Friday, July 8, 2011

Is It Wrong?

While out visiting my brother I got to check out his in-house feather supplier. Is it wrong that when I look at a chicken I only see a source of fly tying material?  I know it isn't class A material but for a Woolly the material doesn't need to be perfect right?  My bother doesn't tie flies but after plucking a few choice feathers from the saddle of his annoying rooster I did an impromptu tie job of half a dozen woollies. (the bird is perfectly fine so no animal rights protests please.)
I have done things like this before - see my earlier spring post of a squirrel that got caught in my chimney.  For that I got some prime tail hair for streamers.   Even watching my wife with some yarn and I see tying material.
    So is it wrong that I see innovative material for tying in the oddest places?  My wife thinks I'm nuts but seriously, I can't be the only angler out there that sees material everywhere he looks.

7 comments:

cofisher said...

Ha! No Joel, you're not the only one. Every time my dog brushes by my leg, all I have to do is reach down and grab a handful of dubbing. As I drive down the road, I can spot roadkill a mile away. I don't stop any more unless there is no traffic or at night. I'm drooling while waiting for my neighbors cat to die...it will surely be in my garden...then he's mine, all mine.

Feather Chucker said...

No it's not wrong. But your bro might want to put security around that rooster. Someone might steal to use as hair extensions.

Brk Trt said...

I don't see any harm in using a few feathers.
By the way looking at that saddle, there are some fine hackles that would produce a great streamer.

Unknown said...

Cofisher- that made me laugh. If you dig up your neighbors cat.... Well, dont count on them to be to friendly from that point on

Kev2380 - I've seen that a lot lately. What's with that? Makes the cost of good hackles hard to find , unless you own your own chicken

Brktrt - All ready on it! Idaho cutthrout, watch out!

Hopper Juan said...

I've just lucked into a good source of turkey feathers recently. My parents have a bunch of turkies that hang around the house and they drop the dun colored marabou feathers that I use on a popular shop pattern. I was running low on those paticular feathers and didn't have a source for them. Now all I have to do is do a little walking around the property. But I still look at those bird and think of all the feathers right there, with out all the walking around.

Unknown said...

Juan - when on walks with the wife and kids I've kept an eye on the ground for random feathers but to see a turkey with all those feathers......let's just say I've got turkey tags on standby for next season.

David - my last bunch of deer hair came free from my taxidermist. Cheap or free material is all over the place:

TexWisGirl said...

ha ha! i like you.

and considering what a rooster does to a hen's back, he got off easy...