wbrule 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 Is there a substitute, synthetic material I can use for wing cases? I don't have ready access to turkey feathers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LuciV 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 For what type of fly do you need? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rockworm 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 There are lots of synthetics used as wingcases: Thin Skin, Bugskin, Scud Back, Raffine, and many more. There are also good natural materials you can use: Raffia, Peacock Herl, Pheasant Tail, Duck Quill and many other feathers. An excellent example is hen neck hackle: a clump tyed in behind the head with the tips pointing back gives a wingcase with lots of movement. Every material has its particular properties and uses. Some are opaque, some translucent. Some are stiff while others are stretchy or limber. A wingcase can also be modified by the addition of epoxy or one of the light-activated resins which emphasizes the hump and strengthens the case. (Almost any material of the desired colour can be placed under the resin.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Al Beatty 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 Hi wbrule, Rockworm gave you excellent suggestions. All are spot on!. Another you might consider (a LaFontaine suggestion) is the whitish, thin closed-cell foam usually packaged around electronic items (computers, key boards, etc.). It is semi stretchy and can be colored with a felt-tip marker then coated with Aqua Flex or Clear Cure Goo. It is especially good to use on emergers because it does have a minimal amount of natural floatation. If you want to reduce the floatation just flatten our the foam sheet with a clothes iron (be careful how hot you make the iron so it doesn't melt the foam to the bottom; that's a real possibility, we know! AND it really messes up a perfectly good iron!). Take care & .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wbrule 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 Thanks for the information. I intend to order some turkey, but in the mean time I will try some of these suggestions. I want to tie some March Brown Nymphs that call for turkey wing case material. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LuciV 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 you can use any feather you like. It's not so important to stay with the basic pattern. You can adapt the materials and colors with the local colors of insects. For example I use a lot CDC feathers or hen feathers to make wing cases because are more soft and easy to work with and will not give you a bulky aspect when you tie small nymphs For example : Hope it helps best, Lucian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 Use a couple of brown biots Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RickZieger 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 You may also want to use flat mylar to make the wingcase. This makes a flashback nymph. Did well on panfish with a hares ear type fly with a purple wingcase. Rick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ihang10 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 Last weekend I ran out of pearl flashabou and I found some silver sparkle nail polish laying around and epoxied over that and it turned out a phenomenal wing case. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaFly 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2014 Raffia was mentioned above, but you can also use the synthetic raffia. Around Christmas time, it's available in red and green, twisted to look like raffia for tying gifts. At big box stores, it also appears often in brown or orange form, to be used for tying things on top of your car. Also I suggest you go to Dronlee's site.... he uses a lot of unusual things like paper medical tape, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldtrout58 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2014 If you can find any audio cassettes or 8 tracks or vhs tapes... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bighornbuster 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2014 I am surprised that no one mentioned krystal flash. Makes a great back on a shrimp pattern as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2014 hair (deer, elk, moose etc) tinsel and all of its equivalents for flashbacks feather fibers (schlappen etc) biots as I mentioned above pheasant tail turkey tail ostrich herl peacock herl be creative. experiment Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tidewaterfly 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2014 Yep, as stated by others there's many materials that can be used for those wings cases. There's a simple generic nymph pattern I like that's tied in a manner similar to a Hare's Ear which is basically rabbit dubbing & marabou. The tail is marabou fibers, the body & thorax is dubbed rabbit. I often rib the body with some thin pearl mylar and the wing case is a clump of marabou tied in before the thorax dubbing & pulled forward over the thorax. Sometimes I'll add a turn of mallard breast or other soft hackle, but often not. It's quite "buggy" looking. I usually tie it in shades of olive & black. I've also used strips of chamois & other leather for wing cases. Like Flytire says, be creative & experiment! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2014 yarns (wool, antron, polyester, zlon etc) chenille condoms balloons latex burlap hemp foam tyvec paper sandwich/zip lock bags duct tape electrostatic bags electronics come in etc etc etc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites