2 questions...

[ryguyfi]

first...Was at Gander Mountain the other day and saw some quills... Never used quills for the bodies on my flies. Anyone use them, and what are the pros and cons compared to dubbing.



Second... Not to long ago, I was helping the wife in the kitchen and was using crisco to either grease a pan, or in a recipe... can't remember (fly fishing on the brain). But when I went to wash it off of my hands it was a bear to wash off... conclusion... maybe I will keep some of this and rub it on my dry flies after tying them. I know people use fly floatant when completing flies, but mine never works for very long, might go home and do a comparison of 2 flies and see which one stays floating longer. I might do that tonight. Anyone have any comments, or predictions as to which one will float in a cup of water longer?

 

[David]

The quill bodies form a nice, thin, segmented body shape (a lot of times, dubbed bodies become thicker than the naturals). The quills are much more delicate than the dubbng though, so they rarely last me more than a handful of fish. If you tie them, put a coat of cement on the quill body to help it's durability.

Let me know how the crisco test works out... If you go camping, don't leave those flies outside for 'coon food though!

 

[GreenWeenie]

Quills make good bodies. I forget without the quill in front of me but if you tie it down say face side down and wrap you get a nice segmented look with a bit of fuzz (like gills) sticking out between the segments and tying it back side down makes a smoother ribbed look body.

The only drawback with quills is it takes a fine touch when winding so you don’t break them by pulling too hard or by scrapping them against the hook point. Also, you generally need to coat them with head cement, as one or two fish can shred an untreated body.

As for the Crisco, go for it. The only thing I was ever told about using fly floatant stuff was you want the fly to absorb the liquid so the fly repels water. I don’t know if Crisco will be absorbed or simply add weight to the fly and make it sink.

I generally use Gink floatant on all my dries and I also use Loon Mt. Desiccant. If I catch a fish I wash the fly under water to remove the fish slim, put it in the Loon Mt. dessicant, shake for 10-15 seconds and then re-apply the Gink. If the fly gets water logged I also use the Loon Mt. stuff.

Let us know how the Crisco experment works. Actually, if it works really well, don't tell anyone. Buy a gallon bottle of Crisco for $5 and repackage it into 1/2 ounce bottles and sell it to us stupid fly fisherman for $8 a bottle.

Trust me, we'll buy it!!!

 

[MKern]

The downside I see about quills is that they need to be soaked over night before use. Otherwise they are too brittle and break.
I like the way they look, but aren't very durable while fishing, especially the older they get.

 

[reds]

I let mine soak for a while, but never overnight and I rarely have them break anymore. When I first started tying with them that was problem, but I have learned to be a little more delicate. Usually, I let them soak for an hour or so while I am tying some nymphs, I like to start ez, and the switch to quills. Personally, I really like the look of them and seem to do better during certain hatches with them.
As for floatant i use the stuff Sandfly sells and like it a lot. The cap could be a little more durable, my first one broke and all of the floatant spilled in the hot car on the ride home. I can see greasy hands from crisco being a problem for me, I usually have fried chicken stains on my clothes anyhow after a weekend camping trip and that is bad enough.

 

[Crotalus]

I would be concerned using Crisco on dry flies in an artificial lure only area - i think there is a provsion about not using food scents or something like that on flies. might want to check the reg book.


I like quills and biots both for dry flies, i think i prefer biots as they are easier to work with and in my opinion form a nicer body.

 

[ryguyfi]

Crotalus wrote:
I would be concerned using Crisco on dry flies in an artificial lure only area - i think there is a provsion about not using food scents or something like that on flies. might want to check the reg book.


I like quills and biots both for dry flies, i think i prefer biots as they are easier to work with and in my opinion form a nicer body.

Below is the restrictions for DHALO. You bring up a good point, and I don't see anything below that would say that you are not allowed. Not to fight for the sake of fighting, but I bet if you look at the ingredients in our floatants, line greases, etc, they'll all have something that is extracted from an animal... and I don't think crisco has a scent.


We'll see how it works before making a big deal about it



• Open to fishing year-round (no closed
season).
• Fishing hours – One hour before sunrise
to one hour after sunset.
• Minimum size – 9 inches, caught on, or in
possession on, the waters under these regulations
from one hour before sunrise on June 15
to one hour after sunset on Labor Day.
• The daily creel limit is three combined species
from one hour before sunrise on June 15
to one hour after sunset on Labor Day, caught
on or in possession on the waters under these
regulations. From the day after Labor Day until
one hour before sunrise on June 15, the daily
creel limit is zero.
• Fishing may be done with artifi cial lures only
constructed of metal, plastic, rubber, or wood, or
with fl ies and streamers constructed of natural or
synthetic materials. All such lures may be used
with spinning or fl y fi shing gear.
• The use or possession of any natural bait,
baitfi sh, fi shbait, bait paste and similar substances,
fi sh eggs (natural or molded) or any other edible,
substance is prohibited.
• Taking baitfi sh or fi shbait is prohibited.
• A current trout/salmon permit is required

 

[trowpa]

hmmm I see "or any other edible,
substance is prohibited."

I think crisco is edible isn't it? even a little?

 

[sapper6]

I hope that crisco idea works out. Then can just use a little of my floatant to fry up a trout on those back country fishing/hiking/camping trips!

 

[dryflyguy]

I gave up using quills for bodies years ago.
They're just too fragile, and usually becom frayed after catching a few fish. Dubbing bodies work just as well, float better, and are much more durable IMO.

I don't know about crisco for floatant. I use mucillin paste dissolved in lighter fluid. Just dunk the fly after tying it on, and away you go

 

[bigjohn58]

Yup...I no longer tie any quill bodies. They are just too fragile and after one or two fish they are in pieces even when coated with glue. Better off just using dubbing in my opinion and adding a thread wap if you want a segimented look.

 

[flyfishermanj]

Question 1:

Agree with the last two posts, they do make nice looking flies, but don't last long. A good friend of mine ties them and we do catch fish on them though.

Question 2:

Go for it! I'll predict the the crisco flie won't stick to the side of the glass and if it has a diaper rash, it won't in the morning! :-D

JH

PS.. I'm not joking about the diaper rash cure either! A little while back my daughter had a wicked diaper rash after having a cold, my sister-in-law told my wife about crisco. The next day the rash was pretty much gone! Now I smile/laugh everytime I hear/read the word crisco!!

 

[afishinado]

I use quill bodies on some emerger and spinner patterns. The quills give a great segmented appearance and it helps the fly to sit butt down just below the surface. A dubbed body has a tendency to float the fly, good for a dry, but bad when you want the fly to ride butt down. I tie the emergers Klinkhamer style with a poly wing or a short foam post. I also tie a quill body for some spinner patterns that I reserve for tough fish.

To tie them and make them durable, I soak the quills in water, 20 minutes works well, and wrap the quill to form the abdomen. I then coat it with Sally Hansen's HAN. I take the fly out of the vise and put it aside to dry. I tie a bunch of quill bodies at once. When all the abdomens are tied, the first flies I worked on are dry and ready to complete. Quill body flies are really no harder to tie than dubbed bodied flies and they are pretty durable when coated.

The trout seem to like the realistic segmentation, a more realistic thin abdomen, along with those little butts hanging just under the surface. When the fish are real fussy, like on the Big "D", the quill body emerger and spinners are my go-to flies. Like many fly patterns, showing the fish something different from what everyone else uses, and something that looks more realistic, at least to my eye, may help you catch the rising fish that ignore most patterns and drive you crazy. Good luck.

 

[beadhead2]

Try shampoo hair conditioner on the quills ,softens them right up !

 

[tomgamber]

beadhead2 wrote:
Try shampoo hair conditioner on the quills ,softens them right up !

Your wife's hand lotion works better and isn't as sticky.

I just let my quills soak in water while I set every thing up and tie a few of something else..by then they're ready to go.

 

[jrcll]

i don`t use the traditional quill, i use the one`s called.... Mclean`s quill body....they are the guard hairs from a porcupine and they don`t need to be presoaked, large and small sizes and in about a dozen colors

 

[littlelehigh]

This topic tempted me to try to tie quil bodies over this past weekend. I started by googling how to strip a quill and this is how I did it. One quarter bleach three quarter water in a small bucket, I soaked the quills about 4 mins all ot the fibers disolved. Then rinse under the tap and soak for a few minutes in warm water and baking soda. Let dry on a paper towel preferably over nite. Tie in and wrap. So far so good I did about 10 flies and this actually stiffens them up nicely but not too much. Give it a try.
I also wanted to try some plain ole' silicon spray on my dries but haven't taken the time to experiment with this yet. Any one ever try this or know of any down falls to it?

 

[ryguyfi]

well I don't have the pictures (they will follow) but operation Crisco was a complete FAILURE!!! I tied up 2 size 16 BWO's... 2 different shades of thread to tell the difference. I got a bowl of water and away they went... the crisco one sunk up to the hackle almost immediately, while the basic dry fly floatant floated hi and dry. I did not let the crisco stay on the fly for very long, but it did make the hackle stick together a little bit. I may do a few more experiments, but it might be possible that it does the complete opposite... sinks the fly quicker. I would have no clue why it would do this, but I might tie some unweighted nymphs and try it on them next. After all of this I have one conclusion... I need to get out and fish!!! If it wasn't for some training I had to go to for work today, I probably would have skipped out and hit a stream. Seemed like pretty good conditions. Well, to the tying bench once again... Friday's 8 degree forcast doesn't look good for any fishing, so I'll have to wait for my first non Erie winter fishing experience.

 

[vern]

About 30 years ago, a friend turned me on to using Albolene cream as an inexpensive floatant - I think Geo. Harvey turned him on to it. It works well, but will matt hackles and can discolor dubbed hair bodies, if applied too heavily, and I used it mostly for spun deer hair applications.
Gink is my choice as well. Love it.
Crisco - hydrogenated vegetable fat substitute for lard - makes a good pie.

 

[Rkey530]

The thing that i see in the regs that are typed above that might give you some trouble in the crisco dept. is that bait paste and similar substances are prohobited. Now I don't know exactly what is considered bait paste, though it seems to me that if fish are attracted to eating it and its a paste you could make the argument that it counts as bait paste. So maybee crisco qualifies and maybee it doesn't. All I know for sure is that i wouldn't want to be explaining it to any sworn officer types with fines and revocations of licence on the line.