Questioni: Do quill-bodied flies (the quills) change color when wet? Do they get darker?
Mine never seemed to,But I give em a thin coat of flexament…
I don’t think so… i have never checked, mabie it depends on the thread that you use…
I don’t believe so either. I soak mine in a glass of water before tying them in and I don’t think they get any darker in there. I also give them a coat of head cement after the fly is finished. It makes them waxier looking and I think it makes the darker stripe on the quill stand out more, not to mention a little tougher.
Joe
In addition to providing a slender, segmented body, I believe their ability to retain their true color when wet was/is a big reason for their popularity. Even so, there are many tyers that are cautious about not using light quills over a base of dark thread.