Learned Something New from a Video
Andrew Davies is a Welshman who has out several videos. His video on the Dunkeld showed me a method of making balanced, feather wings from a single slip of feather. I found it worth the 18:10 of time. I have to admit to wanting to thump my forehead when I saw what he did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19JAT0aLFUg
The index of his videos is here.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCULP...sH263aA/videos
Regards,
Ed
Yes. It's an interesting way to prepare a wing. Seems it would also be sturdier then a single slip from matching feathers. Don't like the way he buries the hook point in the vise though.
Allan
I agree with you on that point, pun not intended (for once). I don't agree with everything that he does, but I am glad that his videos are available on-line. IMHO, there aren't enough videos by guys who do things older ways and aren't a part of the glamor and glitz world.Originally Posted by Allan
I think if he folded the feather all of the way over (i.e. folded in the middle) and then again that the wing might be even more balanced.
Regards,
Ed
That's a pretty good demo of the rolled wing technique. His use of paper as a model helps the viewer understand the folds.
It's a good method for making use of a feather that lacks a mate, particularly bronze mallard. I understand making a folded turkey wing for simplified or faster tying, but the rolled technique seems out of place with a material as heavy as turkey.
It's a technique that British tyers seem to use more frequently than American. There's a good article in this month's Fly Fishing and Fly Tying (the British one) on Clyde style wet flies that shows how to fold wings on smaller wets.
I almost always fold startling and partridge; I haven't tried it with turkey yet.
Bob
Its a technique I use a lot. The best way I have found to describe it is to imagine an open book in front of you. Fold both pages in to the middle so they are not quite touching. Then close the book.
It is most used for duck body feather wings. Teal can be a problem as good teal isn't very often available. However there is a cheat which lets you use the smaller feathers for teal wings. I will try to search out my photos of it for you.
Cheers,
A.
That's a great video; can't wait to try that wing for some muddlers. Alan, hope you're able to find those pics.
Regards,
Scott
It was about a dozen years ago that Ralph Hoffman demonstrated his method of tying his signature fly, the Black Turkey, at a meeting of the Catskill Fly Tyer's Guild. This was a wet fly that had a simple recipe of peacock body, brown hackle and a turkey tail wing. Ralph used the folding method described in the initial post and used by Andrew Davies. Also, when necessary, Ralph would trim the ends of the folded turkey tail to shape it slightly.
Found them.
As I said before teal body feathers are often too small for the folding method to work well. I was shown this method for tying teal wings on fishing flies using those smaller feathers. You need a symmetrical feather for this.
Trim the feather up like this.
Tie the stem in place where you want the wing, using two or three loose (bobbin weight) wraps.
Draw the stem away from the eye of the hook until the wing is the correct length. The sides will pull together to form the wing.
Pull on the thread to tighten the loose wraps, you may like to add a couple more wraps as well. Trim out the feather, and form the head.
It's not a way to produce exhibition quality wings, but lets you use up those small feathers.
Cheers,
A.
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