Exactly Ray otherwise you wind up with huge head! If done this way you also get a nice tapered body.
Thank you

Tom

The Large Willow Fly from the Practical Fly Fisher 1854 by J. Jackson.
Hook. Daiichi 1480 size 12.
Silk. Pearsalls yellow.
Wing. Woodcock under covert bunched.
Body. Yellow silk dubbed with mole.
Hackle. Brown furnace.

Very nicely done Phil.

Tom

Being slightly color blind(newspapers to me are black and pink and read all over)and certainly not a photographer ( my tablet is my camera and my favorite backround is my coffee cup) I would enjoy comments on these feathers. The upper is the Collared Dove and the bottom is the Dotterel. The upper is...

Hook. Alex Jackson North Country size 13. Silk. Pearsalls Gossamer orange #6a. Body. Orange silk. Hackle. Dotterel I substituted With Eurasian Collared Dove outer covert feather. I am interested in opinions on the substitution of Dotterel with the Dove. I realize that this may be difficult as I can'...

Ray I have not tried tying with the secondary quills yet but they appear to be fine. In between mallard and Starling!

The underwing for the most part is a light ash colour similar to Pearsalls gossamer ash.

And they were cheap! 2.50 a pair on eBay!

Tom

A new acquisition I received today a pair of Eaurasian collared Dove wings. I had read that these wings provide a suitable substitute for Dotterel. I do happen to have a few Dotterel feathers provided to me by a good friend. I compared and indeed they are a very close match up. Some Dotterel flies t...

Very nicely done Ken!