Ruffle Your Feathers!

[Wildfisher]

Hope to have fly-tying stuff in the shop within  the next week or so, BUT .just had  an interesting conversation  with one of the UK?s  major suppliers.  Normal hen and cock capes are not available and are unlikely to be for the foreseeable future. The threat of bird flu  means they can no longer be imported.  So look after the capes and feathers  you have! You might not be able to buy replacements for many years!

[Wildfisher]

As I understand, import of feathers from China and India is a no no.  I think that is understandable but that is where most come from. The cheap capes are the mainstay of the fly tying business I believe.  There is no point in using expensive genetic feathers to add a turn of white to the head of a bibio for instance. Problem will likely be that more people will now have to use the better feathers for the run of the mill stuff, that new demand  in turn will almost inevitably put pressure on supply and increase prices. Already there seems to be problems in getting genetic feathers from the US. I only got a fraction of what I ordered. So look after your plumage!

[Wildfisher]

I once collected a load of hens necks and heads from the local butchers in Arbroath around Christmas  time when I was  a lad. Never did learn how to cure the skins though. My mother nearly had a fit when I brought them home but allowed me to keep them as long as they were in the shed. I cleaned them up best I could but they wee still vile and ended up with the odd maggot on them!  Some cracking capes though.

Anyone know how to cure / tan the skin, without ruining the feathers?

[Fishtales]

Mike Connor did a few articles on this. Here are a couple.

http://www.flytyingworld.com/Tying%20Techniques/caringforfeathers.htm

http://www.sexyloops.com/connorsmetre/preserving1.shtml

His other articles on this site are worth a read too.

[rabbitangler]

pin them to a board and scrape all the fat off. Then cover with salt or better still alum. once dry they're ready to use.

peter

[Fishtales]

I use Borax. I have done two deer skins, a couple of squirrel skins, a few squirrel tales and a couple of pairs of wings.

Scrape all the fat off. wash it, dry it and pin it out on a board and apply the Borax. Leave it for a few days, scrape it again and add more Borax, eventually the skin will dry ready to use. My deer skin doesn't like it in the house, if I keep it in the shed outside it stays soft and supple, as soon as I bring it in it goes hard and brittle, even rubbing the skin with lanolin doesn't help