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Thread: "Turkey Rounds" Abdomen

  1. #1
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    Default "Turkey Rounds" Abdomen

    Hi,
    This is my version of a Calibaetis Sparkle Dun.
    I used what I believe to be bonafide "Turkey Rounds" for the abdomen as I first saw used in a fly tied by Walter Wiese of Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, MT.
    There has been confusion (mostly on my part) about what he references as "Turkey Rounds".
    I believe this confusion stems from the fact that so many of us use "Turkey BIOT Quill" feathers for bodies on flies.
    The "Turkey Rounds" are the lesser feathers. I have a photo of the turkey quill feather I used as the abdomen on this fly and believe it represents the "real" turkey rounds Walter uses.
    Please correct me if I am in error.
    Thanks,
    Byron






  2. #2
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    The only place I ever saw Turkey Rounds advertised is Feather Craft, and I think that was because they used them so much for their signature fly, the Crackleback. I'm sure you can get them in any color there.

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    If you do a search for "hareline turkey quill feathers", you get several suppliers.

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    So turkey 'secondaries', turkey 'quills' and turkey 'rounds' are one in the same. Okay.

  5. #5

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    Looks like you could almost use them in place of pheasant tail for a different effect, as well. Slim, with a little "fuzz" and buggyness.
    The Green Hornet strikes again!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Allan View Post
    So turkey 'secondaries', turkey 'quills' and turkey 'rounds' are one in the same. Okay.
    Not quite, Allan. Both wing primaries and secondaries are quills. So-called "rounds" are wing secondaries, because the ends of the whole feathers are, well, round, while the primaries have rather pointed ends. The leading edges of turkey primaries make fab quill bodies; both sides of a secondary make excellent "fiber" bodies, as Byron has shown.

    Chuck

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    Chuck,
    Correct. Again, as I said in my original post, I think what is so confusing to most is their familiarity with "Turkey Biot Quills"..........these being the feathers and fibers so many tie segmented body flies with - whether "fuzzy" or smooth..........
    Make sense?

    A web definition of a Biot Quill feather:
    A biot is simply a single fiber from the leading, or front, edge of a primary (first row) wing feather. On the feather, the biots lay against each other, leaning toward the tip of the wing. This allows air to pass over them and flow against the fibers on the rear side of the feather, which are longer, narrower, and more delicate, providing lift for flight. This is similar to an airplane's wing... wide, blunt in front, tapering toward the rear. It is easy to tell the biots apart from the rear fibers, as they are shorter, stiffer, and lay closer to the quill stem.
    Here is a Turkey BIOT Quill:


    Last edited by Byron haugh; 05-11-2013 at 09:38 PM.

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    What is a Turkey Round?
    All feathers on all birds have a proper name, given to them when a species is first established. It is sometimes difficult to find charts of feathers for us to know the proper name of a feather.
    Along comes a group of people called fly tiers. We use every feather we can get out hands on. Some of us even come up with an unusual or different fly and we use a feather that either just happens to be on our fly tying table or because it works. Some of us show how we tied a particular fly and need to tell others what it is. Do not know the proper name but call it what we like. (I personally have no problem with this). Perhaps this is where the name “Turkey Round”came from. This is easier than to say it comes from the 3rd & 4th secondary flight feather of a Turkey.
    I noticed the term “Quill”being used out of context. For info only: the Quill is the stem of the feather. (several different names for the stem) but for ease lets call it a stem.
    Back many years ago I tried my hand at Gothic Calligraphy and made my own Quill pens from the secondry flight feathers from a Goose. This was supposed to be the best but they can also be made from the same secondary flight feathers of a Turkey, Swan or Crow.
    I think we tiers should try to name our feather choices in our telling others of our pattern by using the proper name. From each side of a stem we find Barbs. From each side of the barbs we find Barbicels on all feathers except from about 30% of the feathers found on a genetic rooster. (these are what makes the difference between wet & dry). NO Barbicels = Dry fly
    So, just my understanding, there is no feather on any bird called a “Round”.
    I would guess the feather used was a Turkey secondary flight feather, perhaps 3rd to 5th. The barbs are about equal in length so the round end can be used. The stems on all Turkey feathers are large and almost impossible to wrap. Nothing like what we tiers demand in our Genetics.
    Just my 2 cents worth.
    DennyWhat is a Turkey Round?
    All feathers on all birds have a proper name, given to them when a species is first established. It is sometimes difficult to find charts of feathers for us to know the proper name of a feather.
    Along comes a group of people called fly tiers. We use every feather we can get out hands on. Some of us even come up with an unusual or different fly and we use a feather that either just happens to be on our fly tying table or because it works. Some of us show how we tied a particular fly and need to tell others what it is. Do not know the proper name but call it what we like. (I personally have no problem with this). Perhaps this is where the name “Turkey Round”came from. This is easier than to say it comes from the 3rd & 4th secondary flight feather of a Turkey.
    I noticed the term “Quill”being used out of context. For info only: the Quill is the stem of the feather. (several different names for the stem) but for ease lets call it a stem.
    Back many years ago I tried my hand at Gothic Calligraphy and made my own Quill pens from the secondry flight feathers from a Goose. This was supposed to be the best but they can also be made from the same secondary flight feathers of a Turkey, Swan or Crow.
    I think we tiers should try to name our feather choices in our telling others of our pattern by using the proper name. From each side of a stem we find Barbs. From each side of the barbs we find Barbicels on all feathers except from about 30% of the feathers found on a genetic rooster. (these are what makes the difference between wet & dry). NO Barbicels = Dry fly
    So, just my understanding, there is no feather on any bird called a “Round”.
    I would guess the feather used was a Turkey secondary flight feather, perhaps 3rd to 5th. The barbs are about equal in length so the round end can be used. The stems on all Turkey feathers are large and almost impossible to wrap. Nothing like what we tiers demand in our Genetics.
    By the way, let us not confuse biots & Quills. Biots are normally harvested from the first 3 Primaries, taken from the outside of the feather as they are much different than barbs stripped from the inside. Somtimes products we purchase may be labled by someone that does not know the proper name? Just because something is written in ink does not make it so. There is always the Commercial, marketing side of things.
    Just my 2 cents worth.
    Denny
    Denny

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    For good info on turkey feathers used in fly tying:

    http://www.invictaflies.us/Articles/all_about_biots.htm
    Last edited by Byron haugh; 05-11-2013 at 09:44 PM.

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    Denny,
    How does the definition above differ from your definition of a "Quill":

    Definition above: "......It is easy to tell the biots apart from the rear fibers, as they are shorter, stiffer, and lay closer to the quill stem"?
    Thanks,
    Byron

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