Anybody Tying Spey Flies?

[anonymous]

Any body tying spey flies? What feathers work best for fine barring on smaller nondescript flies?

Thanks,
Scott

[prairiespey06]

Done a few for fun:)-

not quite sure what you mean by fine barring

Will

[Zach Matthews]

Damn Will.

[anonymous]

Those are some amazing pictures!!!
Great tyes!!!

[anonymous]

Awesome work, Will! Exquisite.

[anonymous]

This is what I have in mind. Any guess as to what material feather is used in the fly? Apparently, this is Great Lakes pattern.

Thanks,
Scott

[Zach Matthews]

Looks like bar dyed chicken hackle but its hard to tell when its wet like that.

[prairiespey06]

Yike!- ty all for the kind words on the pics and patterns, they are actually fun to tie. That said I have a long way to go to get them to the level I,ve seen from others, practise practise….:)

Eye2-

[davy_wotton]

Scott,

Ive only just got to your post. I used to tie spey flies commercially at one time so can mroe or less tell you what you wish to know.
Do you reuqire the feather as a hackle or wing medium, as choice would differ.

Herons are a protected species. Harline Dubbing co did have a licence at one time to import feathers from China, but due to how states here differ in how they regulate animal and bird products and the issues of how Fish and Wildlife also determine the legality, they had to stop importation.

Same exists in the USA for seal fur and many other materials, which may be legal from the country of origin but not legal for import.
Much of that has to do with the cities regulations.

The only real substitute for Heron is Blue eared Pheasant, but expect to pay at least $100 or more for a A1 class skin. You can obtain the live birds and raise your own, which is what l do.
No need to kill the bird, just pluck out the feathers needed at the time.

Ringneck has some uses but lacks the right color and size for larger flies when the hackle is needed for the body wind.

The traditional Spey or Dee strip wing have as a rule a pair of turkey wing strips for the wings. The more modern versions do differ.

One of my favorite flies to tie, they look so elegant.

[anonymous]

Thanks Davy:

Please contact via my email or if you do not have that a PM here. Thanks!

Thanks for all the other help too guys.
Scott

[geoff schaake]

Scott,

I believe the feather you seek may be dyed teal flanks of some kind.  They have fine pencil thin bars on them and are used as collars to many of the speys.  Akroyd included.  Great flies WIll.  Thanks for sharing.

Geoff

You can see the teal collar in this tube

[anonymous]

Thanks, Geoff. I actually just received some flanks in the mail. Look like they will work!

Scott

[Author]

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