MATERIALS
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Materials used by the Fly-Tier cover an extremely large field. Although only a few simple and easily obtained items are necessary for a start, it is interesting to know that furs, feathers and body materials come from all parts of the world. There's the jungle cock from India whose neck feathers are extensively used on salmon flies and a very large percentage of all fancy flies. The golden pheasant from China, the bustard from Africa, the Mandarin wood duck from China, the capercailzie from Ireland, the game cocks from Spain and the Orient, the teal, mallard, grouse, ibis, swan, turkey, and hundreds of others. The polar bear, Impala, North and South American deer, seal, black bear, skunk, rabbit, squirrel, are a few of the hairs that are used. The beginner need not worry about the great variety. Some hooks, silk floss and spun fur or wool yarn and chenille for bodies, a few sizes of tinsel for ribbing, bucktails of three or four colors, an assortment of duck and turkey wing quills some mallard breast, an assortment of neck and saddle hackles, a spool of tying silk, a piece of wax, a bottle of head lacquer, and many of the popular patterns can be made. Numerous other items can be added from time to time, and the novice Fly-Tier will soon find himself in possession of a collection of fuzzy furs and feathers that will delight the heart of any professional, and from which any conceivable lure can be made to attract the denizens of the shady pools.
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Body materials two-thirds actual size
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BODY MATERIAL: Tinsel, Silk Floss, Fur, Chenille, Wool, Quill and Cork are used for bodies. The most commonly used for Bucktail Streamers is flat tinsel ribbed with oval tinsel or no ribbing at all. About the easiest body to make is one of chenille ribbed with tinsel. Silk floss is mostly used for wet and dry fly bodies. The domestic silk floss, which is called rope, can be successfully used for the larger flies, by untwisting and using a few of the smaller strands. An imported floss of one single strand, with a very slight twist, is especially made for fly-tying; this will work much better on the smaller hooks. Fur for fur bodies, which formerly had to be plucked from the hide, dyed the desired color, and spun on the waxed tying silk, can now be obtained in all standard fly colors. It is called Spun Fur, and is very convenient to use in this manner.
QUILL BODIES: Quill makes an excellent and very lifelike body, especially on dry flies. The quill from the eyed peacock tail feather is mostly used. That taken from the eye of the feather when stripped of its fibers has a two tone effect, and when wound upon the hook without overlapping makes a very lifelike and delicate appearing body.
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Actual size
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HERL BODIES: Both peacock and ostrich herl is used for bodies. These make a fuzzy body. Tie in one or two strands by the tip end and wind on edgewise.
HACKLES: These are the most important part of the dry fly. Only those from the neck of a mature cock are satisfactory. Hackles for the dry fly must be stiff with very little or no web. With such hackles a dry fly can be sparsely dressed as it should be and still maintain its natural balance and floating qualities. On the other hand, a wet fly should sink readily, and should be made with very soft webby hackles. These absorb water quickly, and have better action in the water. Contrary to the customary way to tie hackles on the wet fly, as explained in the chapter "Wet Flies", I find it very convenient and economical to strip the fibers from any size hackle, clip off the butt ends to the desired length and tie them on the bottom of the hook, the same as buck tail is tied on. As wet flies should have hackles only on the bottom or underneath side, many hackles that are otherwise too large can be used in this way.
TAILS: A few fibers from a golden or silver pheasant neck tippet, whisks from a hackle feather, a strip of wing or breast feather, a few hairs, etc., are used for tails. Many of the standard patterns are tied without tails; however, on all of my dry flies, I tie three or four stiff fibers or hairs. They balance the fly and help it to float much better.
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