“Quack, Quack”
Mallard, pintail, gadwall, teal, and wood ducks, as well as geese, fill our skies during their fall migrations. Their popularity as fly tying materials may be surpassed only by their popularity as table fare. The first style of upright wings I learned to tie required slips clipped from duck wing quills; at the time, it was a very common and popular wing style. Though they are not so frequently used today, these wings are elegant, effective, and not so difficult to tie as you might fear. Slips cut from both duck and goose feathers make fine wing cases. These feathers are primarily light to dark gray, although snow geese have white wings.
Breast and flank duck feathers are usually very light colored, even white, with barring that varies in boldness by species. A few flies, such as the classic Hornberg, use whole flank feathers as wings. Use breast feathers as streamer cheeks, and flank feathers are occasionally called for in Atlantic salmon fly mixed wings. Duck breast and flank feathers also have long fibers, making them useful for hackle collars, and they are a nice substitute for guinea fowl.
Although I seldom see it done, the fibers clipped from barred duck breast and flank feathers make excellent nymph legs and tails; one example is the pattern called the Bird’s Nest. I also use the fibers to wrap subtle fuzzy bodies for midge larvae and small nymphs. Whole shoulder feathers, from both ducks and geese, make fine dry fly wings, and are tied in the same manner as hackle-point wings. And do not overlook the cul de canard feathers found around the preen glands of all waterfowl.
Wading birds have lost popularity as game birds, but there are still some regions where snipe and others are pursued. Woodcock, which looks very similar to a snipe, is also a small game bird offering useful feathers for fly tying. The feathers of all these birds are primarily brown, tan, and gray with a good deal of mottling and barring. They are useful for making nymph tails, legs, and wing cases, and you can use clumps of stripped fibers for caddis wings and upright post wings.
Experiment with game bird feathers with an open mind. You can often substitute and swap feathers of different birds, but having a selection of bird skins will provide a range of sizes, colors, tones, and patterning. For example, bodies are often wrapped using rooster pheasant tail fibers, but many tiers don’t think of using turkey, grouse, or hen pheasant tail feathers; even wrapped breast and flank feather fibers make nice small bodies. Game birds provide a wide range of feather sizes, colors, patterning, and properties. Use your imagination and make use of autumn’s bounty.
Al Ritt is a regular contributor to this magazine. In addition to writing, he is a registered guide and also works for Peak Engineering, the manufacturer of the Peak Vise. During the past few seasons, Al has hosted trips to some of the best fresh- and saltwater destinations. For more information, go to his website, www.alrittflies.com