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Fly Tying
maddog48

Where can I find a GOOD source ..

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Everything I have for mallard seems to be twisted and won't lay flat. :wallbash: Any input on good feathers?

 

 

Mike

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Thats one problem I have as well Mike. I usually just wash the flank feathers to get them wet and then press them between a heavy book overnight while they dry and that seems to help quite a bit for the ones I use on my cougars.

 

Steve

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Use two feathers, as suggested in Kelly's video here, if you cant find those prime feathers.

 

 

Soak the feather a in hot/warm water bath then lay it flat on a sheet of glass curved side down. Adding warm water on the glass so the feather "swims" in it. The feather can be manipulated with a bodkin to the shape you want. I use an old syringe my dentist gave me to add water to the glass. The hot/warm water will create a memory in the feather, for a while anyway. Just about any feather can be done like this and is great when you want to tie feathers back to back that are not a perfect match.

 

Once the feather is the way you want it, tilt the glass to let the water run off. Can use a tissue or syringe to soak up some of the water. The pressure of the syringe will cause the feather to move, so a paper towel or tissue is best. Even a straw will work by trapping off one end. Once the water is gone, the feather will stick to the glass, somewhat and the glass can be propped up at an angle to let the rest of the water run off. It doesn't take long for the feather to dry and be ready for use.

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Try different tie in points on the feather. Closer to the butt tend to work best because it is softer. By taking a pair of tweezers and squeezing a feather in different spots along the stem you can see how it reacts at different point.

Joe Fox

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