It just had to happen!

[Eight Thumbs]

Hi Folks,

I knew this was going to happen but it's been a long time coming. It's been a number of years since I've lacked a specific material for a fly pattern that I've wanted to tie. This is due in part to the fact that I've been collecting fly-tying materials since 1957, first in nickle and dime amounts and later in fairly large dollar amounts. Several local fly shops and mail order stores are rumored to have full-sized bronze statues of me located just outside the door of their establishments. I also tend to tie "guide flies" much more frequently now for my fishing and that of my friends. I experiment with new flies but I have long ago given up full-dress salmon flies. In other words, my fly selection is pretty much utilitarian, with tried and true patterns for my area. Anyway, I'm in the process of tying a single, very-well stocked and very well stuffed box of trout flies that I will carry with me instead of my fishing vest and the 15,000 fly boxes that fit inside it. I'm in the process of looking through Ken Hanley's book, Tying Furled Flies: Patterns for Trout, Bass and Steelhead and spotted a very buggy looking Beadhead Rockworm Larva pattern on page 38. I'm not worried about material. It's a simple pattern. I've got closets full of material. Copper wire--check. Olive Antron yarn---check Pale olive dubbing---check. Gold bead---check. WIDGEON FEATHERS for the legs----AUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHH! He got me. I know that there are lots of substitutes but it still put an arrow in my heart.

I'm curious about your experience. How many of you have a good supply of widgeon feathers? What is the last material that you lacked to tie a particular pattern? 8T

Very important! This is not a request for widgeon feather donations.

[chewydog]

I keep mine right next to the widgets....not.

[GrayGhost]

well Eight I do have some WIDGEON given to be by a very generuos hunting person from here on FOAL, I to collect tying material as a hobby, but with that said I find my self alway missing somthing so my serch is on going and I know I will alway run accross something I dont have, I may have something that will work ok but it was not what I was after lol, oh well, the search is always on.
Ghost

[Rick Z]

I may be missing what they call for on the fly, but I usually have something that looks fairly close to it.
That is why I tie variations of flies.

Rick

[Uncle Jesse]

I would have been happy to send you some but I used the last of them yesterday. When does the season open for Widgeons?

[Betty Hiner]

What's a widgeon? What part is used, and what color is it??

[Greg H]

I am extremely sceptical of anything that is proposed as 'gospel'. I wouldn't be surprised if the originator of the dressing in question lacked partridge (or whatever) and so used widgeon and thus cast in stone his version of an otherwise standard fly. Flies imitate bugs. If your dressing imitates a bug sufficiently to catch fish, then cast your material list in stone too - and name it after yourself while you are at it, everyone else does.

[Panman]

Betty: The Widgeon is a duck. Most flies that call for widgeon feathers mean tying with the flank feathers which are a barred reddish brown.

8T: Last fall I ran out of Widgeon. I asked for some on FAOL and the Quivira Kid sent me some. I mentioned that transaction to cousin Brian who lives and hunts in Utah. Brian then sent me a bunch. So if you PM me your address I will send you some.

Tim

[Eight Thumbs]

I'm with the majority of the posters on this one---substitution. Wood duck feathers looked great on this fly and very buggy. Mallard feathers looked great. Mallard feathers, dyed a light brown looked great on the fly and identical to the original pattern. Hungarian Partridge looked nice too.

I also found a the following information. The American Widgeon is a peculiar name for a bird that is absent from most of the U.S., preferring Canada as its range and coming down into the northwestern parts of this country and wintering along the Pacific Coast, Gulf Coast, and East Coast. Males of both American and European Widgeons have a whistle, while the female birds quack. Widgeons are some of the more shy duck-like birds you will observe in the field, and like Teals, they can take to the air as a flock and perform beautiful aerial displays of flight.

[Wes]

bronze mallard does well.