Ian-
Other than the damage to the barbs, how can you tell
if feathers is infested with museum beetle? I recently
bought an Indian hen saddle on eBay, that I'm using
for throats and soft hackles. Some of the barbs look
like they've been cut off, they're shorter than the
rest of the barbs on the feather. I should have known
better, but when I got it I put in with the rest of my
necks and saddles. I have mothballs in the drawer, but
don't know if that will do any good or not. As soon as
I saw your email, I went and took the neck and put it
in the freezer, just worried that some my other items
might be damaged.
-John
Oregon
--- Ian Mitchell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Jimi,
>
> as a budget concious tier I have found that careful
> slection of
> indian/chinese hackles can give you a small quantity
> of different size
> hackles for your dry flies.
>
> If you are looking for flies to fish not to display,
> then you can trim the
> hackles to size.
>
> What to look for:
>
> 1) Make sure it is a cock hackle (rooster not a hen)
> 2) Avoid dyed capes.. naturals have much better
> feathers
> 3) Feathers should be stiff and shiny, with stiff
> barbs, not thin floppy
> dull or weak ones.
> 4) Examine feathers carefully as it maybee infected
> with museum beetle or
> similar.. eats the barbs of the feathers.. feathers
> will look as something
> has chewed bits of the barbs.
> 5) Examine the base of the feathers to make sure
> that the feathers are fully
> formed.. some time they kill them too early and the
> feathers arent all out.
>
>
> When tying with these feathers , use two back to
> back and wind in
> separately..
>
> Homepage:-
> http://www.angelfire.com/on/theriverbank
> SwapPage
>
http://www.angelfire.com/on/theriverbank/ftswaps.html
>
>
>
>
>
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> Choose an Internet access plan right for you -- try
> MSN!
>
http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/default.asp
>
=====
The River-
You passers-by, who share my journey,
You move and change,I move and am the same;
You move and are gone, I move and remain.
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