Wings

[Chetty82]

I googled wings for fly tying and couldnt seem to find the information I needed. Either that or I was to naive to find it.

 

[tomgamber]

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part15.php

http://www.theanglersnet.com/Fly-Tying-Videos/archives.asp?section=6

 

[osprey]

I'm surprised no one mentioned natural barred wood duck flank featheres, the dyed mallard works but ..............get to know someone who hunts woodies and the expense is not an issue , upright , divided wood duck wings are one of the most beautiful things in fly tying , and chetty , don't stop asking questions , most of us love answering them GOOD FISHING

 

[tomgamber]

osprey wrote:
I'm surprised no one mentioned natural barred wood duck flank featheres, the dyed mallard works but ...

..but...I have an abundance of the dyed mallard. Wood duck was a lot easier to come by in Idaho. But here, mallard is the way to go.

 

[RLeeP]

I never found any dyed mallard I ever thought was worth a hoot.

But I still have pile of wood duck from a Bro-in-Law who hunted ducks up until a few years ago.
But I can't hardly remember the last time I used duck flank to make a wing. Might have been a Henryville when I was fishing them 20 years ago. Or something called an Atherton #5 that I used to like long ago.


Nymph tails are another story though. I use a lot of woodie flnak for tails. But the stull I really like (and I'm starting to run short on now) was given to me by a guy who used to work for me many years ago when I had a conventional career. It was hooded merganser. IMO, it beats wood duck 5 ways to breakfast.

http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showthread.php?p=238564

 

[tomgamber]

Henryville is a completely different technique though. Those use the whole flat wing. For wings I roll them, then split them.

 

[RLeeP]

I agree, Tom. I was just musing about the last time I used duck flank for a wing on anything. Out here, at least in SW Wisc and NE Iowa, there's just about zip call for flies like that. It's all olives, sulfurs, then more olives, 4,309 kinds of caddis and then some more olives. I think I saw a light cahill in 2003 and maybe a stonefly last year. But I might have imagined both...

 

[tomgamber]

we have cahills, march browns, hendricksons, gordons...I've even used yellowish dyed mallard flank for drakes.

 

[Chetty82]

OK but I am still left retarded here. I am confused. I know what the hackle and all that are but is the 2 little wings on dry fly they are off a tip of something but not sure what. Looked all over and the ifo I am provided with is not really telling me alot. Like I said I must be pretty stupid cause I am still very new to the fly-tying world. Ok I watched a video on tying the wings on but what I am confused is that some of the flies I have purchased look like the wing tip comes to a point is that just by coincidence or the way it was tied or the material used?

 

[tomgamber]

Hackle tips are just that..the tips of the hackle you use to make a bugger or dry fly. You tie in at the butt for dries and at the tip for buggers but clip the tips off first and match them up and use them for wings. Like for an Adams....

http://www.theanglersnet.com/Fly-Tying-Videos/play_video.asp?section=6&VID=133

 

[Van_Cleaver]

I sort of scanned this thread, but there are any good number of books on fly tying. Yes it is old school, but they are usually broken down into sections which cover the basic techniques and materials. I learned most of what I know from books and trial and error. My point being, you can often find specific advice for your interest, or problems, without being overwhelmed. "The Fly Tying Bible, Production Fly Tying, and The Orvis Fly Pattern Index", are a few good ones IMO. I own several more, as well. Good luck. Oh, back to the topic, I just made a couple brook trout flies using foam for the wing. (Royal Coachman) You shape some packing foam with a scissors, tie it in place, and carefully split it with the scissors. Testing to follow.

 

[MKern]

Van,

Be careful using packing foam, it causes the leader to twist horribly. Trust me -- bad past experiences at dark.

 

[Bruno]

I like to tie them like this ....

 

[jayL]

Bruno,

How do they work for something like... say, a large spinner? I've got some tinkering to do tonight.

 

[tomgamber]

use a little Softex on them and you can lay them flat like for stonefly wings as well.

 

[ErnieBall]

let us know how that works jay , that seems very interesting