So, I'm still tying Catskills out of Mike Valla's first book. Been good fun although my "correct cocking percentage" still seems to be in the 66%-75% range. I did nail four straight male Hendrickson patterns Saturday, though - two with hackle tips, two with wood duck wings.


Yesterday, I decided to practice double slip quill wings. Towards the end of the day, I actually made a couple of nice sets using paired "duck quill wings." I doubt these were mallard and much too dark to use in any pattern I knew.

Anyway, so I'll probably purchase a full set of mallard wings today. My question is this: the wings I'm going to use are the big wings closest to the body, right? These are the primaries?


Also, which is the first primary? I've read some tiers don't like using the no. 1 primary. Too stiff or something.