Tying with Woodduck Flank

By Bob Petti

	Woodduck flank feathers are without a doubt one of the most beautiful feathers in all of nature. Their utility as a fly tying material is legendary - and deservedly so. They can be used in many different ways in a variety of fly styles. Certainly for trout fly tyers, woodduck flank feathers possess magic powers.
See some patterns utilizing Woodduck Dry Flies  Wet Flies  Streamers  Nymphs

I have to admit a particular fondness for woodduck flank. Ever since I was given my first baggie of feathers from a duck hunting friend, I was smitten. The color - the texture - the barring of the feathers - like so many natural fly tying materials they have a natural beauty above and beyond the world of fly tying. The fact that they are so useful as a material for trout flies makes my modest stash of feathers one of my most prized possessions. Indeed, you truly can never have too many woodduck feathers.

The terms woodduck, summer duck, and mandarin duck are oftentimes used interchangeably in fly tying texts, most often in the context of the buff colored barred flank feathers. Summer duck is a nickname that has been used for both the mandarin duck and the woodduck, there are in fact two distinct birds behind all these feathers. The woodduck, Aix sponsa, is native to North America while the mandarin duck, Aix galericulata, is native to Asia. The two are closely related biologically, the hens being almost indistinguishable in appearance, but the drakes are quite distinct on the water. However, it is the flank feathers of the drakes that are of great interest to fly tyers. They are so nearly identical that one can easily be used as a substitute for the other in all but the most strict tying recipes.

Undoubtedly the most common and well known use for woodduck flank feathers is the wings of dry flies. In fact, the upright and split woodduck flank wings on such flies as the Quill Gordon and the Hendrickson is the hallmark of Catskill style dry flies. It's not the only use for these precious feathers, however. Woodduck flank feathers are used in flies ranging from tiny emerging midge imitations to large trolling smelt streamers.

The feather on the left is broad with a flat top, which makes it a candidate for dry fly wings. The feather on the right is not appropriate for dry fly wings by itself, but it could be if matched with a similar feather. It also would make a decent wing on a flatwing style streamer like a Wood Special.

When tying a "rolled" wing of woodduck flank on a wet fly such as a Hendickson, separate a section of feathers that have even and uniform tips, such as these.

The feather on the right is fairly wide and "thumbnail" shaped, perfect for a shoulder on a Rangeley style streamer. Notice how it retains a broad shape when the base fluff has been removed. The feather on the left is far too narrow for a shoulder, but would serve nicely as the wing on a "flatwing" style streamer.

Dry Fly Wings
As we mentioned above, dry fly winging is the most common use of woodduck flank feathers. While most tyers use a single feather for winging their dry flies, some use a pair of feathers, especially on larger flies like a size 12 Quill Gordon. For dry flies that utilize a pair of feathers, elongated feathers are more suitable. For flies that will use one feather to form the split wings, the "triangle" shaped feathers are perfect, especially the ones with a very flat top edge with few broken barbules.

Etcetera
This article was slanted heavily toward the use of woodduck flank feathers in trout flies. While this is certainly their most common use, it is not the only type of flies in which they can be used. Mark Waslik's "Camp Fly" is a salmon fly in the tradition of Earnest Crosfield that uses woodduck flank as the topping. Some of the classic lake flies shown in Mary Orvis Marbury's book has wings of woodduck flank. I've also seen examples of bass baitfish flies that make use of woodduck.

Talk to me
Do you have interesting uses for woodduck flank? Do you use it in some special flies? Do have have a favorite trick or tip you'd like to share? If so, write me and I'll update this feature with your thoughts and ideas.

Next to the "waste" feather is a handful of flies that make use of woodduck flank for nymph an emerger tails and legs. The CFC loopwing emergers were tied for the Hendrickson hatch on the West Branch of the Delaware. Not the easiest fly to see on the water, but it's effective.

Go to article start ^ User comments

From: Ken Iwamasa · Iwamasa·at·colorado.edu Submitted May 31st 2008 I am in need for whole wood duck skins. do you know anyone, hunters, etc, retails, that deals with them? From: Bob Petti · bob_petti·at·yahoo.com Submitted February 23rd 2007 Here is a bit on the Wood Duck Heron, posted to the streamers@ list back in 2001. ... Hi guys, Here's something I had forgotten I had which was forwarded to me by Mr. Watson from David Benoit: --------------------------------- The Wood Duck Heron Fly I was first introduced to this pattern by its originator, Nick Lambrou of Manchester, NH. I was fishing Sky Pond in Holderness New Hampshire 12-15 years ago when Nick gave me the fly. He had tied it to imitate an emerging hexagenia and it does very well at taking rainbows during a "hex hatch". I also thought the fly would be a good forage fish imitation when fished as a streamer pattern. I have not tied or fished a muddler pattern since using a Wood Duck Heron as a streamer. It is an easy pattern to tie, but the large premium lemon wood duck feathers used for the pattern are getting more difficult to obtain. Materials: Hook 2-3 xl nymph or streamer size 8-12. Thread 8/0 Uni color optional. Tail none Body none Ribbing none Wing One large premium lemon wood duck flank feather with the stem through the center of the feather. Collar One soft Light or Medium Dun Hen hackle. Tying Instructions: 1. Attach the thread to the hook and wind backwards 1/3rd the length of the shank. 2. Prepare the wood duck feather by stroking the barbules on both sides of the stem back towards the butt leaving a tip to attach the feather to the shank of the hook, (soft hackle style). 3. Tie in the wood duck feather by the tip and wind the thread forward to just behind the eye of the hook. The barbules should extend 1 gape length beyond the bend from the tie in point. 4. Fold the wood duck barbules back on either side of the stem and wind the feather forward leaving room for the collar and a small head. Bind down and trim excess. It is important to get the flat underside of the stem against the shank of the hook when winding the feather. 4. Select a soft hen hackle with barbules approximately 1-2 hook gapes long. Prepare the feather the same as the wood duck and tie in by the tip. 5. Fold the barbules back and wind forward to just behind the eye leaving room for a small head. Bind and trim. 6. Form a small head with the thread, whip finish, and cement. 7. You may need to stroke the wood duck feather to get the nice uniform shape to the fly. I have experimented with dyed mallard flank feathers in various colors along with different colored collars. The proven variations are as follows: Medium Dun Mallard with Orange collar. Chartreuse Mallard with Medium Dun collar. --------------------------------- Chris Del Plato Long Valley, NJ From: Dave Wilson · dwils9·at·verizon.net Submitted February 22nd 2007 I just started using wood duck flank feathers last fall and they have become one of my favorite tying materials. I saw a Wood Duck Heron fly mentioned in a recent article. Do you know where I can find a recipe for this fly. Thanks for any help you can givem. This is an excellent resource. From: Russell Norville · norville·at·cableone.net Submitted December 8th 2006 I am a duck hunter in west tennessee and i am a beginner fly tyer. Which feathers of wood duck and mallard are the feathers i need to keep? Also, do i need to do anything special to them? thanks. From: Salvatore Ilardi · ymmasvorv61·at·hotmail.com Submitted November 19th 2006 Hello , hope you are well. I have just discovered this site. Quite impressed. Im fairly new to fly fishing and im sure i will learn a great deal from this site. Here in Australia we have a species of wild duck that we call the Wood duck. In your opinion do you believe that this bird and the flank feathers are similar. I have many of this feathers in my collection. Would they be of use as the same patterns and others that you have discribed. Please excuse my ignorance on the subject.

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