Wild turkey tail fan trade?

All about flies Fly Tying
1

I have a wild turkey tail fan that I’m not sure can be used for fly tying or not?

I’d certainly think so, but have no experience in this area.

I’d be interested in a trade for some poppers or dry flies in the #8-#12 range, if anyone is interested. :slight_smile:

2

P.M. sent …ModocDan

3

Just for my own edification, I’d be curious what people’s reaction would be to using a turkey tail fan. I think it would be very useful, but I’d like to hear what more experienced tiers have to say on the topic.

4

teachmarkey,

A turkey tail fan is nothing more then turkey tail feathers used everyday for tying, you would just need to separate them for individual tail feathers. Most guys after shooting their bird will mount the tail feathers in a fan position. So what I believe icall2much is looking to do is trade up the tail feathers for some flies. And yes you are correct, the actual tail feathers are very useful in many different fly patterns.

5

Absolutely agree with you Keven…especially high on the list are the Eastern Wild Turkey Matched Pair Tail Feathers[COLOR=black], they are over a foot long and will sell for around $8.95 pair and higher for good quality feathers.[/COLOR]

6

Wild Turkey!! Oh, you mean the feathers. :frowning:

7

Here is a little vid from Blue Ribbon Flies. It’ll give you an idea of the usefullness and what the trade value might be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZURYm-nvvUo

8

I use them for wing cases and PTN variations… I’m headed out tomorrow to hopefully shoot myself one or two.

9

Two!! how many are your allowed :slight_smile:

10

We can buy up to 2 tags here in Kansas. Fried turkey strips! mmmm mmmm good!

11

Hi Icall,

As Zac mentioned, turkey tail feathers are great for wing cases. Good on PTNs, and perfect color for wing cases for dark stonefly nymphs, such as Kaufmann’s salmon fly nymph. Also like Zac mentions, the individual barbules from the tail feathers when used like pheasant tail barbules make very nice nymphs that are the equivalent of a pheasant tail nymph.

The resulting “turkey tail” nymphs are darker than pheasant tail nymphs, and I have seen times when these dark nymphs have worked extremely well.

In tying these nymphs, I have had to dampen the barbules to get them to wrap well without having some break in the wrapping.

The feathers can also be used for wings for crickets, or other dark patterns with down wings. In any case, for using the feathers for wing cases or for wings, they should be treated with fleximent as part of the feather preparations.

Regards,

Gandolf

12

`Here in Southern Oregon, we have an incredible number of wild turkeys. They were introduced here 20 years back or so, and have just thrived and proliferated. I don’t hunt them, but hunters are alowed several per season. I trade for the feathers each year. I’m tradin Icall
here for his. Lotsa fellas want some flies, or maybe a rod built or repaired. If I get too many feathers, I trade them for other materials… but, I’m flat outa turkey feathers right now, and I use them for lots of nymphs, hoppers, etc. I tie lots of flies, and give lots away to fisher folk I meet on the water. It’s the neighborly & sportsmanlike thing to do… Modoc Dan

13

This was a really informative discussion! I spent most of my life here in RI never seeing a wild turkey. It’s only in the last 10-15 years or so, like in Dan’s case, that they have been restored and are now flourishing. I don’t hunt either, but only last fall I found some good feathers from where someone had plucked their kill.

Thanks for schoolin’ me!
Hugh

14

Barbs off the body feathers wrapped on size 20 and smaller hooks makes a nice midge pattern.

Rick

15

Here in Texas… we can take a hen in the fall and two Gobblers in the spring… and of course a bearded hen in the spring if one slips in on you… So there is a possibility of four in a year in some counties.

16

A couple points for working with turkey feathers (and most others) is they are often left out or stuck in a vase which dries them out, making them brittle. Steam your feathers over a tea kettle spout for a few minutes before tying and things will go MUCH better. Fibers will wrap rather than break.

Also, cement is not needed on turkey feathers… a little practice and they will wrap beautifully almost every time… And not getting the practice will not make it any easier if you use cement.
art

17

Here’s a stone fly pattern I like using turkey tail for the body: http://55onthefly.blogspot.com/2010/04/korns-oatka-stone-fly.html

18

I believe you can get a whole tail fan from Blue Ribbon Flies for less than $15

19

I get a whole skin, plus a couple excellent meals, for a $22 tag. :slight_smile: