Starling source...

[Mike62]

Does anybody have a domestic supplier of Starling skins they could recommend? I've bought mine from Cookshill in the past but the price is now more than I'm willing to pay at this point in the festivities. I see a lot of people selling Starling but never having purchased from any of them I'm in the dark as to the quality.

Thanks!

Mike

[driftless]

Mike,

I get a lot of stuff from J. Stockard.

...or if you have a bb gun, you know....

Paul

[joaniebo]

Mike

I've purchased quite a few starling skins from US suppliers ove the years but have gone back to buying them from Cookshill. Might be more expensive but I think his skins are the best. Maybe there's a US company that imports his materials but I'm not sure.

Bob

[ronr]

the usual fly shop varieties that I"ve found here in central oregon are ok... they are cheap, about $5 for a skin and I pick up new ones anytime I find a decent one. There's plenty of feathers for the small spiders I tie and can find usable feathers on any of the cheap domestic birds I buy. We are not overrun with strarlings in our part of the world, so I can't use the bb method.

[wsbailey]

Now is the ideal time to trap starlings. Even the Audubon Society condones it. Lots of ideas on YouTube. I found a hunter who shoots them so I have a few in the freezer. The males, with the longer neck hackles, are the most valuable.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I used to get them from Cookshill, and once from Denny Conrad of Conranch Hackle. For me it's quicker to just get them from J. Stockard https://www.jsflyfishing.com/hareline-starling-skin . I've ordered both the Hareline and Nature's Spirit and have a hard time telling the difference. They're not Cookshill, but they are cheap and readily available.

[Mike62]

Thank you, gentlemen. I'll give Stockard a try I think; I've bought other material from them with no trouble. I'd love to be able to shoot my own but I've never seen them this far north.

[Old Hat]

Aaron Ostoj often has some of good quality. About 2x the shop cost, you'll have to decide if worth it. He often has very nicely dyed options too and can custom dye for you.

https://www.aaronmostojfeathers.com/sto ... Skins.html

[zen leecher]

I think in the past the three sources I've used are 1) Great Feathers, 2) Blue Ribbon and 3) back yard.

Last I bought was from Great Feathers and it was a good skin.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Aaron Ostoj often has some of good quality. About 2x the shop cost, you'll have to decide if worth it. He often has very nicely dyed options too and can custom dye for you.

https://www.aaronmostojfeathers.com/sto ... Skins.html

Thank you, Carl. I've been trying to think of his name for months (that happens more often when you get old). I got some beautifully dyed starling from him at one of the expos out west. Thanks for the memory bump.