help with quill segment wings

[flygirl08 0]

I've only been tying for about a year now, but I can't figure out quill segment wings. I use The Art of Fly Tying as a quide, and have tried a few other things, but I can't seem to get the wings to stay together. They always seperate into little slivers of feather. I hear the term "marrying feathers" often in the fly-tying world, and I was wondering if this has something to do with it.

Either way, I can't figure out how to keep the feathers together to form wings, either upright or tent-style. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

flygirl08

[flytire 0]

try this

 

http://www.flyfishersrepublic.com/tying/feather-slip-wing/

 

http://www.flyguysoutfitting.com/leadwingcoachman.html

[flygirl08 0]

I looked that link over, and it looks helpful...I'll have to try it tomorrow.

Thanks!

[deeky 0]

Are y ou using single-source wings, or marrying slips from different colors or species of bird into a single wing?

 

If you are marrying two or more separate segments together into a single wing before tying in, make sure you use the same side of the feather from the same side of the bird. Just like velcro, there is something of a male/female difference between pieces, and you have to make them match up.

 

If you are not marrying two different slips, or pieces together in a single wing, then I would be curious to know what type of feather you are using. Some simply aren't as durable as others. For example, mallard and wood duck flank, as well as the irridescent blue mallard quills are very hard to keep together compared to a more standard dyed duck quill or goose shoulder. A little more info on what you are trying to do with what would help.

 

Deeky

 

 

[roycestearns 0]

Here's one thing that will guarantee that your wing slips explode - wrapping back over your first wrap will blow em up.

 

From your first wrap where you set your slips don't ever wrap back past that point while you're building your head or shazamm it will turn it into wet fly on crack.

[Fly Tyer Guy 0]

Go to the Classic and Artistic Salmon section on this forum. They can help you.

[flygirl08 0]

Deeky,

 

I'm not trying to marry two different feathers together, that was just something else I was curious about.

 

I have mostly been using mallard duck quill segments or turkey tail to form upright wings, amost like the wings in your avatar. My wings usually just end up splitting, but as roycestearns mentioned, I could be wrapping back past my first wrap. Maybe mallard quills aren't durable enough...yesterday, I walked around our lake and collected canadian goose feathers that I figured, since they're free, would be good to practice with, but since you said certain feathers aren't as durable as others, I"m starting to wonder if practicing with them would only frustrate me more...

 

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone.

[Hot Tuna 0]

As far as tent style wings go, a good example is some recent tying I did for our "Alder" hatch on the Housatonic. The alder is actually the zebra caddis and has a nicely mottled brown and black wing. Take a well marked turkey tail feather and spray it with some artists fixative. Let it dry. Now once it's done you can go in with your dubbing needle and separate the size slip you need for your tent style wing. Tie the tent wing in from the softer part of the feather(the part not attached to the quill). You can then cut the rear part of the wing on a 45 degree angle to complete your tent caddis style wing. Now for the best part....once you catch your first fish, the fibers are going to get shredded anyway and the fish don't mind at all!

Hot Tuna

[deeky 0]

Goose feathers should be good to practice with. They are relatively tough. Make sure you have left and right feathers. I'm not sure how to describe it without pictures, but do a quick search on the internet and you should find plenty of info. Also, be careful putting them in with your other materials. Materials from the wild can carry critters that can do a lot of damage to your good materials.

[Robert_S 0]

There will be an article in the new Hatches magazine, tying upright quill wings, should help you out. I think I know what your problem is and its shown in the article.

[ratfacedmcdougal 0]

Wings, and most other feather fibers are made basically like a zipper with interlocking teeth, they can be pulled apart and stroked back together because of this. The term "marrying" a wing is when you take a few fibers from different types of wings and stroke them together to form a single wing like the colors in the mute swan, flourican, and speckled bustard in a Jock Scott for instance.

In the case of duck or goose quills, hold the feather up at eye leve to the light with the lighter or inner side toward you. Look closely where the feather joins the stem. Notice a line on the first 1/4 to 1/2 inch after the feather joins the stem? It's harder and shinier than the rest of the feather. It also does not join or marry together. When tying down on the hook make sure your thread goes past this line and bites down into the softer and married part of the feather, if not the feather will split.

Also, do a "loose loop" first, to do this, as you hold the feather quills between your fingers then take a loose turn of thread around the hook and feathers with your bobbin and bring is straight down making sure the thread is right between your fingers. You do not tighten the thread until the loop has been formed, the thread between your fingers and a complete loop has been formed before pulling straight down. You can then take a couple more turns one IN FRONT OF THE OTHER... not behind each other to snug it all tight. Also,at the same time your pulling your first loop tight increase the pressure betweent the fingers holding the feather sections both downward and together toward each other to lock everything in place.

A final note, the wider the feather the harder it is to set the quill section, even if it may be too small for the fly practice first using narrow sections no more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch until you get the hang of it.

[flygirl08 0]

Thanks, you guys.

 

I actually sat down yesterday and practiced, and I managed to tie a decent pair of goose quill wings. Apparently, I learned something from you guys.

 

I keep the geese feathers in a zip-loc bag. Hopefully that's protecting my other materials enough.

 

I haven't subscribed to Hatches yet. It's on my to-do list. So far, I only subscribe to Fly Tyer. I like it, but I wish it came out more than 4 times a year. :|

[flygirl08 0]

Thanks, you guys.

 

I actually sat down yesterday and practiced, and I managed to tie a decent pair of goose quill wings. Apparently, I learned something from you guys.

 

I keep the geese feathers in a zip-loc bag. Hopefully that's protecting my other materials enough.

 

I haven't subscribed to Hatches yet. It's on my to-do list. So far, I only subscribe to Fly Tyer. I like it, but I wish it came out more than 4 times a year. :|

[Fly Tyer Guy 0]

Try pinching (Very tightly) the quil sections when you are tying them in, This helps alot.