I have a question for anyone who ties flies (for fishing)

[dc3085]

I'm curious as to exactly which feathers from the bird are most frequently or easily used by those tying their own flies?

I have a million hobbies but I'll be adding tying flies and fly fishing to them soon. The main source of my curiosity is what feathers of what color do people have luck with? I'm a lifelong fisherman so I'm aware that seasons, temperatures, water level, etc. will all affect what lures will work best on a given day. I'm just looking for some insight from anyone with personal experience tying.

 

[Dragons4u]

I use the wing and tail feathers mostly because I don't seem to be able to knot the chest feathers in properly. Once they hit the water they want to fall out.
I have a farm pond with clear water so I usually use dark colors on the surface for blue gills. It is very clear water.
In the river I use pheasant tail feather cut to make a small streamer with bright red thread. Smallmouth and rock bass seem to like them.
Not much trout fishing here, and I don't make anything close to "professional" flies. I started doing it just to see if I could.

 

[Quail Jailer]

I'm curious as to exactly which feathers from the bird are most frequently or easily used by those tying their own flies?

I have a million hobbies but I'll be adding tying flies and fly fishing to them soon. The main source of my curiosity is what feathers of what color do people have luck with? I'm a lifelong fisherman so I'm aware that seasons, temperatures, water level, etc. will all affect what lures will work best on a given day. I'm just looking for some insight from anyone with personal experience tying.

Don I was a kid the last time I tied a fly, but I still remember how, my favorite "trick" is making wings, I might have to make a super short video rather than explain it though.
but you may already know...

 

[dc3085]

I use the wing and tail feathers mostly because I don't seem to be able to knot the chest feathers in properly. Once they hit the water they want to fall out.
I have a farm pond with clear water so I usually use dark colors on the surface for blue gills. It is very clear water.
In the river I use pheasant tail feather cut to make a small streamer with bright red thread. Smallmouth and rock bass seem to like them.
Not much trout fishing here, and I don't make anything close to "professional" flies. I started doing it just to see if I could.

Awesome. I have a bunch of feathers I've kept from all different types of birds so I wanted to see which would be best used. Funny you should mention not being able to knot the chest feathers because I had a picture in my head of a winged fly with the wings being inverted chest feathers.

I have yet to even try to tie one but I did install the vice and clear a table in the garage. I'm one step closer.

Don I was a kid the last time I tied a fly, but I still remember how, my favorite "trick" is making wings, I might have to make a super short video rather than explain it though.
but you may already know...

I saw a really cool winged fly on a website I def want to know how to make them.

I have access to blue and gold macaw feathers, do you guys think I'd be able to incorporate the blues or yellows?

 

[Quail Jailer]

I have access to blue and gold macaw feathers, do you guys think I'd be able to incorporate the blues or yellows?

Absolutely

 

[dc3085]

Perfect, my buddy has had this blue and gold for 7-8 years and his mom collects all the feathers when it molts but she just has them stored and isn't using them.

 

[Quail Jailer]

Perfect, my buddy has had this blue and gold for 7-8 years and his mom collects all the feathers when it molts but she just has them stored and isn't using them.

I'll tell you something else, a lot of guys spend hours duplicating a certain species of insect, I think that may be the deal tying rather than fishing, ship in a bottle deal...Anyway you dont have to make it look like something real, you just have to make it look good to the fish you're trying to catch.
When I was a little feller i guess maybe about the time I got my first quail, around 1975. I used to fish in the lake at the foot of stone mountain.
I used to wear out some bluegills on some crazy looking stuff, chartreuse ants and the like.

 

[dc3085]

I'll tell you something else, a lot of guys spend hours duplicating a certain species of insect, I think that may be the deal tying rather than fishing, ship in a bottle deal...Anyway you dont have to make it look like something real, you just have to make it look good to the fish you're trying to catch.
When I was a little feller i guess maybe about the time I got my first quail, around 1975. I used to fish in the lake at the foot of stone mountain.
I used to wear out some bluegills on some crazy looking stuff, chartreuse ants and the like.

Thats something else that is really good to hear, a lot of the flies I'm seeing look really complicated. It makes sense though. When the paint wears out on my crank baits I just spray paint them solid colors. They still nail them. Actually one of my favorite lures for bass fishing at night is a spray painted flat black rattle trap.

 

[Tammy N]

Tail, Hackle, and Wing feathers work great and the most color

I also like the Black for my spacial Bass Flys

 

[Quail Jailer]

Thats something else that is really good to hear, a lot of the flies I'm seeing look really complicated. It makes sense though. When the paint wears out on my crank baits I just spray paint them solid colors. They still nail them. Actually one of my favorite lures for bass fishing at night is a spray painted flat black rattle trap.

Another good color for low visibility is clear, when they hear it , see the disturbance, they get angry and strike at what they cannot see.