Stripped Peacock Quill Bodies

[ForumGhillie]

I can't answer that for sure... it is Dana's fly pattern and I am not sure what hackle he is using on his fly pattern. Since the trout like it that is all that really matters.

I use the jar to do simple testing and to see color changes of the materials in the water.

I have played around with some underwater stream videoing with a GoPro camera attached to a 16 foot long painter's pole. Even in a relatively slow pool the flies fly past the camera too quickly. Also, the GoPro fixed lens makes it more difficult to focus on an object.



It is interesting when you actually see the aquatic insects in their own habitat. Seeing these stick caddis moving you see why a trout would eat the stick and all... there is life in movement. Notice also the white mayfly nymph which I guess is in between instar stages.



I plan on doing more video in 2019, including wingless wets.

John

[Theroe]

John-those are excellent videos you posted...... really quite nice and informative. I have a 20 gallon fish tank with the filter in it that simulates current flow to some extent, and it works very very well. I read somewhere in a book that some of our sports older luminaries had done that before and I learned a lot from it. I used to have a smaller tank next to the first tank, that I had a heater, and I would take nymphs and put them in the warmer water and watch them hatch to see what they did......That coupled with watching fish in the hatchery for days on end really improved my success ratio. I’ll see if I can get some video in the next day or two.....

BTW - Hackle on that fly is a very light speckled Darbee dun.
Dana

[ForumGhillie]

Dana,

I used to use an aquarium until our daughter graduated from college and took it with her. It was great because she did the cleaning and I could use it for testing patterns and once trying to catch her fish.

This video I took was to see how the Hendrickson nymphs (e. subvaria) swims. You can see why some fly tiers tie a small wiggle nymph imitation.

[wsbailey]

Barry Ord Clarke recently posted a video of stripping peacock quill with bleach. New to me; at the end he mentioned using tying wax to strip the quill(not the kind in a tube).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NTI6pLDF1 ... e=youtu.be

[PhilA]

A common criticism of stripping peacock eyes or stripped herl with chlorine bleach is that controlling the process can be tricky. If over-bleached, the flue-less barb stems are brittle. This has happened to me. Dipping in warm liquid paraffin wax followed by cooling and pulling off the flue is quick but messy. However, it yields nice supple stems.

Being a low-volume tyer, I just strip by hand, pulling single barbs repeatedly between my thumbnail pressed against the fleshy pad of the index finger (tip-to-butt). The flue steadily comes off during a series of pulls.

[wsbailey]

As someone who dyes fly tying materials I work with chemicals all the time. I recently dyed some yarn blue in an indigo vat. The pH was slightly too high. Two drops of acetic acid in four gallons of water was all it took. Working with chemicals requires a light touch at times.

[narcodog]

Dana, your the first person that mentioned stripping the rachis. I have some that I stripped back in the '70's that I have had stored in a jar of glycerin.

W.S. different subject, what do you use to thin Kelson's head cement and what is the liquid wax made of I know that odor but I just can't place it.

[wsbailey]

Bob, I use artist's turpentine. If you have a Michael's nearby they have 50% coupons you can use. The hardware stuff is too sludgy. You probably mean benzoin.

[Theroe]

Dana, your the first person that mentioned stripping the rachis. I have some that I stripped back in the '70's that I have had stored in a jar of glycerin.

W.S. different subject, what do you use to thin Kelson's head cement and what is the liquid wax made of I know that odor but I just can't place it.

Bob -Ted Niemeyer gets the credit for the duck rachis body - somewhere there is a description in one of the older books, I just can’t remember which one. Also, the bread crust is tied with a grouse rachis - very durable I might add...... i’ve never had one break.
Dana

[narcodog]

Bob, I use artist's turpentine. If you have a Michael's nearby they have 50% coupons you can use. The hardware stuff is too sludgy. You probably mean benzoin.

Thanks Bill, I do have some artist's turpentine. A woman at an artist supply wanted to sell me some odorless turpentine, have you used that?