While looking through the old fies section of this web site and saw a fly that used this feather filo-herl. what is this?
Thanks for the help,
fisher998
Hi fisher998,
It is also called filo plume. As I understand it the real name is after-shaft feather. An easy place to find it is look for the small/fuzzy feather attached to the back side stem base of a pheasant body feather. The one I’m looking at now is from a ring neck pheasant and it is a medium/light gray in color. Take care & …
Tight Lines - Al Beatty [url=http://www.btsflyfishing.com:97a69]www.btsflyfishing.com[/url:97a69]
Somebody posted a video recently that showed how to tie Jack Gartside’s Sparrow. It uses the philo-plume so it shows what it looks like and where to find it…if you can’t find the URL for it, let me know. I think I have it book marked on my other computer.
[url=http://www.jackgartside.com/step_gartside_sparrow.htm:3d7f2]http://www.jackgartside.com/step_gartside_sparrow.htm[/url:3d7f2]
“The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life”
Well, there is always the last resort. [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/tyingterms/:a8295]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/tyingterms/[/url:a8295]
On there you will find. <BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial”>quote:</font><HR>After-Shaft:
The soft, small feather normally found at the base of bird’s feathers. Some times called “philoplume” or “filo-plume.”<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
“How long does it take to learn fly-fishing?
No one knows.”
Grand poo-bah
Thanks for the clarification on the common mis-use of the term.
Since the thread started with a mention of the Old Flies section here on FAOL, I searched them for the term “filo-herl” and found this pattern: [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part341.html:a4f8d]Filo-herl Shrimp[/url:a4f8d].
Looking at the picture of the finished fly (that page doesn’t have step by step pictures), the philo-herl (the author’s term) is used as the fly’s tail. Wouldn’t that require using an aftershaft (i.e.: is that pattern also mis-using the term)?
Thanks for the great link Dudley…all I had previously was the podcast video somebody did for The Sparrow. It was informative to read steps from the fly’s creator as well.
[This message has been edited by Thwack (edited 28 April 2006).]
Legs too , Thwack…
[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 28 April 2006).]
Thanks for all of the replies, this realy helps i will look for some next time im at the fly shop
fisher998
fisher998,
I don’t think [not a 100% sure] that you will find them separately in the shops…they come as part of the feathers on a skin…like Al said especially on pheasant…
What I do is just save them when I’m tying using the larger feather…they come off with the larger feathers when you pluck them.
Ducksterman,
I skipped the legs because it’s not clear to me what part of the fly shown is to be interpretted as “legs” vs. the “body” (which is ostrich herl).
The fluffy bits hanging down off the hook shank were baffling me as to whether they were from an aftershaft (being incorrectly called a philoplume) or if they’re really the ostrich herl and multiple true philoplumes were being used (which apparently are nearly devoid of any fluffiness).
Too bad that fly isn’t shown step by step to make it easier to sort this out.
Thwack,
My thoughts too…I’m thinking the ostrich herl isn’t even necessary.
At any rate I like that fly…going to tie some…
I’ll admit I’m a Denny Rickards fan and it looks very much like his Stillwater nymph…could be good with a bead too…
Those after-shaft… or whatever in the heck they’re called… have always intrigued me because they are rather delicate and should impart motion to the right size flies.
It looks like a scud that’s been straightened out and given a tail. (no offense meant to its designer…but that is what it looks to me).