Harvesting wild game materials for fly tying?

[Wild Bill]

If a worm don't work, a silver Mepps will. mtmuley

Silver blade and black tail.

 

[Gerald Martin]

If a worm don't work, a silver Mepps will. mtmuley

Black body Panther Martinwith with yellow dots and a gold blade… brown trout cocaine.

 

[Hem]

Is there such a thing as catch and release while using a barbed treble hook?

 

[wytex]

Our taxidermist gave me a bog box full of trimmings off capes he used. All kinds of species already tanned and ready to go.
Many will have scraps for free if you ask them.
I gave away the stuff I got to someone who ties flies.

 

[MTLabrador]

Is there such a thing as catch and release while using a barbed treble hook?

Release them to float down the river belly up.

 

[MS 9x56]

The hardest part of flyfishing has to be keeping the nightcrawler on those tiny hooks. Still haven't gotten the hang of that, yet.

Usually fly off on the backcast

 

[nastynate]

Glad I found this thread. I did a lot of fly tying when I was younger, and whip up a few hair/feather jigs each winter in the off season. Thankfully I remembered to snag a few deer tails this year, as I'd forgot the last few. Bucktail jigs are walleye candy.

 

[Sheltowee]

Glad I found this thread. I did a lot of fly tying when I was younger, and whip up a few hair/feather jigs each winter in the off season. Thankfully I remembered to snag a few deer tails this year, as I'd forgot the last few. Bucktail jigs are walleye candy.

We used to crush freshwater stripers on bucktails tipped with a curly tail grub when I was younger. One of my favorite plugs.

 

[nastynate]

This wounded warrior caught no less than 200 fish on a real bender of a trip this last spring. It was pretty when I tied it, with a white rabbit strip. But it's even prettier now in retirement!

 

[nastynate]

Damnit there went this years bucktail.

Time to bust out the beard trimmer and get resourceful.

 

[huntnpack]

Damnit there went this years bucktail.

Time to bust out the beard trimmer and get resourceful.
View attachment 307065

I know a guy who used to use his beagles tail hair. Time for that lab to pony up some tail hair

 

[MS 9x56]

I know a guy who used to use his beagles tail hair. Time for that lab to pony up some tail hair

I have used my black labs hair in making black stone fly patterns. I also save squirrel tails pheasant capes and tails, bucktails, duck and goose feathers, rabbit masks… Damn I am obsessed!

 

[Sytes]

Bit off topic though somewhat associated(?).
While in the backcountry of the Bridger-Teton Wilderness, I snipped a couple hairs from my horse's mane, used some hawk feather, sap, and a paperclip. Went about crafting an, I don't know know what the hell looking fly...
Bent the clip to create a type of barb, sharpened it on a rock as best, pulled apart some p-cord for the thinnest strand possible, used horse tail hair as a tippet and set out with a willow stick as my rod.
I caught two 5-7" trout before one thing or another broke apart.
Thinking of your thread brought back this memory. If I had that fly, I would have it pinned on my straw Bailey that sits at my desk...

I just had to cast that line - one more time. Haha!

 

[Djfan]

Bit off topic though somewhat associated(?).
While in the backcountry of the Bridger-Teton Wilderness, I snipped a couple hairs from my horse's mane, used some hawk feather, sap, and a paperclip. Went about crafting an, I don't know know what the hell looking fly...
Bent the clip to create a type of barb, sharpened it on a rock as best, pulled apart some p-cord for the thinnest strand possible, used horse tail hair as a tippet and set out with a willow stick as my rod.
I caught two 5-7" trout before one thing or another broke apart.
Thinking of your thread brought back this memory. If I had that fly, I would have it pinned on my straw Bailey that sits at my desk...

I just had to cast that line - one more time. Haha!

Once I was riding bikes with my youngest past a lake. I found a small crappie lead head, some duck feathers, and light fishing line. I made a minnow fly out of it, tied it to a stick, and caught a bunch of blue gill. Fun memory. I still have that minnow.

Yesterday I got my turkey. Saved the biots.

 

[belshawelk]

We had a bunch of peacocks where we used to live many years ago. I kept all these damn tail feathers going on 20 years now, thinking someday I would tie flies. Its clear I am never going to.

 

[Sytes]

(Curtis Creek Manifesto)

As a kid, I was gifted a fly rod and this book... more a clever means to keep my attention as it had drawn fun pictures that shared the principles.

What a FANTASTIC "book"! Now that brought back some great memories.

 

[Roscoe P Coal]

labrador hair especially American lab, is great for dubbing as their hair is extremely buoyant..

 

[brymoore]

This thread reminded me that I saved a bunch of ruffed grouse feathers last year. They have some really cool coloration and the hackle is excellent for buggers.

View attachment 286715

What feathers did you save?

 

[devon deer]

The little down feathers around the oil gland by the anus of teal and mallards is perfect for sulphur emergers and BWO’s That’s what CDC feathers are. ( Cul de canard.)

That is all I take these days CDC are superb, I have all the hair/capes etc I could ever use.

But a word of warning, I like to add the little 'eyes' to my Sea Trout/Salmon flies, enter 'Jungle C0ck Feathers' into Google and it might not be what you are expecting to turn up

 

[MTLabrador]

What feathers did you save?

Marabou feathers around the legs and all the hackle feathers you’d take off a partridge skin. From the breast, back, and shoulders.