Porcupine quills

[Crosby]

Anybody out there tying with these? I have figureD out that you have to soak them in water overnight to work with them. Anyone tried dying them or anything? Making great bodies with them that float extremely well. Great small midge pattern - both dry and as an emerger.

[Larry S.]

Tim King does a lot of these. He demonstrated them up in Idaho Falls a couple years ago. I know him and Rob Mclean talked at great length about them.

As for me I finally came out of my hiatus and tied up a few yesterday(not quills) and the time off shows. I got to get my "fingers" back.

[Ouzel]

When I started using quills I had a real problem with them cracking and splitting. I ask a friend in Penn. who also happens to be a pro tyer and teaches tying what to do.
He advised, whatever quills you use, save a 1 lb. plastic butter container w/lid, buy or swipe some of your wifes hair conditioner (I use Swave) and mix a 50/50 solution in it. Soak the quills in this solution for at least 1/2 hr. (or more) before tying.
Bob Mclean says his porky quills do not need to be soaked, I have no experience with them.
Rather then going through the hassle of burning of quills and then dyeing them, buy the less expensive white capes with thin quills about 8" long. Tell your local fly shop what you want the cape for. Also buy artist "Pantone" pens or permanent markers available at fly shops (pricey) or at craft stores (cheaper) and they come in all colors. Buy the pens with a fine point or cut them to suit you.
I have found that if you want to get into dyeing you need some friends envolved with you for it to be worthwhile, because once you're all set up you might as well dye A LOT of quills/feathers. The pros do it all the time but they deal in hundreds of dozens of flies.
I just remembered; I believe Jason uses Mclean's quills maybe he or others can advise you further.
The burning off of feathers is easy and takes only about ten minutes.
Mix one cup of bleach with one cup water and heat a little in a old pan. Also have a glass of cool water and a glass of water with a tablespoon of baking soda mixed in.
Dip a bunch of feathers into the hot bleach solution and swish them around. WATCH IT, it takes only seconds to burn off the barbles and then your eating into the quills. When the quills look clean dip them into the glass of cool water for inspection. If they are clean dip them into the glass of baking soda solution; this stops the burning entirerly.
Simple, and you can do lots of feathers/quills for future use. The reason for buying white quills and pens is that it gives you great flexibility to tye different flies.

[jdubya]

Crosby, I use quills for some AK Best patterns: usually PMD and BWO patterns. I don't do enuf of these to justify having to burn and dye my own, so I use the store bought kind. I like the hen quills for the size 16/18, and for the 20's or lower, the porc' quills work well. I only use one quill per fly and set up a thread base first for the figure of the fly. i soak them in water on the bench for 10 minutes to 60 minutes: the dye does not bleed out. I know some do not soak the porc quills but I do and it does not seem to hurt anything.

They make a great body, great looking segmentations. People claim they are fragile but the rest of the fly (dun wings or parachute) are more fragile and bite the dust sooner than the body. Try em, you'll like em....

[Jason]

AK's Porcupine Quills are great. I've tied some killer looking baetis and PMD nymphs with them, including some great quill body midges and dry flies.

I particulary like the quills that are still attached to the skin. These are usually a little bigger in diameter, and the coloring and texture are cool. And as far soaking them, don't bother, porcupine quills don't need to be soaked at all, atleast that's what they say. I've never soaked them and have never had a problem with them. I highly recomend getting some.

[Crosby]

I have had to soak the porcupine quills to make them less brittle. Mayebe just a tough road kill. But they do not work unless they have been soaked--- tied many many flies with chicken quills- great- beautiful- but I don't feel they have the same properties as the porcupine quills that I am looking for with the patterns that I am working on. I'll keep messing with them until something else dead on the road turns my head. Thanks

[Curtis Fry]

Rob McClean is a great guy and his quill material is the best I've found. Almost any mayfly dry I tie, I use his quill stuff. A while back when he was starting off, he sent me some samples and since then I've been hooked. Rob's quills require no soaking (as opposed to those chinese necks) and they don't break down as the other types of quills tend to do over time. I've never soaked the porky quills and have never had a brittle break.

I've tied them on flies as small as #26 (for those Fall micro-Baetis on the Green) and they work great. They're great, you should try some out.

[Light Cahill]

Get a hunting "dawwwggg" with a low-intellect, and you can get him to collect dozens of porcupine quills for you. Poor fella!