Prairie Chicken and Ash

[tie2fish]

Rummaging through my plastic bin of "Special Feathers" as I sometimes do in search of inspiration, I came across a baggie of hen Prairie Chicken feathers generously gifted to me back in 2011 by fellow member and friend Doug ("Dougsden) Duvall. I had forgotten how subtly marked and incredibly soft these little neck feathers are; the resulting fly does not fully do them justice.

Hook: Daiichi 1530 Size #16
Thread: Pearsalls Gossamer #10 Ash
Hackle: Hen Prairie Chicken from neck area

[Theroe]

Very nice Mr. Bill(as usual)..... It’s even better with the gifted feathers from Doug!
Keep them coming

[letumgo]

Wonderful, on many levels...

[tie2fish]

Thanks, gents.

[hankaye]

tie2fish, Howdy;

So plain so drab yet such elegance, each wrap of thread is twisted the same amount with
the same tension their diameter the same. Narry a lump nor bump the entire length just
a gentile rise for the thorax and a minimal hackle. It just don't get any better.

hank

[DOUGSDEN]

Bill,
What a wonderfully beautiful pattern! I remember the prairie chicken feathers that I sent to you! They really are special to work with! You have taken these beauties and elevated them with your special craft and talent to a new level. And, it is gorgeous!
I have a sad note to pass along concerning my supplier of p.c. feathers. The gentleman's name is Paul Marty and today, he passed away after a prolonged illness! How ironic this is that you post your beautiful pattern with the very feathers he graced me and then you....
Paul owned property out west somewhere that was blessed with prairie chickens and ring necked pheasants but very few Hungarian Partridges. I used to give him a shopping list of what I liked and prairie chickens were what they shot the most of! He would roll them up with a generous coating of salt on the greasy side and then freeze them and bring them home to me. I would immediately pluck the hides when I rec'd them and sort of categorize the feathers and store them away!
I will miss Paul not only for his abiding friendship thru the years but also for his happy giving of feathers that would have otherwise ended up on the wind!
Thank you Bill for creating such loveliness out of these basic materials!
Doug