Turkey Quill Minnow

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

This is from years ago, one of my experiments in turkey quill minnow making but on a SS hook. Fishing off the coast of Alabama with Bonito feeding all around us and no flies in the box working, I decided to try this little lost fly I had buried in the box - First cast, fish on! I was amazed that such a tiny fly could be seen in such a large body of water. A few days later, I tried them in the surf off the beach from the condo and the ladyfish ate'em up too. I recon the specks would eat these under the lights at night and the spanish and blues may go for them when schooling. Also, I have since fished them for bass and they work well also. It is not a floater but a slow sinker at least on the saltwater hooks, maybe on a lighter wire bronze hook they will float. Give'em a try when the fish are feeding and they won't take a standard streamer.

 

 

Turkey Quill Minnows on several different hooks.

Top left is Gamakatsu SC15 #1/0, Middle right is Mustad 34007#4, Bottom is Mustad Signature Series Z-Steel 34011 #4

 

1. Start thread, 3/0 or heavier, on hook of your choice. I prefer the Gamakatsu SC15 in a 1/0 or the Mustad Signature Series #34007 or 34011 in size #4.

 

2. Use a turkey wing or tail feather stem/quill for the body of the fly.

 

3. Strip the barbules from the quill and snip the quill to length you desire using a flush cutter, heavy scissors, razor blade, etc. I like the body to go from the back of the hook eye to a point above the hook point.

 

4. Apply a bead of CA glue to the natural slot in the bottom of the quill and stick on to top of threaded hook shank.

 

5. While the quill is naturally dark on top and light or white on the bottom, it helps to color the top of the quill and thread wraps on the back with a dark marker, I prefer brown.

 

 

6. For most quills, mylar tubing that is 3/8” when pulled tight across a ruler is the right diameter. I like pearl but you can use whatever flavor you like. Work the tubing over the body with about two times the hook length extending past the rear of the body. Wrap down the mylar near the front of the body. Start your thread over the mylar and body with about three wraps for your jam knot and then finish with about a five wrap whip finish.

 

7. Tease out the mylar with a needle or bodkin to right behind the body.

 

8. Trim the excess mylar fibers flush with the face of the body or thread wraps using either a scissors or your flush cutter.

 

9. Pull the teased mylar tail taught and apply a few drops of thin CA glue to the entire body including the thread wraps. Use a paper towel to dab up any excess that forms a drop and looks like it will drip.

 

 

10. This is an optional step but if you like, paint on some acrylic paint on the white face of the body and any mylar pieces sticking out from under the thread wraps.

 

11. Either paint some eyes on the sides of the minnow or use stick-on eyes. I like the 5/32” gold stick-on eyes from Netcraft.

 

12. To help the eye stick on the rounded mylar body better, gently fold/roll it between your fingers without sticking it to itself. This helps shape the eye with a little curvature that conforms to the body and puts more sticky surface area on the fly.

 

13. Apply some CA glue around the stick-on eyes to ensure they stay on.

 

14. If the edge of the eye pops up from the wet glue being applied, simply hold down for a minute with a pin until the glue dries enough to keep it down.

 

15. Trim the mylar tail back to about one hook length past the body or you can keep it long if you like.

 

16. Apply several coats of one part clear coat or nail polish or one coat of 30 minute cure epoxy or any of the quick cure epoxies.

 

17. Although turkey quills are buoyant and float, this fly is not a floater but a slow sinker at least on the saltwater hooks, maybe on a lighter wire bronze hook they will float. Whatcha gonna do?. While the head of this fly is pretty rigid and motionless, the coloring gives it life and to my surprise, the excess mylar that acts as a tail may look stiff but in the water it actually undulates very nicely. I guess you could always tie in a furry tail of sorts to the hook prior to assembling the body and mylar but I don’t know how much difference that would make. Perhaps a warmwater pond, it may help induce strikes but who knows, I’ve had many fish slam stick baits such as Rapalas when they were sitting motionless…

 

[NJ All Day 0]

Great SBS Kirk! What a great small minnow imitation, for a wide species of fish. How does it sit in the water? Does it float, or slowly sink, does it dive head first.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Great SBS Kirk! What a great small minnow imitation, for a wide species of fish. How does it sit in the water? Does it float, or slowly sink, does it dive head first.

 

Thanks, it is a slow sinker on the saltwater hooks, haven't tried it on a lighter bronze hook, probably float a size #8 maybe even a #6 streamer hook. Depending on the hook, it is oriented a little tail down but comes in straight when stripped. The plastic mylar is surprising supple and lively in the water even thought it looks stiff coming off the back of the fly.

Oh, I added a line about it sinking above the last photo after you asked the question.

Kirk

[iFly 0]

Great SBS! Thanks for putting this up. Just tied a "variation" of it, didnt have the same color, but im gonna throw it in a pond to see how it does. Looks promising for saltwater though!

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Excellent SBS i just made some too!

 

when i hear bonito my eyes light up thinking of schools of fish destroying small bait and this pattern would work either inshore or offshore.

 

Not as good as yours tho!

 

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Excellent SBS i just made some too!...

 

...Not as good as yours tho!

 

 

Thanks.

 

Not as good? I'd say better! That looks great Jam.

 

You mentioned in your email to me that you filled the hole in the front of the quill. Is the quill you're using hollow? The quills I'm using from the turkey have this soft but solid foam like substance on the inside.

 

Kirk

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Yep i found some nice large feathers while hiking along a trail, i ended up wearing them and decorating my backpack, but yes down the end they are quite hollow and very round in profile. I suspect quite a few types of quills would work, whatever you can find. I might make some longer ones but as this quill progresses its shape looks a bit more square now.

 

And yep with the hollow core on the quill for 1 of these i filled the hole with Clear Cure Goo to give it a slight cupped face, it added a bit of weight but i am not too sure if this resin sinks or floats i suspect it sinks which may help it get down under the surface as well as turn over. Am kind of thinking drinking straw now.

 

Funny i think the first artificial 'lure' i ever used was a section of red drinking straw.

 

Here is the quill, it has some might fine marabou type stuff on it that will get used. Along with the making wings from the feather itself. (i guess you should check if its legal in your state before picking up feathers). Looking at my pheasant tail quills they also look useable.

 

[AWilson 0]

Really neat instructions. Thanks

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Jam, good idea. I think I saw on FTF one time someone did a quill minnow and put a piece of balsa in the ends to stop them up. If you want to see if the CCG sinks, cure a small ball on a piece of glass and scrape it off and drop it in a cup of water.

 

Wilson, thanks.

 

Kirk

[bigfoot 0]

Quick question on the quill minnow are you cutting the quill into 2 halves and glueing them around the hook shank? or are you just using one piece of quill glued to the top of the hook? Any help would be great. Thanks BF

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Quick question on the quill minnow are you cutting the quill into 2 halves and glueing them around the hook shank? or are you just using one piece of quill glued to the top of the hook? Any help would be great. Thanks BF

 

Just glueing on top of the hook. The quills I'm using have a groove on the underside that fits perfectly on top of the hook shank. I wrap the shank with open spirals of thread, run a bead of CA in the quill groove and position it on the hook and hold for a few seconds until it is set and then wrap over the body. I used to tie the body on first and then run some glue on the underside after it was tied on. I just do it this way now and the body seems to stay put better while I'm wrapping over it/lashing it to the hook.

Hope that clears it up.

Kirk

[Margaretann 0]

Wow! Super easy!! Waste not want not...

[Jolly Red 0]

Been playing around with gorilla glue lately, which foams up as it cures. Seems a few drops in the quill, if it doesn't have a pithy interior, would provide flotation and seal the ends. If you want it to sink, wouldn't be a good idea.

[bigfoot 0]

Kirk thanks for the help. BF

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Margaret, thanks.

 

Jolly, that sounds like a good idea.

 

Big, not a problem. Hope these work for you.

 

Kirk