Copper John wingcase

[jkilroy]

Has anyone used turkey tail feathers for the wingcase on a copper john. Only reason I'm asking is I don't have any thinskin and It'll take 2-3 weeks to get it. What about pheasant tail??

[Normand]

go for it!

it gets epoxied anyway!!

[dixieangler]

I don't have any thinskin and It'll take 2-3 weeks to get it

Think black plastic trash bag. That's what I use for thinskin.

[Joe Billingsley]

I haven't but I don't see why you can't. The main thing about the Copper John wingcase is the strand of Flashabou and the epoxy bubble (I use UV Knot Sense). On most of the different colors of Copper Johns, Barr recommends black Thin Skin, so if you have any black feathers you could use them to make it look a little more like the original. The trash bag idea is a good one, too.
Joe

[Flyguy5910]

you can also use a goose biot for the wing case

[TyroneFly]

Substitution is the name of the game. Give it a try.

[flyandtie]

I've always used pheasant tail for the wingcase. I tie in flashabou first and then the pheasant tail.

Ive only epoxied a few of the copper johns. I normally just use a drop of sally hansens which absorbs into the pheasant tail and cements it all. Doesn't leave it all shiny like an air bubble but the fish don't care. If I really want an air bubble around the nymph, I give it a coat of frogs fanny.

It's all about experimenting. Have fun!

[92Esquire]

All of my copper johns get tied with a piece of cassette tape for the wingcase. It's a rich dark brown, shiny, and probably free if you have any old cassettes you don't want/need anymore. If not, a nearly endless supply of the stuff should cost you about $1.

I tie mine with a piece of crystal Flashabou first, then the tape. Epoxy over the top and it looks great.

[Fly Tyer]

why not try peacock herl???

[Joe Billingsley]

I think I've read that John Barr uses Thin Skin because the epoxy adheres to it better than some other materials. And it apparently adheres to one of the sides a lot better than the other.
Joe