Turkey tail

[UC Steve]

William, kindda beating a dead horse here, though a fairly interesting one. If the fly in the photo is actually tied by Gunnar Johnson, then I can only surmise that the guy who wrote the Swedish article, incorrectly illustrates & describes the fly. Confusing.

The writer states: "Biggest difficulty today is to find the dark mottled turkey tail feathers with white tips forming body material."

The writer clearly describes (& illustrates) a mottled section with white tip. The fly in Lance's photo is clearly built from the black/bronze tail band & white tip. Though the tail feathers you show are obviously superior quality, that patterning is by no means rare. There is a flock of wild Merriams living in the woods behind my place, all wearing tail feathers suitable for tying the black/white shown in the photo. It is the mottled with white tip that is hard to find.

What's going on? Am I the only one interpreting the article this way? Did Gunnar Johnson run out of the mottled/white tip & expand the definition of body material?...

[UC Steve]

And please don't get me wrong. Not wanting to argue or belabor a point so inconsequential. Normally I wouldn't respond to something like this. But I'm planning to publish an article featuring this fly, & the only authority I've been able to resource is this old Swedish article which, no matter how I cut it, describes a different dressing than what you are describing here...

Perhaps I'm being too fussy. As I'm seeing two distinct dressings (3 counting Roadkill's tri-color), maybe it would serve to include a note on alternate dressings in my essay on this pattern.

[letumgo]

Bumping an old thread, which is relevant to some other current posts