What Feather Craft calls "Turkey Rounds"

[Byron haugh]

I am well informed that "Turkey Rounds" is not the best name for these turkey feathers, but it is what most fly shops call them.

I find the feather barbule makes a nice dun abdomen. It is not too fuzzy like the fuzzy side of what is commonly called a "biot" feather, and not too smooth either.

This feather is a PMD dyed color.

[Longs for Cutts]

Get em while you can. Hareline and Wapsi appear to have removed them from their wholesale catalogs for 2014, so they might get tough to find soon, though Nature's Spirit is still listing them.

[Byron haugh]

Thanks for the info Walter.
How are things at the shop this off-season??

[dr korn]

Byron, I like your PMD's and "turkey rounds" --- why they call them turkey rounds I don't know???? They are secondary flight wing feathers... I've started to save mine from the turkey's I've killed and dyed some up... They aren't as nice because they are barred, but hey they work well enough.

[pszy22]

I started using these about 15 years ago as a result of a recommendation in a Feather Craft catalog. I use them for just about all my size 10 - 16 dry flies bodies, and think they work great. When used in conjunction with a rotary vise, they are a breeze to apply and look great. The fish seem to like them just fine.

If there is a downsize, they are probably a bit more fragile than a dubbed body. When they get too chewed up, the "biot" breaks and starts to unravel. At that point, not much you can do other than tie on a new fly. But to put in context, I usually can get 20 - 25 fish from a single fly, before it's time to recycle it.

[dr korn]

I started using these about 15 years ago as a result of a recommendation in a Feather Craft catalog. I use them for just about all my size 10 - 16 dry flies bodies, and think they work great. When used in conjunction with a rotary vise, they are a breeze to apply and look great. The fish seem to like them just fine.

If there is a downsize, they are probably a bit more fragile than a dubbed body. When they get too chewed up, the "biot" breaks and starts to unravel. At that point, not much you can do other than tie on a new fly. But to put in context, I usually can get 20 - 25 fish from a single fly, before it's time to recycle it.

One thing you might try, if you haven't already.... is adding a drop of super glue to the body before wrapping the barb..... it makes for a longer lasting fly.

[Longs for Cutts]

Byron:

Things are going okay so far. It was miserably cold last week. -47 in Cooke City. Snowpack is looking great so far and we're sort of expecting extra trips from Californians who don't even have enough water to put in their Scotch, much less go fishing. My big project (besides tying 175dz more flies than last winter, which is kicking my butt) is getting my captain's license. I'm looking forward to doing some power boat trips with that credential in hand, mostly on the Missouri in the spring but maybe on Lewis Lake as well. I sure hope it pays off, what with the $17,000 jet-drifter I just bought.

[Byron haugh]

Do you use the boat mostly in Washington, I presume. Sounds like just the ticket to use down on the Dechutes in Oregon?

[Longs for Cutts]

I actually haven't lived in Bellingham since 2006. Just too lazy to change my profile. Hahaha.