Stripping Rhea

[younggun]

This is how i fail to strip and then finally get it to work for me. The first half of the one side just didn't want to come apart.

<a href="http://i234.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid234.photobucket.com/albums/ee209/droussanidis/P3200200.flv" target="_blank">http://i234.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid234.photobucket.com/albums/ee209/droussanidis/P3200200.flv</a>

[Big Buck]

Y.G. i cant get your video to play, and have NO idea what you are talking about, i must just be to old school..,  or just old period....

[queets guy]

Rhea is tuff for me to work with.  Definitly not my favorite of material to tie with either, but it sure looks dang good on flies.  Ill stick with schlappen, marabough, spey hackle, guinea....the norm. lol

[younggun]

Rhea is a large feather that looks somewhat like an ostrich feather. In the video I show how to strip the sides of the rhea feather in order to be able to palmer it like a large hackle. If anyone would like some flies PM me. I will be doing a tutorial on how to tie one of these up in the next couple days, once i get a chance to sit down and tie peacefully. If anyone has any questions or comments, pm me.

Thanks

This is why I tie with Rhea.

[Ironhead]

Nice flies YG, Rhea works well for jigs as well, if you don't mind $7 jigs, definately no dredging with these.

[younggun]

My rhea stocks are plentiful, i enjoy the T-14.

some more flies.

[NWRetics]

them jigs and flys look sick! why do those feathers cost so much? and instead of ripping them can you cut them w/ a razor blade? keep up the good work guys!

[Juan de Fuca]

Good looking flies YG. I'm curious to know what you are using for your loop material? (Fire Wire? Ty-Ger? Stainless braid?)

I've found that I like stiffer loop material such as Ty-Ger in order to keep the hook orientated in an "up" position, in relation to the downward position of the barbells. Sort of carrying one of the benefits of jig fishing to swinging flies. I have noticed that my hook-up to take ratio has dramatically increased as long as I can keep the hook orientated up instead of flopping around in any position. Does any one else have these same thoughts or similar? (the upward hook also seems to be less prone to snag on deep swings)

Thanks for the quality photos of quality flies.



 

[younggun]

Juan de Fuca, both your points are valid, i like the eyes on the bottom of the shanks, and i like my hooks to face up. My trailer material is 65lb fireline. The old stuff, which essentially is synthetic wire. Its nice and stiff, and can fit through the eye of a #1 just fine.

NWRetics- the reason for the high price of the feathers is that they are hand picked, hand died, and collected off the ground after a bird has "shed" its plumage. Plus there just aren't that many rhea birds around.  I find rhea makes much nicer looking, fishing, and durable flies compared to ostrich. I've attempted with the razor blade but you get to much meat of the feather. When you strip the rhea as shown you get the membrane on the exterior of the stem and fibres, allowing you to easily tie in and palmer the fibres, when split down the centre you can't palmer. I also spin the fibres in a waxed dubbing loop. Either way produces nice flies.

thanks for the comments

YG