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strutnstuff

Substitute for jungle cock eyes

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Do to the cost I am looking for substitute jungle cock eyes. I thought I could use ringneck feathers or possibly imitation jungle cock eyes. Imitation looks good but not sure what they are made of or how they will hold up

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Honestly there is no substitute. I wouldn't spend the money either , for years trying this and that and the fakes too. Never satisfied I tied my flies without cock eyes. Then for my birthday my wife drove up to Bears Den and bought me a cape. The less expensive one she bought she said looked better than some of the more costly ones there. But now my Gray Ghosts and Green Ghosts have eyes LOL ! And if I lose this cape or use it up or it gets ruined somehow I will just go buy another one, period.

 

I will say this: if you go with the fakes then put a drop of ca glue on it before you tie it in.

 

And by the way, the fish don't care they say but I caught the nicest salmon I've caught in a long time on a tube fly gray ghost tied with the cock eyes on it from the cape my wife bought me. It's just part of the pattern that works, has the right coloring and texture. Receiving that cape for my birthday last year was one of the most thrilling presents I can ever remember getting. It was at that moment upon receiving the cape I realized how silly it was of me to not have bought one long ago but also how thoughtful my wife can be, that's a 40 mile drive each way to go pick out a cape (yes she knows what to look for though too, she did well, just a few splits in the mix that a little varnish on the back side fixes right up.).. I'll be 68 in April , there might be enough feathers there to make it to the end. I only use them on gray and Green Ghosts but both my wife and I fish those flies so I'm always tying a double batch. I know where to get more !

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Dave G, you married a good woman.

Thank you, yes she is different in some ways from the general cut of womanhood. And very much the same in other ways.

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I had the same issues years ago when I bought some JC capes.The best trick I learned was:Buy a low quality cape(they are a lot cheaper).Most of the feathers are going to be split.Put a drop of head cement(Not super glue) on the feathers and run it through your fingers following the natural curve.This will fix the splits and give you great looking feathers at an extremely good price!

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Another vote for starling skins. I used to see them for sale from fly tying suppliers, but that was some time ago. Archers use blunt tiped arrows, and the song birds thank them.

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I just just got a great deal on eBay, buying ten or so JC capes and a ton of other materials for $70.

 

quality?

 

theres a bunch of these for $4.70

 

s-l225.jpg

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Unless you are tying for show or competition you can repair most split nails with head cement. This site in England has full capes at about $40.00. I have been very satisfied whit the capes I have purchased from them. They have lots of other feathers too.

 

http://www.lathkill.com/shop/index.php?categoryID=732&offset=16

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