Tying Feathers Question

[azslabber]

I don't really know how to tye a feather to a jig.My question is:
How do you cut the feather to get it to look like hairs,like you guys all seem to do.I see the feather,look at the quill then it goes up to the tip and the quill disappears.I usually cut it on the quill a little so I can tye it to the hook shank,the quill that is.Do you cut horizontal to the quill and just tye the fluffy stuff?As you can see,I just use the whole end,lol.Non of yours look that way.Enlighten me.I've watched videos and they just throw the feather down and start tying.I've never seen HOW they prepared thier feather.I also know that there are a million kind of feathers that you use.Mine are all like the one in the picture,maribou I think.

[smoothlures]

Get the ends even on one side, pinch off how much you need for your jig, and pull away from the stem. The top 1/4 or so of most feathers is too small except for 1/64th and smaller jigs IMO. It does them pretty nice, but you still should cut off a 1/2" or so of the tip.

[azslabber]

Thank you smoothlures,I was going to try that,but,seemed like all the feathers would go on the table,lol.Got one coming up.Thank you.

[smoothlures]

Thank you smoothlures,I was going to try that,but,seemed like all the feathers would go on the table,lol.Got one coming up.Thank you.

Don't try to stack them, get all the ends together before you pinch them and pull them off. Then trim the butt ends however long you want then tie 'em in.

Make sure you start your thread first.

[azslabber]

I like it.Now I have to go and tie one of these grey or chartruse feathers to everything.lol.Same everything.Looks so much better.See,learn something new everyday,if you want to.

[RonDon]

There ya go AZ!

[azslabber]

Ronny boy,I've got a ton of RonDon's to do,lol.Thanks.

[skiptomylu]

Yes I pull the barbules off almost all my marabou and just lay it down and stack it until I get as much as I want. I will not leave a stem in unless it's so thin that it will not hurt the action. After I pick it up I cut the end I pulled off to get the length I want and tie it in.

Skip

[RonDon]

Ronny boy,I've got a ton of RonDon's to do,lol.Thanks.

I figured all those big mouths had eaten all those by now! I'll do you a favor and not show you a pic of the detail on some 1/8 and 3/16 fish heads.

[azslabber]

I like these feathers now,lol.I've had this bag of malibou since JJJ sent it to me as trade for that Boobie Head jig mold way back when,lol.Saw some tiny shad fry,so here's the smallest I've ever tied,that was'nt "junk",lol.Like a size 10 or 12 hook on a 1/80 brass minnowhead.Chartruse malibou and yellow floresent thread.Gonna tye a grey one the same way.Got to catch a fish someway.