Tweety Birds

[while_1]

Bill Keine recently started a thread on the parent newsgroup here
(rec.outdoors.fishing.fly) that started with the question:
how old is this newgroup?

Didn't they decide that rec.outdoors.fishing.fly forked from
rec.outdoors.fishing in 1994? And that rec.outdoors.fishing.fly.tying
(thanks,
to John Fereira) forked off rec.outdoors.fishing.fly a few years
later?

I think I've been reading (and occasionally posting) to both
newsgroups since 1994 (from the beginning) myself....and in all that
time I
don't recall anybody pointing out the incredible value of tweety
birds, especially for making small soft hackle wet flies.

Most of the commercial wet flies sold here in the US West use
Hungarian
Partridge feathers for the hackles: they're readily available and they
do have a
wonderfully speckled/mottled coloring pattern, that makes a handsome
wetfly.

But Hungarian Partridge hackles are just too damn big for small wet
flies
and nymphs. You often see starling feathers specified in English
pattern
recipies, but Starling feathers are not easy to find in States-side
fly shops.

What is and are easy to find, however, is an abundance of wonderful
small
wet fly tying feathers scattered along the side of the road almost
everywhere
you look (if you do indeed look for them).

Small songbirds--for better or for worse--get wacked by the thousand
all
summer long. They're not so easy to see when you drive by at 70 miles
an hour, but when you ride a 10-speed road bike to
work all summer, it's common to notice 3-4 freshly killed birds each
morning.

A single Amphidocacs Fly Catcher, for instance, provides a 2-3 year
supply of soft fluffy and beautifully olive-green hackles just right
for making
#16 - #22 Pale Morning Dun nymphs. I finished tying a few small nymphs
just
a little while ago and it occured to me--while shuffling through my
wet fly hackle collection--that the very best wet fly feathers I have
all completely un-available in stores, but they're free for the
taking,
right on the side of the road.

[Wolfgang]

"while_1" > wrote in message
om...
> ......A single Amphidocacs Fly Catcher, for instance, provides a 2-3 year
> supply of soft fluffy and beautifully olive-green hackles just right
> for making
> #16 - #22 Pale Morning Dun nymphs. I finished tying a few small nymphs
> just
> a little while ago and it occured to me--while shuffling through my
> wet fly hackle collection--that the very best wet fly feathers I have
> all completely un-available in stores, but they're free for the
> taking,
> right on the side of the road.

I wouldn't dream of denying the utility of such feathers or their abundance,
but unless I'm mistaken, ALL birds except those designated as game species
and the few listed as pests are protected by law in the U.S. I believe it's
illegal to possess their feathers....or any other parts....regardless of
source, without special licensing. Or, that's what I've always heard,
anyway. Does anyone here know differently?

Wolfgang

[George Adams]

>From: "Wolfgang"

>but unless I'm mistaken, ALL birds except those designated as game species
>and the few listed as pests are protected by law in the U.S. I believe it's
>illegal to possess their feathers....or any other parts....regardless of
>source, without special licensing.

That's my understanding as well.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

[Tom Littleton]

while 1 notes:
>Starling feathers are not easy to find in States-side
>fly shops.

I would differ here, I find starling very easy to get here in the Eastern US,
even bleached skins, which are a tannish cream color.

>What is and are easy to find, however, is an abundance of wonderful
>small
>wet fly tying feathers scattered along the side of the road

and, as others have said, possession is, in most cases, technically illegal.
Throw in the issues with avian diseases, and you may have a risky sort of
option.
I would suggest looking a hen feathers closely, along with those of several
different species of desert quail. The speciality feather dealers handle these,
they are legal, and make fine small fly hackles. BTW, a truly top-rate
Partridge should have feathers adaquate for a size 18 hook, as well.
Tom

[while_1]

"Wolfgang" > wrote in message >...

> ALL birds except those designated as game species
> and the few listed as pests are protected by law in the U.S. I believe it's
> illegal to possess their feathers....or any other parts....regardless of
> source, without special licensing.


Ignorance was bliss.
Shut my mouth.

[Willi]

Tom Littleton wrote:

> while 1 notes:
>
>>Starling feathers are not easy to find in States-side
>>fly shops.
>
>
> I would differ here, I find starling very easy to get here in the Eastern US,
> even bleached skins, which are a tannish cream color.

Here too. And they're cheap.

>
>
>>What is and are easy to find, however, is an abundance of wonderful
>>small
>>wet fly tying feathers scattered along the side of the road
>
>
> and, as others have said, possession is, in most cases, technically illegal.
> Throw in the issues with avian diseases, and you may have a risky sort of
> option.
> I would suggest looking a hen feathers closely, along with those of several
> different species of desert quail. The speciality feather dealers handle these,
> they are legal, and make fine small fly hackles.

I also like the assorted Quail, especially for small flies. Blue Ribbon
Flies has a good assorted of quality birds that are well processed.

Willi

[Larry]

> I also like the assorted Quail, especially for small flies. Blue Ribbon
> Flies has a good assorted of quality birds that are well processed.

Quail and Dove both have great feathers, and if you know duck hunters,
you can find plenty of nice feathers on a skin that are small with
either stiff fibers or soft ones. Look on the wings and around the
neck, most of these are bleachable and dyeable and will suit almost any
need you can imagine.

Larry

[Lat705]

As far as legality of tweety bird feathers go, I don't think unadvertised use
of road kill at a small level will bring out the Tweety Bird Police. However,
I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.

[Willi]

Lat705 wrote:

> As far as legality of tweety bird feathers go, I don't think unadvertised use
> of road kill at a small level will bring out the Tweety Bird Police. However,
> I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.

Don't disagree.


Although I see the reason for the law, if an animal is roadkill or
killed in some other accidental method, it seems like a good thing to
put it to use.

Willi

[Wolfgang]

"while_1" > wrote in message
om...
> "Wolfgang" > wrote in message
>...
>
> > ALL birds except those designated as game species
> > and the few listed as pests are protected by law in the U.S. I believe
it's
> > illegal to possess their feathers....or any other parts....regardless of
> > source, without special licensing.
>
>
> Ignorance was bliss.
> Shut my mouth.

Well, you're probably in good company, anyway. I mean, hypothetically
speaking, it's easy enough to suppose that some unnamed person somewhere at
some time or other discovered that yellow shafted flickers, blue jays,
yellow warblers, indigo buntings, rufous sided towhees, cardinals, and a few
others.....for example....all got some bithcin' feathers for tying up all
sorts of funky flies......um.....theoretically, that is. :)

Wolfgang
who would certainly have turned such an unscrupulous ******* in to the
authorities......had he ever known of anyone like that. :(

[Wolfgang]

"Lat705" > wrote in message
...
> As far as legality of tweety bird feathers go, I don't think unadvertised
use
> of road kill at a small level will bring out the Tweety Bird Police.

Agreed, but it's a good thing to keep in the back of one's mind. Even to a
self educated amateur, many bird feathers are very distinctive and easy to
identify. An astute warden checking for barbless hooks might just notice,
and if he or she is having a bad day........

What's more, I for one, agree wholeheartedly with the intent of the laws
protecting most bird species. The rationale, I believe, is that if enough
people help themselves to roadkill feathers and the products made therefrom
become popular, then it is just a matter of time till a market devlops and
wholesale slaughter follows; not an improbable scenario, as market hunting
and various extinctions and near extincitons of past centuries demonstrated
all to well.

> However,
> I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.

Chicken.

Wolfgang

[George Adams]

>From: "Wolfgang"

>"Lat705" > wrote in message

>> However,
>> I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.

>Chicken.

How did you know they taste like chicken?


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

[George Cleveland]

On 17 Nov 2003 01:52:05 GMT, (George Adams) wrote:

>>From: "Wolfgang"
>
>>"Lat705" > wrote in message
>
>>> However,
>>> I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.
>
>>Chicken.
>
>How did you know they taste like chicken?
>
>
>George Adams
>
>"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
>youth that doth not grow stale with age."
> ---- J.W Muller
>

He saw it on a bumper sticker.

g.c.

[Lennie Richardson]

"George Adams" > wrote in message
...
> >From: "Wolfgang"
>
> >but unless I'm mistaken, ALL birds except those designated as game
species
> >and the few listed as pests are protected by law in the U.S. I believe
it's
> >illegal to possess their feathers....or any other parts....regardless of
> >source, without special licensing.
>
> That's my understanding as well.
>
>

That's what I heard, too. Too damn bad, as there's a fly called a "Yaller
Hammer" made from Acorn Woodpecker feathers that just slays 'em.

Roadkill squirrels and opossums, are an entirely different matter...

[riverman]

"Willi" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Lat705 wrote:
>
> > As far as legality of tweety bird feathers go, I don't think
unadvertised use
> > of road kill at a small level will bring out the Tweety Bird Police.
However,
> > I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.
>
> Don't disagree.
>
>
> Although I see the reason for the law, if an animal is roadkill or
> killed in some other accidental method, it seems like a good thing to
> put it to use.
>

The problem is, of course, proving where you got it from. I don't thing a
stick-by-the-rules cop would even care if you had a photo of the roadkill.

--riverman
Possession is 9/10ths of the law, especially laws about Possession....

[Wolfgang]

"riverman" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Willi" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> >
> > Lat705 wrote:
> >
> > > As far as legality of tweety bird feathers go, I don't think
> unadvertised use
> > > of road kill at a small level will bring out the Tweety Bird
Police.
> However,
> > > I'd stay away from the eagles and spotted owls.
> >
> > Don't disagree.
> >
> >
> > Although I see the reason for the law, if an animal is roadkill or
> > killed in some other accidental method, it seems like a good thing
to
> > put it to use.
> >
>
> The problem is, of course, proving where you got it from. I don't
thing a
> stick-by-the-rules cop would even care if you had a photo of the
roadkill.
>
> --riverman
> Possession is 9/10ths of the law, especially laws about
Possession....

If it came from a legitimate game, fur bearing, pest, or otherwise
unprotected species, no one will care where you got it from. If it
came from a protected species, it doesn't matter where you got it
from. The distinction is critical.

Wolfgang