[Barry Robertson]

Anyone know what to use to make the stripped quill go a pale cream colour?
Surely you just dont stick them in a tub of bleech do you?
Any ideas?

[Sandy Nelson]

Baz

I dont quite understand, the question, do you want the whole quill to be cream? or just half of it like normal?

If you still want it to look segmented, then have you tried stripping standard eye herl and then varnishing it and winding it over a white thread base whilst still wet? It may take on the colour of the thread, I know if you leave a tiny gap between the windings of the thread showing through, then you can extend the paler section of the quill.
This is how i tie Quill Diawl bachs in various colours (i do use dyed eyes though, but they are translucent when wet).
never seen eyes dyed cream or white though.

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Example sake : the fulling mill traffic light buzzer has a quill body but the quill looks a pale cream colour over a black thread!
I thought it was died quill!
Quill being stripped from the peacock eye!

[Sandy Nelson]

Quill being stripped from the peacock eye!

Always You get more colour

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Even popped to the shops tonight and got some Jolen wifey hair bleach and still no joy, one day i will show you what i mean as i cant explain it in words 

[Sandy Nelson]

Piccies help

I'm still getting you

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Ok if you go to this store and search the discription below

http://wellbanklochans.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ewellbanklochans%2eco%2euk%2facatalog%2f&WD=traffic%20light&SHOP=%20&PN=FULLING_MILL_FLIES_%2d_SPECIALS%2ehtml%23a256910#a256910

Fulling Mill Traffic Light Buzzer

This is the affect i am after , and the quill looks a pale colour

[Sandy Nelson]

Sorry baz

Couldn't get the link to work, i get no pictures

I tried this too  http://www.fullingmill.com/catalogue.htm

Couldn't see the fly in there? Mind you it makes a great on line fly box, if you want to see what certain patterns look like, except for the one we want

There must be an image somewhere

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

Sandy,
The link doesn't work, but the url is correct, just doesn't like opening. I went and had a look (how sad am I ) try http://www.wellbanklochans.co.uk/acatalog/FLIES.html then use the search function and search on traffic light. Works for me 

Hamish 

[Sandy Nelson]

Cheers hamish

That'll be this one then



 

Sandy

[Sandy Nelson]

Baz

I've just gone a quickly stripped a quill from a natural peacock eye.
It looks about the right colour, to me anyway



The black is pretty intense on the fly, so either the thread is left a little showing between the gaps, or they have better defined herl than me.
I did wonder if it was just thread for a while, but it has that Peacock herl thing about it ??? It may of course have a black thread or floss rib over the top

Sandy

[Dave Mundie]

I recall an article about that fly in a magazine was it trout fisherman or something.

Dave

[Barry Robertson]

It looks spot on sandy! How about you try and match that photo?
Have tried with alsorts but still dont manage to get that affect 

[Hamish Young]

Have you wound the black floss and the stripped herl together

[Barry Robertson]

Together ???
I would normally just tie the black in all the way to the bend then catch in the herl , bring the black up in touching turns then rib with the herl

[Hamish Young]

Yup, build up a smooth underbody (not too much obviously......) then simply wind the floss and herl in butting turns as one along the body.

Unless someone beats me to it, may try and post a piccie or two of what I mean 

[Barry Robertson]

Would be most appreciated if someone could as iam getting no where quick here 

[Sandy Nelson]

Right, had a wee play.

Stripped natural quill, wound with spaces left to let thread show through, almost use the herl as a rib, keep it even and you get pretty close.



Looks quite nice in orange



Doing it in Touching turns, make a nice quill body, but doesn't look like the fly you want.
I tied in the herl by the tip and then made a smooth underbody with one layer of silk down to the bend tying in the herl, and one back up to the head.
Then in open turns wound on the herl, once its varnished it looks smooth.
I reckon the Actual fly is done using synthetics as a natural herl tapers and the photo of the fly does not

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Very nice , bravo 
Just kidding, only wish my ones looked like that!
Will persevere and post my pic later 

ok excuse the amateur here , when you say silk, does it matter if i use utc thread? or are they both the same?

[Sandy Nelson]

"silk"

Figure of speech, Baz Sorry, i was using 6/0 unithread.

Was i close enough then, as what you was describing you do, was pretty much what i did

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Exactly the same but for some reason your Natural quill is alot lighter in colour than mine, looks like i will have to pop round to the shop AGAIN!
thanks for taking the time out anyway to do the demos 

[Sandy Nelson]

Are you using Eyes?

The eyes give you much better quills.

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

They are quite short fibres at the eye, to be honest i was using the fibres about an inch down from the eye!
Do you think there is that much difference?

[Derek McLaren]

[Sandy Nelson]

Nice