Do you get frustrated tying stripped-quill bodies? Does this material seem difficult to use? Follow these tips and master the art of making great stripped-quill bodies.
Making a Quill Body
QUILL-BODY FLYING ANT
HOOK: Regular dry fly hook, size 14.
THREAD: Black 6/0 (140 denier).
UNDERBODY: Tying thread.
ABDOMEN: Red stripped peacock quill.
WING: Pearl Baitfish Emulator Flash or Krystal Flash.
HACKLE: Grizzly dry fly hackle.
HEAD: Black thread.
FIRST STEP: WRAP A GOOD UNDERBODY
A finished body made using chenille, dubbing, and Estaz doesn’t need a perfect underbody. These thicker materials usually hide any lumps and bumps in the underbody. Wrapping a smooth, tapered underbody, however, is the first step in making a nice stripped-quill body.
Using a thread that lies flat on the hook is critical to making a smooth underbody; a thread that does not lie flat will create small, round ridges in the underbody that will cause the quill to slide into the ruts when wrapped on the hook shank. I am partial to Lagartun 150D, but there are quite a few good, fine threads on the market; test some of them until you are happy with the results. The main feature you are looking for is a thread that lies flat and creates smooth wraps when layered on top of each other. Also, spinning the bobbin counterclockwise after making every 10 or so wraps removes any twist in the thread and will keep it lying flat.
There’s no denying the fact that hand-stripped peacock quills are more fragile than other materials for making bodies on trout flies. I recommend sealing wrapped quill bodies with some sort of light-activated adhesive or thick head cement. A product called Solarez Thin-—Hard Formula is a great choice because it cures in seconds with no tackiness. It is also very durable; you will catch several fish using a single fly before the body begins to show signs of wear.
Some tiers smear a drop of glue on an underbody before wrapping the quill up the hook, but I do not. This is just personal preference. If you are new to working with stripped quills, I recommend skipping this step because you may want to reposition some quills and the glue would make this difficult to do.
QUILL-BODY CDC EMERGER
HOOK: Curved-shank emerger hook, sizes 18 to 12.
THREAD: Olive or tan 6/0 (140 denier).
BODY: Brown stripped peacock quill.
SHUCK AND WING: Tan cul de canard.
THORAX: Sybai Super Fine UV Dubbing, claret. (You may substitute another brand of UV dubbing.)
THERE’S A WRONG WAY, AND A RIGHT WAY
A lot of tiers ask me why their quills wrap in the “wrong” direction even though they do it “the right way.” They follow the instructions, but their flies still don’t look correct; the bodies on their flies don’t have the desired natural segmentation. If this happens to you, don’t get upset; just take a deep breath and look at the way you wrap the quill starting with the first turn.
First, you must tie the quill to the hook so the dark edge is exposed after wrapping the body. Also, each new wrap should lie slightly over the previous wrap. Do it the right way, and your fly will take on a natural-looking segmentation right before your eyes.
Don’t become frustrated with your first handful of flies tied using stripped peacock quills. Instead, put them in your fly box and take them fishing. Let the trout judge the quality of your handiwork. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised with their decision.
Nicole March is very involved with the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild, Kids on the Fly, and Project Healing Waters. Be sure to visit her website, www.thequiltedtyer.com. Nicole lives in New Jersey
Fly Box
CADDIS QUILL JIG
HOOK: Partridge Barbless Jig Hook, size 14.
THREAD: Tan 6/0 (140 denier).
BEAD: 7 /64-inch copper tungsten slotted bead.
TAIL: Wood duck flank or mallard.
BODY: Brown or ginger stripped peacock quill.
THORAX: Brown SLF Squirrel Dubbing.
QUILL-BODY SOFT-HACKLE
THREAD: Black 6/0 (140 denier).
HOOK: Regular wet fly hook, sizes 16 to 12.
BODY: Brown stripped peacock quill.
THORAX: A blend of black Ice Dubbing and a few squirrel guard hairs.
HACKLE: Partridge.