Jay Blue

jay blue

hook - wet fly style
thread - white under floss; black head
tail - blue hackle fibers
ribbing - flat silver tinsel
body - blue floss or uni-stretch
throat - blue hackle fibers
wing - eurasian jay

Is the wing a single feather or a pair?

Thanks,
Ed

the wing is a pair

I’ve been collecting Blue Jay feathers in my yard for a couple of year. Now have something to try. I don’t like the shape of the wing, but give me an idea. Thanks

John, using American Jay feathers is illegal. I’m not arguing the ethics of using shed feathers but you should know the risk of being caught with them.

Understand, but thanks. I have yet to tie or fish with these feathers, but enjoy collecting them since they would otherwise waste away on the ground. Any fly I might tie with them will not be seen by others.

from the ground

not much use

none of these in sight

Very Cool!! That’s my point. Don’t think I will be a jail bird.

exactly

while fly tyers should respect and follow the rules regarding migratory birds and their parts, picking up a discarded feather from a bird fight under the feeder in the yard, an innocent walk in the woods or the dead bird your cat left you as a surprise on your front porch should hardly be a crime.

we pick up road kill for godsake!

:smiley:

Well we have about 20 of them in our yard in northern Michigan at any one time and they like to spar with one another. Naturally, there will be a few feather shed now and then. I have never fooled with the road kill, but picking up feathers is rather benign. Love what you did with that photo Norman!!

Norm

The jay feather you posted is used as hackle in some classic Atlantic salmon flies. You need to soak the feather and then split the quill to separate the nicely barred leading edge of the feather. That can then be used as palmered hackle. You can replace it with some guinea hen dyed blue, it’s alot easier to work with.

Regards,

Alberto

alberto

yup. those stems on the eurasian jay i used are definately rock hard