Caribou Gear

Harvesting wild game materials for fly tying?

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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!
IMG_5342.jpg
 
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!
 
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!
 
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.
 
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.
 
(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.
 
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 :ROFLMAO:
 
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