I'm looking for information on feather trimming

[crappieman58]

Being a newbie I was wondering if you just use the neck hackle end and throw the rest of the feather way or do you trim it and use as much of the entire feather as possible.

Thanks in advance for your time and suggestions.

[PA_Slabs]

typically I use the end for jigs 1/32 oz. and larger and save the rest of the feather for smaller jigs.

[skiptomylu]

I make my tails different than most and I use the rest of the feather on my tail or some of it. I don't trim it though. Even after I cut off the parts I use in my tails I still keep the rest for what ever comes up.

Skip

[crappieman58]

I make my tails different than most and I use the rest of the feather on my tail or some of it. I don't trim it though. Even after I cut off the parts I use in my tails I still keep the rest for what ever comes up.

Skip

Skip the jigs I bought from you all look like you use the very tip of the feather on them so I wondered what do you do with the rest of the feather. Using just the tip would use a lot of feathers.

[skiptomylu]

Have you watched my slide show? Check it out and you will see I cut the tip off and I cut the rest of the stem into about 1/4" pieces which make what looks like a V. I take one tip and stack 2 V's on top, then pinch it all together and tie that in. That is whey my jigs tails have that extra pieces of feather sticking out looking a lot like hair or something. You should be able to see it on that slid show and can be found in the sticky's at the top of the page.

So I cut the rest into the little V's and use what I need and put the rest in a zip lock where I have the feahter I have not cut yet. I leave a little of that next to the fluff on the feather and keep it in another zip lock for other uses, maybe on my jigs or on a fly or small jig, just what ever may come up. I have a bunch of this stuff for ever color I have. I only trow it away if nothing useful is left as some feathers (small ones) just don't have enough left to use.

Skip

[crappieman58]

Skip I must be blind. I'm trying to find that slide show you mentioned and can't find it.

[skiptomylu]

You saw it one time because you posted on that thread. It's one of the sticky post at the very top on the jig tying board??

Here is the link and yeah you got to be blind, LOL!
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...tying-jig.html

[crappieman58]

Got it now. Thanks again Skip!!

[skiptomylu]

Okay good and your welcome.

Skip

[eriksat1]

The good thing about the end of the feather like marabou is you want the fluffy barbules of the end of the feather because of its criss cross net like texture, it is those fluffy ends of the feather that get stuck in the sand paper like teeth on the jaw/lip and gills of the crappie so they have a hard time spitting it back out, it is the velcro effect that gives you extra time to set the hook. That is why I like marabou over hair, or just the long stringy feathers. They may look nice but it is the real fluffy marabou that you want, or what I want anyway.