Jungle Cock Capes

[Mlandry 0]

I am looking at some JC Capes on Ebay, just wondering how the classification system works. I am considering purchasing this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jungle-cock-rooster-cape-grade-AA-fly-tying-trout-salmon-/322465948226?hash=item4b1477e242:g:toIAAOSwuLZY2m3X

[shoebop 0]

You must be hard core man. $140 for what looks to me like a small cape? Too rich for my blood. I knew they were expensive but that's crazy.

 

Just an idea for your consideration...Because of the expense of JC, I would have a hard time buying it online because you can't touch and inspect the cape personally. Many here at FTF will not even buy a cape of any hackle without being able to personally inspect them, a bit extreme for most of us who don't live near a fly shop.

Proceed with caution would be my advice.

[SilverCreek 0]

Capes are graded by color, consistent nail shape, and lack of split nails. Here is a prime cape. Compare it to the Ebay Cape. It is from http://bransfordgame.com/jungle-cock-capes/

£75.00 is US $97.00 http://www.x-rates.com/calculator/?from=GBP&to=USD&amount=75

Maybe they will ship to the USA.

 

 

Grading capes:

 

http://globalflyfisher.com/tie-better/jungle-cock-repair

 

[Dave G. 0]

FWIW, Bears Den last I knew had a prime cape, beautiful too, for $100. I have no idea if they still have it, they also had one with a few splits for $65. They don't put them out so you have to ask.

[fishingbobnelson 0]

I have bought a couple of capes from Lathkill in England: http://www.lathkill.com/shop/index.php?categoryID=732&show_all=yes

They guarantee satisfaction or refund including postage. They give you a description and a photo of each cape and a price in British Pounds. Currently the rate of exchange is

£ 1.00 = $1.28

The availability of quality varies, but the prices are great.

[Mlandry 0]

All good suggestions Gents, thanks.

 

Mike

[cphubert 0]

$140 is very high for a non prime cape. SilverCreek is right about grading. I grade by my use presentation or fishing, my first concern is color then prime nail size / count. I'll buy reasonable splits for fishing flies, they glue well with clear RTV or flex cement. Best buys are at shows or dealers with larger inventory. Bears Den in Northeast, I usually buy in Canada contact Bryant Freeman Eskape Anglers Riverview, NB or W.W. Doak in Doaktown, NB. I would be shocked if none of your local dealers had a cape or two. These capes have always been pricey even when Herters carried them, and I have never cared for any of the plastic substitutes. The only substitute I have ever found that I liked was the Edson Cheek a brass "nail" usually tied short but I have not seen them for sale for years and probably can find less expensive jungle cock.

[rstaight 0]

My wife bought a JC cape off of Ebay some years back for me for Christmas. Think she said she paid $70 for it. She also made a comment about how expensive it was for a bunch of damn bird feathers. I then "enlightened" her.

 

Was it a prime cape? No, but it had plenty of useable nails. The only splits that needed repaired were for the larger nails. The smaller ones, which seem to get used are fine.

 

When buying capes off of Ebay is pretty much like anything else. Check for negative feedback. If a seller has to much of it don't buy. If it gets to out of hand Ebay will put a stop to it.

 

When looking at a cape on Ebay and I see predominantly positive feedback I don't have much of a problem.

[JSzymczyk 0]

The only substitute I have ever found that I liked was the Edson Cheek a brass "nail" usually tied short but I have not seen them for sale for years and probably can find less expensive jungle cock.

Contact Mike Vendon (MVendon) on here. A few years ago he hooked me up with a lifetime supply for a very reasonable price. Maybe he still has some to offer.

 

I never viewed the brass Edson-style cheeks as a Jungle Cock substitute.

[SILKHDH 0]

My two cent......That AA cape looks to have a lot of splits to be a AA. The cape SIlvercreek posted looks closer to a AA then the first picture. I'd pass on that one for that price.

[flytire 0]

From the internet

 

The cheeks (or eyes, as they're

often referred to) were most likely an innovation borne of Bill's background as a lure and jig specialist at Edwards & Walker. Purportedly, Bill either lived in close proximity to, or had a friend who was involved in a stamping/machining business. It is believed the cheeks themselves were thin gold stampings or 'findings' - scrap pieces left from the manufacture of clock faces and backs (perhaps keyholes for winding?).

Bill described the evolution and growing popularity of the cheeks in one of his fly catalogs - "At first, my customers were slow to accept this gold reflector cheek, thus I made it optional. Each year, more orders came in for gold reflectors on their flies; last season over 85 percent of the orders specified gold reflector cheeks. From now on Edson-made streamer flies will have gold reflector cheeks as standard. These gold reflector cheeks are made of gold-filled stock; they will retain their brightness indefinitely and are tied in at the head of the fly same as jungle cock.

 

They will not split or catch on the leader." These reflector cheeks were believed to enhance Edson's patterns in two ways. Firstly, to better attract fish by the addition of flash and secondly, by giving the streamer some added weight, thus enabling it to swim deeper. The thought may be that the motivation for the cheeks was to replace costly jungle cock cheeks that are a common element of many traditional streamer flies. However, one need only to look at Edson's Kennebago Special to possibly argue against this, as the pattern uses both jungle cock and gold reflector cheeks. Whatever the main reason for his using them, no one can deny the effectiveness of Bill's patterns tied with or without the cheeks.

[cphubert 0]

Thanks flytire good information, I've tried small spinner blades, teardrop craft punches and other things to replicate them. Gold filled stock might make jungle cock a bargain.

[Mlandry 0]

Well I ended up getting this one instead.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jungle-Cock-cape-A-AA-grade-fly-tying-feathers-/112379623999?hash=item1a2a58fa3f:g:l~0AAOSwRUhY-qmd

[pacres 0]

Well I ended up getting this one instead.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jungle-Cock-cape-A-AA-grade-fly-tying-feathers-/112379623999?hash=item1a2a58fa3f:g:l~0AAOSwRUhY-qmd

 

That's a nice one, better quality than the first IMO. I've bought items from that seller before as well and he has always been good. Lots of good quality materials and hooks.

[Mlandry 0]

That's good to know, I feel like I overpaid for it but what the heck, I will never run short of Jungle cock nails.

 

Mike