Let's say you are going to make a quill by stripping the feather fibers from a rooster neck feather (taken from the back of the cape where the feathers are not dry fly quality).

Is it best to soak them before wrapping around the hook shank? Is so, do you use water? other liquid?

After completion, is it then best-form to coat the quill-covered shank with nail polish or head cement?

How fragile are the resulting flies? Do they last for just a few fish, or will they last longer?

Lots of questions because I have never tied a quill-body fly before.

Peter F.

------------------
Peter F
www.fishingwithflies.com
pfrailey@hotmail.com