Does anyone tie fly fishing flies with their own chickens feathers?

[xtremevermonter]

I would love to tie flies with my Barred Rock Roo's feathers, I heard their hackle is great. Anyone out there tie flies?

 

[Im4dabirds]

I don't but I'd love to know how. Have you ever done it or just interested in trying it?

 

[xtremevermonter]

I fly fish but I've never tied any of my own flies. I think it would be a very satisfying catch on a homemade fly, especially one with feathers off my own rooster.

Have you had much luck finding any fly tying resources online? I'm assuming you also fish?

 

[Baymen Moe]

I tie. Mostly saltwater patterns. I've used feathers from some ducks I've shot, and pheasants. Haven't tied with chickens feathers yet as I only have chicks at the moment.

Bill

 

[Tailfeathers]

I've been tying flies for years. That is up until the time I bought this place and the chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, peafowl, dogs, cats, goats, llamas, and whatever else I can't remember right off the top of my head right now that I have on the place.

I kept the cape off of a Barred Rock rooster that I killed for the stewpot after he just got way to darn ornery for his own good.

Having said that, once one learns about flytying, you'll quickly come to find out that the average chicken feathers aren't worth much for most flytying applications. You can use them for some but not most.

God Bless,

 

[cwalsh2]

When I was raising game chickens I tied thousands of flies. The saddles are no good for dry flies as the feathers are too wide. The narrow neck feathers close to the comb work great though. That is what was used before genetic hackles were so common. Red or brown leghorns have similar feathering. I tied a lot of red flies as that was the color of my roosters. Some very light, some very dark red, and every shade in between, for all the common patterns and they worked. Yes my blue dun wet flies should have been called red dun's, but the trout liked them the same. Get a fly tying kit, take a class on it and once you learn the basics you mar learn to substitute a lot of expensive materials, with what you find around the yard. I pick up a lot of goose & duck and some others. If the instructor owns a fly shop, he may teach that you need to follow the recipes exactly. The wing case on my pheasant tail nymph is tied with goose feathers picked up by the same lake I fish. It is a very enjoyable hobby. C Walsh

 

[vclark321]

Look on YouTube for vidoes on fly tying. There are lots of examples on what is necessary to learn. I would love to try and maybe sell them. Good luck!