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Rocco

Why is Jungle Cock so hard to get in US?

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Can't they be raised as domesticated birds like all the other commercial cape birds?

 

Is it illegal to try?

 

If they are internationally protected species, how do so many fly tiers in other countries manage to acquire them in the volume and quality they do?

 

Rocco

 

.

 

 

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Inet buys are a crap shoot on such materials.

 

I have not seen them in a shop -- even the better ones -- where they can be assessed for quality for many decades. This suggests to me that suppliers are few and far between and the $1110 price tag on the bred stock bird at softbillsforsale suggest it is a scarcity-driven market.

 

Rocco

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Sorry Rocco I've come across a lot jungle cock for sale at the trade shows. Also ebay does have some responsible sellers. On ebay you have to be an educated consumer.

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They are not endangered in the wild, and they can and are being farm raised. However, I'm told, the farm raised birds don't seem to have the brilliance of color the wild birds have.

 

I think much of the premium price stems from the recent past, when a quality skin was scarce. I saw a bunch of capes at the Intl. Fly Tying Symposium for $55. Given the price of chicken necks, that would almost seem reasonable....

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May be a supply demand issue, many tiers do not use jungle cock, I have seen it at a few local shops but not in great numbers and sometimes pricey. I have always found it at the shows (tying symposium or the fly fishing show). More Canadian shops carry it in the Maritimes, where more salmon flies are tied calling for more demand. I find a lot of lower quality (splits & low color) necks in my travels they are easy to "repair" for fishing flies and can be bought reasonable.

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How many patterns call for it?

How popular are those flies?

I'm sure it relates to demand, the local shop stocks what they can sell locally. I used some JC back in the '70s (very few) on the east coast and haven't since then. I could not see that they would have improved the bass bugs, woolly buggers or soft hackle flies much; so the local guy would have lost money by stocking them for me to buy. By the same token a farmer would have difficulty selling a great many skins so not a lot are produced.

A quick search shows a house in NJ and one in Pa that carry them, if you don't like the ebay thing. I'll bet your local guy can order some in if you are in need. I asked the guy near me once and said it take a week, and named a price; I passed, because it was just curiosity.

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Bears Den has them. Give them a call and talk only to Scott if you can't go there in person.. My wife went there and bought one for my birthday back in April. it's the best present I've gotten in years and besides that I also haven't had cock eyes in years either. I've looked them over several times and usually are decent quality but the best ones I didn't want to pay the cost of. My wife got me a really nice one and she told me that it was not the most expensive but nicer than some that were. It has a few splits in it but not all that much and not in the sizes I use most. And incidentally they are not our on the floor, you have to ask to see them, they keep tehm in a drawer by Scott's work station..

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I purchased a cape on ebay that I was very happy with. I probably over paid for it, but what the heck I will never need another one.

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Not long ago I purchased 2 Jungle Cock Capes for what I thought was a fair price. Those Capes are no where near the quality of the first JC Cape that I purchased years ago for twice the price. That was a behind the counter stash the shop owner had.

I have never seen them displayed in the open like other Capes here in Canada.

The 2 that I purchased look to be from farm raised birds, for the feathers are not as brilliant colours as my 1st Cape, nor are the eyes as perfect.

Still great for flies and feather inlays, for the eyes can be nicely repaired so to speak.

I have one for sale. If interested PM me.

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Demand is low. To few people use it for local retailers to stock it. It should be all over the Internet though.

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I don't know if Sonnerats (grey) junglefowl commonly know as junglecock is still protected but it used to be. If it is still CITES protected, then you need a permit.

 

See this pdf.

 

https://www.fws.gov/lab/idnotes/IDB911.PDF

 

"PROBLEM: Fishing flies with Junglefowl (Gabs sonneratii) feathers imported without CITES permits; unmarked skins of the Grey Junglefowl imported without CITES permits and in violation of the Tariff Classification Act."

 

http://www.flydressersguild.org/Documents/Articles%20-%20Are%20You%20Legal.pdf

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If you want to buy from ebay, check out gizmocpns ebay store. I have been buying from them since the early 1990's...very reputable and excellent prices.

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