some thyme and summer savory, salt and pepper, then wrapped in foil and backed in the oven makes a very very tasty supper! Mmmmmm.

- Jeff

[hap]

Funny thing about names... In Southern NY my father grew up with ruffed grouse as "pa't-ridges" knowing full well they were grouse. The red grouse of Europe, and supplier of the official plumage for any "Grouse and ----" pattern, is what we call willow ptarmigan in Alaska. The red grouse does not turn white in winter, (like blue fox and arctic fox) but is the same species.

Alaska small game regulations do not differentiate between sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed, blue, and spruce grouse; nor willow, rock, or whitetailed ptarmigan; but do between "grouse" and "ptarmigan". Well, actually that is not exactly correct either, as the limit is much lower or the relatively less common ruffed grouse and blues, though they are included in the grouse limit.

Any bird hunter thinking he is not living in the good old days needs to look at our daily bag limits for birds... Most will find it shocking.
art