Help identify feathers

[Clint KY 0]

A little background so you will understand why am asking for help. While I am not new to fly tying I am new to tying with anything but foam and balsa. I learned to fly fish and tie while living in New England. Shortly after that, I moved to Texas and then home to Kentucky. While in Texas and here in Kentucky, I have tied for Bluegill and Bass so I did not pay a lot of attention to materials other than those listed above. Now I am trying to tie some flies to fish the ONE stocked trout stream in West Kentucky. While in NE I purchased more material than I used while there, never marked it and now I am at a loss as to what some of it is. I am fairly sure that the first three are Hen Necks in brown, grizzly and dun. Please feel free to correct me or add any information about what I have.

 

The next two I have no idea what they are or what the proper term for the color is.

 

Any and all help is appreciated.

[Jaydub 0]

Number 4 is from the shoulder area of a Ring Necked Pheasant. Number 5 looks like a possibly a low grade rooster cape. I'd call the color some type of Badger variant.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I would say #1 is a red or brown rooster (chicken), #2 is possibly grizzly or a variant, don't think it's badger, too much barring, # 3 looks to be cream or possibly a tan dun. They could be hen too or as Jaydub has stated a lower grade rooster. Sometimes difficult to tell from pictures. Many hen feathers have a more rounded shape to them, but not all do. Except the pheasant, the other 4 are definitely necks/capes & chicken.

[carpflyguy 0]

I agree that #1 is a red or brown rooster

[Stevester 0]

Clint,

 

The replies you have received are pretty much on the money. It is hard to tell from photographs as to whether they are hen or rooster necks. Well except for #4 which is obviously from a cock ringneck pheasant. Also, color is something of a judgement call; for example I would call #3 honey dun and #2 pale grizzly. Tidewater sees them a little differently. That is why I don't get as worked up about exact color matching as I did when I started out, too much uncertainty.

 

Steve

[tidewaterfly 0]

 

 

Also, color is something of a judgement call; for example I would call #3 honey dun and #2 pale grizzly. Tidewater sees them a little differently. That is why I don't get as worked up about exact color matching as I did when I started out, too much uncertainty.

 

That's an excellent point too regarding colors, especially natural colors. Even though pictures don't always portray colors accurately, we all see things differently & describe what we see differently anyway, even if we were viewing these in person. When I said "tan dun" for # 3, to me that's the same as honey dun, or close enough, yet Steve saw it different. Neither description is right or wrong, it's simply how we each see it. If you're going to be attempting to tie flies from some pattern recipes, which may have such descriptions for colors, it's often best to use your judgement rather than fret over an exact color shade. For that first one I described it as red or brown, which in fact it's the same. Natural "red", is a brown shade as compared to something that may be dyed red. I've seen in pattern recipes "natural red brown" used to describe that natural color, while "scarlet" is used for the dyed red just to try & limit confusion.

 

You didn't say what types of flies you intend to tie with this hackle, other than saying trout flies. IMO, this is not dry fly quality hackle you have here. It's likely something that might be used for various types of subsurface trout flies, or as you indicated, bass or panfish type flies. Certainly use what you have if you can, but if you're going to be tying flies from a recipe, you may be better off obtaining more suitable materials for size,color or hackle type, particularly if it's a dry fly pattern.

[Clint KY 0]

You didn't say what types of flies you intend to tie with this hackle, other than saying trout flies. IMO, this is not dry fly quality hackle you have here. It's likely something that might be used for various types of subsurface trout flies, or as you indicated, bass or panfish type flies. Certainly use what you have if you can, but if you're going to be tying flies from a recipe, you may be better off obtaining more suitable materials for size,color or hackle type, particularly if it's a dry fly pattern.

 

 

I am almost positive that these are Hen as I remember not buying the Rooster necks because of the price and the fact that I had just started tying.

That being said I understand that these are not dry fly quality, but the trout to which I will be offering these flies are all hatchery born and placed fish. Those who survive the few fishermen in the creek will end up downstream in the Little River which flows into Lake Barkley where they will become fodder for the bass.

 

The point I am trying to make is that they are not very selective. I am tempted to tie a Pellet Fly but will use some conventional patterns first. While I am tying these to catch the trout, they will inevitably end up in front of a blue gill.

 

And thank you to all who offered input on the material. I have many pattern books that call for certain feathers and while I generally use whatever I think will approximate what the writer calls for, I wanted to and am now able to get a bit closer with the confirmation of what I have.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Sounds like you have a plan then. Please keep us informed & post some pics of your flies when you can.

 

One note, IMO it doesn't matter if the fish are from a hatchery or wild, or for that matter whether they're trout or other species. Selecting the hackle to be used is determined by the pattern type, such as dry flies, or other hackle for the various subsurface types. Of course, whether or not the fly pattern makes any difference can be another matter, as you say you could be tying Pellet Flies.

 

Best of success with it!