Make Your Own Imitation Jungle Cock Eyes

[letumgo 0]

Here is an article I wrote up this morning about "How to turn a Partridge Feather into a Jungle Cock Eye". Hope you find this useful.

Making_Your_Own_Imitation_Jungle_Cock_Eyes.pdf

[billy 0]

Looks wonderful - think I will give it a try.... thanks for the tips!

[letumgo 0]

Thanks for the feedback, billy and welcome to the site. I'm glad this will be of use to you.

 

Oh, I just remembered one additional tidbit of information that I should have included in the article. The price of paints I used were only 49 cents for each 2 oz. bottle at A.C. Moore's craft shop. So these are pretty cheap to make.

[Guest]

Pretty cool bud!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hopper John 0]

Thanks for the information. Pretty cool!!!

[FlaFly 0]

I've got lots of different tips from all of you. I'll have to mull them over and decide which to try first. Thanx to all.

[FlaFly 0]

By coincidence, I had started a thread on the fly tying section, asking if anyone knew how to make my own "fake" JF eyes. The "real fake" ones sold online are printed on plastic. Lots of responses were trying to convince me to buy the real things, instead of answering my question. This looks like a good possibility, although I don't have a partridge and am similarly disinclined to buy a whole saddle or neck or whatever... might as well buy the JF eyes.

I do have lots of random saddles and I wouldn't know a partridge from a chicken, so I'm wondering whether it's so important to have partridge... couldn't I find similar feathers on some of my other nondescript saddles and necks?

Another question: have you actually tried this? Would it be helpful to apply Sally or some other finish to the eyes after painting them? Seems like they'd be sturdier.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

FlaFly, maybe you could use hen hackle, or webby rooster hackle, just expirament!

[FlaFly 0]

I'll give it a shot. Won't get to it for a while... we're still doing the holidays. Lots of musician friends from all over the country down here and we spend all our time either jamming, or eating en masse. Doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. I have about 30 saddles/necks in various colors, etc., and feel like I should use them, so I will try some out using this technique posted above.

The streamers I'm playing with are on size 6 long shank hooks, so I'm going to have to make them small. Fortunately I already have lots of acrylic paint in various colors. All I need now is the time.

[SilverCreek 0]

Guinea Fowl.

 

http://wcflies.com/blog/2009/02/jungle-cock/

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=sob3_H_mgx4C&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=guinea+fowl+jungle+cock&source=bl&ots=ZBNBqE0NYB&sig=CeIAu6F27GxMZrrRUEluzPamEqQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF4bKf36LLAhWFMyYKHTEsCNkQ6AEILzAD#v=onepage&q=guinea%20fowl%20jungle%20cock&f=false

[skeet3t 0]

Interesting thread but I haven't had the need to use them. I just tie about 5 or 6 basic flies for east TN and the Smokies.

[FlaFly 0]

I wonder how many members are like me... I do tie a few things that I actually fish with, but I have collected over a hundred SBSs of flies that I want to try tying "some day" with no plan to actually use them. As a result, I don't want to buy large quantities of materials that I may only use once or twice.

I perceive that there are some members who tie large numbers of the same, or essentially the same type of fly.

[mikechell 0]

Long lasting topic here ... started in 2007 and still going today !!!

 

To answer your question, Flafly, I get the impression MOST of the people active on this site tie more flies than they'll ever use. However, I think most of them DO buy material that they only use once in a while. That's where the whole joke about not saving money tying your own flies comes from.

 

I am not a fly tier who fishes once in a while. I am a fly angler who ties flies to fish with. The only "display flies" I have are first ties. If the fly catches fish, then I do a little SBS for myself and use that first tie for fishing. If they don't catch fish, then they might sit around for a little time, but usually go in the trash or get recycled.

[FlaFly 0]

Ah yes, but then tell me: if you plan to tie one or a few of a particular fly, planning to fish with them, and to tie them "properly" calls for a specific kind of material that is either expensive, or only available in quantities (or both), do you go ahead and buy the stuff, or do you try to find or make some substitute material (bear in mind this thread was about whether to buy a whole cape of JC, or to make a substitute)?

 

Also I'm aware that you are in my mind somewhat atypical as a tyer, or at least as one who posts his creations. There are hundreds of active members who have never posted a pic of one of their ties.

[Poopdeck 0]

Well I have never posted a picture of my flies for one reason. I don't sweat the details. I tie with what I have on hand, I don't hoard or buy material just because a pattern calls for it. I simply make do with what I have. I have just a little concern about the details that others do. I do not overly concern myself with hackle sizes, tail lengths, perfectly tapered bodies, this hook, that hook or strict adherence to pattern recipes. I believe, barring those who tie realistic flies, the flies we tie bare only the slightest resemblance at best to the real thing so why sweat the details. Fish, including trout, don't care and they are given way to much credit in the intelligence department. I use to catch trout on a hook with yarn on it as a ten year old. This taught me a lot that I carried throughout my life. Ignorance truly is bliss. Nowadays it seems kids are taught they cant catch trout unless they blow all their allowance on every color power bait or eye popping holographic lures and flies.

 

I love looking at beautifully tied flies and admire the guys that create amazing looking flies. For me, I just want to catch fish without making a production out of it or spending a fortune to do it. I have never tied with jungle cock and never will. I do know that imitation jungle cock or no jungle cock will work just as effectively as real jungle cock but there is nothing that will look better then the real thing.