wsbailey wrote:Datus Proper was one of the few tyers to recommend American game birds. Leisenring was tethered to British tradition even though his flies represented American insects. While not exactly the same; several of our game birds make good substitutes for the game birds in British angling literature. Side by side the feathers may look different but on a hook are hard to tell apart.
I think that most frequently used British game bird have North American sources, or nealyr so. Hungarian Partridge was introduced long ago, as were starlings. Wilson's snipe was long considered the same species as the common snipe. It's now considered a different species based on the fact that the number of feathers in the tail differs by between the two -- hardly important for tying purposes. Similarly, the common gallinule was long considered to be the same species as the moorhen (waterhen). Both the snipe and the gallinule are legal game birds here, it's just that few people bother to hunt them. The red grouse is the same bird as the willow ptarmigan, common in Alaska.
There's no real reason these feathers shouldn't be more readily available.
OTOH, I seem find myself mallard coverts more and more of late because they're easy to come by.
Yes, there's no real reason not to substitute feathers if necessary.