Mallard Wings

[Steven]

So, I'm still tying Catskills out of Mike Valla's first book. Been good fun although my "correct cocking percentage" still seems to be in the 66%-75% range. I did nail four straight male Hendrickson patterns Saturday, though - two with hackle tips, two with wood duck wings.


Yesterday, I decided to practice double slip quill wings. Towards the end of the day, I actually made a couple of nice sets using paired "duck quill wings." I doubt these were mallard and much too dark to use in any pattern I knew.

Anyway, so I'll probably purchase a full set of mallard wings today. My question is this: the wings I'm going to use are the big wings closest to the body, right? These are the primaries?


Also, which is the first primary? I've read some tiers don't like using the no. 1 primary. Too stiff or something.

[ScottP]

My question is this: the wings I'm going to use are the big wings closest to the body, right? These are the primaries?

Regards,
Scott

[Steven]

Thanks Scott.

Do the wings they sell in fly shops spread out like this?

[Allan]

Good question and Scott, great illustration.

Steven,

On Mallards you may be able to get some decent slips from a #1 feather, although the higher numbers are better. You'll have to see where the 'blood line' is. If you have to cut into it, the wing slip you want will splinter. Hint: pluck or cut the feathers off of the skin in pairs, meaning a #1 left and a #1 right, then a #2 left and a #2 right, and so on. Tape them together at the base of the quill. Do this for all the flight feathers. That way you'll always have matched pairs.
You don't have to use Mallard. In fact the old recipes usually simply said 'wild duck'. Usually light or dark depends on type of duck although I have some different shades from same type ducks. Males and females will yield different shades. Another thing to look at is the type of duck. Woodies and teals, for example, are small and have small flight feathers. Not too good for larger size flies. If you can make some connection with duck hunters and let them know you'd appreciate if they saved the wings (they need only chop them off at the knickle)m or breasted out skins. Offer some payment - flies works sometimes.

Good luck.

Allan

[Steven]

If I compare Scott's picture to this picture http://www.stoneriveroutfitters.com/...r)/4,1325.html then the primaries are the feathers extending most downward, right? On the "outside" edge?

[Allan]

Steven,

If I understand your question correctly, the answer is YES. Also, if I counted individual flight feathers on the skin from the vendor correctly, you can see 6 flight feathers on the left and 9 on the right. Not a bad price considering you don't have to skin, wash, disinfect and dry the wings.

Good luck

[Steven]

Any tricks to taking these things apart without getting feathers everywhere?

[Allan]

Steven,

Well, if the skin is dried out it should be fairly easy to 'pluck' them out with a pair of pliers. Place the jaws of the pliers on the stem of the feather, as close as you can get to the skin (below the fibers) and pull. The other alternative is to use wire cutters and cut them away, again as close to the skin as you can. If the skin is fresh and you prefer not waiting for it to dry, then the best way is with the wire cutters. Done right you will only remove what you grab or cut, lol.

Allan

[tigfly]

ScottP, I really like that picture, would you happen to have a picture like that showing the location of the CDC feathers so I can show a duckhunting friend of mine? He seems to have trouble figuring out where those are located. I sent him another picture showing the preen gland but it wasn't as clear as this. Sorry to hijack the thread.

[Allan]

tigfly,

Maybe Scott has a photo to help you. but if not, explain to him(her) that, if he(she) moves finger vertically along the back, from tail towards the head, the preen gland is a bump just a little above the tail. Somewhat hard to miss if you're looking for it. Then just pluck all the feathers from that area. CDC from hunted ducks are kind of small. You can get some from hunted geese too. Same directions. Good luck.

Allan