my first Quill Gordon

[spoof85]

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this is my first, comments? suggestions? be as brutal as u want i can take it!
as for the Catskill rule of thumb, i know the "float line" is incorrect, i don't have a hackle gauge, little longer then i thought, should have used more wood duck... i assure you the wings are separated and symmetrical, tail is also straight with the body, and the peacock quill was the thickest i had left,(need to get more lol) size 12 hook.
all comments and pictures welcome,
spoof85

PS, i tied this from a picture, not a recipe..... what is the best way to attach the wings? to ensure equal length... i split it into 2 clumps, and did figure eights to ensure separation... suggestions?

[Allan]

FWIW,

"PS, i tied this from a picture, not a recipe..... what is the best way to attach the wings? to ensure equal length... i split it into 2 clumps, and did figure eights to ensure separation... suggestions?"

Here are a few: Do get some photos that show not only proportions(which often vary depending on the tyer) but that also show the volume of materials especially for the tail, wing and hackle. Excellent book is Mike Vallla's, Tying Catskill Dry Flies. Do a search for a specific pattern and see how the various photos differ. Select the one that conforms to the way you like to see it. Learn how to create wings by either using 2 smaller feathers or a larger feather and dividing the fibers. Using a figure 8 is only part of the process. Perhaps you can get someone to give you some hands on instruction. That'll take months or even years off of a learning curve. Above all: use the best materials you can afford, have patience and enjoy the results. Oh, keep that fly. Frame it and see how it compares to what you're tying 5 years from now.

Good luck.

Allan

[ScottP]

That's a tough fly to get right the first time and yours looks better than my early tries. Tail looks a bit sparse to me; when I usually fish them, it's early in the season and the streams are up so I like a fuller tail to help with floatation.

Here's a pretty good video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuJJO3k9eHs

I like how he ties the tail in first; I always found the wing got in the way if I did it first on this fly, and I was still able to "marry" the stubs from the tail to those from the wing to get a smooth transition. One thing he didn't do that I'd recommend is coat the thread body with a bit of head cement (or super glue) before wrapping the quill body. I actually prefer wild turkey biot (see A.K. Best's Production Fly Tying) for the body; a lot more durable and easier to deal with. Don't see the need for 2 color hackles in the video; a decent dun has been good enough for me.

Really like seeing your flies.

Regards,
Scott

[Fontinalis]

Here is one of my quill Gordons to help you out far a dimensions and appearances. Hope this helps you a bit.

Sincerely
Andy Brasko

[Allan]

Just looked this up. Don't think you can find a better example then this Quill Gordon tyed by Mary Dette Clark:

http://www.danica.com/flytier/mdette/quill_gordon.htm

Allan

[Silver Creek]

You can use the google image search to get photos, eg., Quill Gordon Fly

Then clicking on the individual images takes you the web site for that image.