What can I tie using them? I have 2 large cans full of them ( minus the tails…thats what the hunters want to display) and dont have the foggiest what to tie with them. I mostyl fish dry flies…
soft hackles, march brown spinners and duns, hopper wings (like flat over the body).
Anything you can think of. I had a fly all ready for ya, but then I read the “minus the tails”…
The Breadcrust. A great caddis emerger.
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=86
My bad. MINUS TAILS!
Hi Sully,
Like DG, I had a fly immediately in mind and then read “minus the tails.” The breadcrust is a good fly, but is tied from the tail feathers. That is the fly I first had in mind, and would guess it is also what DG was also thinking of.
That said, I have also used them for soft hackles, and for legs, etc. on nymphs. The problem with them for drys is that they are not stiff, but are soft and webby, thus ideal for soft hackles and nymphs, but virtually unsuitable for drys.
A problem with some of the feathers is a rather large stem, except close to the tip. This can be overcome and has been discussed in the past, but getting in to that could hijack the thread. I have personally not used grouse feathers for hopper wings or for caddis wings, but have used similar feahters, and the suggestion above is a good one. Such feathers can be treated with fleximent and used for such.
Regards,
Gandolf
OK fellas… I can tie up some soft hackles with them. I dont want to just toss them.
Grouse hunters here want the tails for display…so the rest “goes to waste”. I will need hoppers too…so there’s another use of them.
Thanks
Sully,
Ruffed grouse, also know as “Partidge”. Just a thought
Mike 
Here are some things I did with them.
[link]http://www.myfishingpictures.com/showphoto.php/photo/2613/size/big/cat//ppuser/1233[/link]
[link]http://www.myfishingpictures.com/showphoto.php/photo/2612[/link]
hope that gives you some inspiration.
These are some patterns I made with the ruffed grouse.
Hope they give you some inspiration.
did that work?
I did these with ruffed grouse-sorry, but some use the tail.
Hope they give you some inspiration.
I use the body feathers for fins on muddler minnows.
They make great sides (cheeks) on streamers.
I use them for wings on scotch tape caddis, lots of good soft hackle there.
Just on a side note though grouse and partridge are two different critters.
Steve
I will add to the chorus…soft hackles! And they are great for nymph legs as well.
Test for pictures this time.
test one two three
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=2612&size=1
once more
=having trouble posting the picture
Use them for legs on nymphs.
John
Try a Tabou Caddis Emerger if you have philoplumes.
You beat me to it Mike. If I remember correctly, isn’t it that East coasters call Grouse Partridge, but west coasters distinguish the difference between Hungarian Partridge and Ruffled Grouse. One of the differences for Fly Tyers is that Grouse tend to more brown and Hun are gray. At least from what I’ve seen.
I’d hang on to them Sully, any pattern that calls for partridge, grouse can most likely be substituted if the color difference isn’t that important.