Mayfly Winger Feathers

Many people ask "what is the best feather to use for tying wings on my dry flies?"

Years ago tyers were able to use hen necks or even the larger feathers off the bottom of an old rooster cape. However, with hackle growers breeding for smaller and smaller hackle sizes, today these feathers are too narrow and dry fly like.

Well here a two alternatives that work well; winger capes and winger patches.

feathers from: hen cape, rooster cape, winger cape. and winger patch

Tying Mayfly Wings

Capes

These capes are rom hens specifically grown for neck feathers that are wide and webby, and yet small enough to make a nice wing on a dry fly. The birds are quite a bit smaller than the saltwater hen line and an emphasis is placed on selecting more natural colors.

This line is heavey in different shades of dunn and grizzlies. However, as you can see in the picture, the barring on the grizzly feathers is a bit thick and "muddy". When tied in as a wing, you can only see 1 or two bars on the feather.

Patches

These feather patches have some of the finest feathers for tying wings on a fly. The barring is clean and tight, the tips are nicely rounded, and the webbing extends right to the edge of the feather.

Check out the picture on the upper right. The wings on the fly on the top were tied using feathers from a hen cape. They are far too pointy and barely visable through the collar. The one on the bottom was tyed using feathers from a grizzly saddle patch. The sillouette is perfect.

Mayfly Winger Capes

$25I pulled a feather from each cape so you can see the shape and color. Click on a thumb nail to see an enlarged image.

natural colors
laced
bright colors
fly patterns


white	black	grizzly	dunn grizzly	copper dunn	olive grizzly


natural dunn	blue dunn	splash dunn	cahill dunn	pwd	sandy dunn


brown laced	lt brown laced	dark lacing	bleeched	golden badger	silver badger


ginger laced	bleached ginger	white laced	grousey laced	ginger dunn	item color


purple	red	item color	item color	item color	item color

I'm looking for pictures of flies and the recipies you used to tie them. Please give me a call or email me for more information.

Thanks!

Winger Feathers

4/$15These patches come in narrow, medium, wide feather size. The picture on the right shows the range in sizes. Click on a thumbnail below to see an enlarged view.