pheasant

[brad432 0]

so. id consider myself an absolute begginer in anything that doesn't have to do with a bass streamer, wooly bugger, foam, or deer hair of some sort. i have a lot to learn. and some of this will probably sound very stupid.

 

1) today as a christmas gift, i received an entire " Ringneck Pheasant skin natural cock" its enormous and when i look at it, i dont know what to look at first theres so many different types of feathers and i know just about nothing about any of the different kinds. i see lots of possiblilties with tying the feathers into various streamers and such, but i have absolutely no idea what an average tyer would use a pheasant for, and also have golden pheasant medium tippets im sure that theres a few great bassing nymph patterns i should learn, and maybe even some trout ones.

 

2) A long time ago, i baught some dubbing, i have tan and black. i never found how to use this correctly, i have dubbing wax and know just about nothing about it, other than its used for hard bodys. if somone has a ddubbing guide online that they know is good, (or i could find one myself, but im sure one of you would be more than happy to give me a better one) or would like to share some basic tips about this, id be very appreciative.

 

3) im confused on why they call it soft hackle. is there another type of hackle? and if so which is which, i have saddle hackle of many colors that i use to wrap wooly buggers and use in deceivers and other streamers.

 

i dont really fish for trout much, id like to make big buggy looking patterns, as thats what the bass like best!

Thanks in advance,

Brad

[NJ All Day 0]

http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sbs&action=display&thread=4046

 

That link should get you going on the dubbing solution, it is a great read.

 

As for the other questions i'm sure others more experienced then I will be around to help.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

as for the pheasant the church window feathers (brown with white center that is scribed with black) work great as claws for crayfish patterns as well as cheeks on some minnow patterns the blueish feathers also work great as a baby bluegill http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=31655&hl=

like this one tied by Ray letumgo Tucker

[CrookedHook 0]

As for all the pheasant feather uses, I am sure it is never ending. However, I will suggest that you visit you tube and review some of the videos which will give you some ideas on how to use pheasant feathers and different types. I would not, however, consider all that you view on there to be "gospel", but I will mention one name that comes to mind that uses many different types of pheasant feathers and that is Davie McPhail. Super guy, clear videos, and very nice flys. I am sure several more members here will agree with the McPhail videos. Good luck and remember: You will never know it all when it comes to tying flys, everyday is a learning adventure. Keep asking questions.

 

Here is a sample of what you will be looking for:

 

Tying a Pheasant tail buzzer by Davie McPhail

[pawleysi 0]

i think pheasants are mostly to make your mind roam. i dont see how one bird could have that many different feather needs but it obviously does. i still plan to try an all feather spoon fly cause the mylar ones stir up the pot in some of these forums. they make good crab parts and they naturally follow the curve of a circle hook. i used to leave mine hanging on the wall over my tie desk just to stare at it.

enjoy. im gonna look for a very good site from a guy who has passed but he had a very nice progression for teaching the different methods and styles.

[perchjerker 0]

The most complete and detailed answers to your questions about pheasant feathers are to be found in the late Jack Gartside's article entiteled "WHAT TO DO WITH A PHEASANT SKIN". You should be able to find it by going to his website, which is still up.

[TitanFlies 0]

They call it soft hackle because, in relation to neck/saddle hackles from a chicken, the barbs are a lot softer and have more web to them. Dubbing is easy to learn how to use it but like most things, it's hard to master. You can find copious amounts of articles on the topic through Google if you just search it. It's worth your time to learn because it can add a lot of character to bass flies and such.

[brad432 0]

thanks everyone, ill take all of your advice into my next thinking, but im still confused as to what feathers soft hackle actually is, would it be a marabou and..? and ill have lots of readingto do about dubbing and what to do with my new pheasant. and Davie Mcflail will definately be something i look at too.

Thanks everyone,

Brad

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

soft hackles are usually from chicken hens, pheasant rump and breast, partridge rump and breast,starlings,grackles,guinnea,and other game birds the hackles are soft and webby allowing the fly to sink unlike dry fly hackle which are stiff and hold the fly up on top of the water

here is a picture of a dry fly hackle and a soft hackle the soft hackle is the one on top the dry is on the bottom

[brad432 0]

soft hackles are usually from chicken hens, pheasant rump and breast, partridge rump and breast,starlings,grackles,guinnea,and other game birds the hackles are soft and webby allowing the fly to sink unlike dry fly hackle which are stiff and hold the fly up on top of the water

here is a picture of a dry fly hackle and a soft hackle the soft hackle is the one on top the dry is on the bottom

 

 

So, this is why when i tye streamers with my dry fly hackle, they stay close to the surface? i have very little soft hackle, but i do have some.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

 

 

 

So, this is why when i tye streamers with my dry fly hackle, they stay close to the surface? i have very little soft hackle, but i do have some.

could be

[TitanFlies 0]

thanks everyone, ill take all of your advice into my next thinking, but im still confused as to what feathers soft hackle actually is, would it be a marabou and..? and ill have lots of readingto do about dubbing and what to do with my new pheasant. and Davie Mcflail will definately be something i look at too.

Thanks everyone,

Brad

No, marabou doesn't qualify as a soft hackle. Even though it is a feather with soft barbs, you wouldn't ordinarily hackle a fly using marabou (exception: Barr's Bouface). Soft hackle usually comes in the form of short, webby, rounded tip feathers. Basically, if the feather isn't from a rooster, then it's a soft hackle. Below are some examples.

 

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/item/NM-790225-0000/73000/Hareline-Guinea-Feathers.html

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/item/NM-790262-0000/73000/Hareline-Hungarian-Partridge-Feathers.html

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/item/NM-790145-0000/73000/Hareline-Mallard-Flank-Feathers.html

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/item/NM-790265-0000/73000/Hareline-Starling-Skin.html

 

Take note of the construction of the feathers in the picture versus the construction of say, a saddle hackle from a rooster.

 

Also, go ahead and use your saddle hackles on your streamers but don't wrap it around the hook shank like you would a dry fly. Instead, you'd want to hackle it like you are tying a Woolly Bugger. (E.g. http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern9438.html )

[perchjerker 0]

TitanFlies is almost correct in his comment about 'soft hackle' being 'basically' from birds other than roosters. The very simple answer is that the 'stiff' hackle feathers come from either the neck area, or the 'rump' (saddle) are of a rooster. All other feathers from a rooster are also 'soft' hackle feathers.

[Bruce Derington 0]

The most complete and detailed answers to your questions about pheasant feathers are to be found in the late Jack Gartside's article entiteled "WHAT TO DO WITH A PHEASANT SKIN". You should be able to find it by going to his website, which is still up.

You are right on with this, Jack was a very inivative tier, he made a career out uses for pheasant feathers, we lost a great fellow tier and is missed

[perchjerker 0]

Bruce:

 

AMEN! And he was quite the personality also. Very entertaining in person. As to his 'inventiveness', I can still see the pictures of him fishing an eastern shore harbor area, very near New York City, complete with the high rise office buildings in the background, and him fishing from an inflated 'swimming pool' giraffe! Or his standing on the seat frame of an aluminum folding lawn chair in the surf along our eastern seaboard. I once asked him how he managed to get up on the thing; his comment was to the effect that it was difficult, and that it was a secret!

 

The story has been told on him that when he was a young man, he was confronted with the decision to either get married and forgo much of his fishing, or stay single and fish all he wanted to. He chose the latter. HOWEVER, he never lost his eye for a pretty gal!