[ChromeFever]

I am having a hard time finding good quality materials lately? Wondering if anyone would care to send me some options on this. Looking for good quality Marabou and rhea? I think thats how you spell it. If you dont want to post it here for everyone to see feel free to send me a PM............

Thanks in advance!

 

[flytyer]

The Asian bird flu epidemic has made good marabou hard to get. There is some available, but you have to buy it with the understanding that you may have to send it back because it is not good quality. All you can do is try and see if different shops around the country have any.

Rhea can be gotten from Siskyou Aviary of Oregon. Not cheap, but good stuff. Aaron (speybum) of River Run Anglers (one of the site sponsors) has some nice Rhea and may have some good marabou. Also, Red Shed (another site sponsor) may have some good marabou. I'd also check with The Fly Shop, Western Rivers, Anglers West, and Whistler Flyfishing, sponsors all.

 

[o_clarki_clarki]

if it is rhea you are looking,i found a great place for feathers in the 6-12 inchs range at $.60 a piece and the 12-22 are $1.60 a piece. the site is not a sponsor so PM and i will give you the address if you want it.

also, i have been buying tons of stuff from ebay and another website that is not a sponsor but is located in Wyoming and has damn near everything you need at reasonsable prices!

Vinnie

edit.... that should read 27 cents a piece

 

[o_clarki_clarki]

P.S

the quality of ebay stuff varies from seller to seller and i have been sticking with a couple of guys from Canada that have great prices and is worth the wait from customs. this came from trial and error. I hit the local fly shops for other things like thread but find myself going back to ebay to buy bulk 6/0 and 8/0 threads by the box.


Aaron, as flytyer pointed out, has probably the best marabou around. Hit him up as he has plenty.

vinnie

 

[BLACK FRANCIS]

i have a question and i would like to state upfront that i am not trying to be a wise ass, lest it get misconstrune. what type of marabou are we talking about as i thought it came from domestic turkeys and i can't see the asian bird flu angle? if we are talking about turkey there doesn't seem to be any problem getting good stuff in the east and it all comes from oregon. i may be ignorant of the details here and would like to be informed. thanks guys.

 

[o_clarki_clarki]

BF,

wise ass!! just kidding, a good rebuttal and I would like to know as well.

Vinnie

 

[flytyer]

BF,

There are a lot of turkeys raised in Asia and the vast majority of the strung marabou (especially the fine stemmed 4"-6" stuff used on large #1/0 and larger marabou spiders came from there, even if sold by US fly tying material distributors like the one from Oregon). The bird flu has hurt the amount of larger marabou with the fine stems because the turkeys raised in Asia have been hit by it just like the chickens. Very few of the domestic US turkey producers take the time to keep the marabou they get from the birds when they are processed. And virtually no domestic US turkey producer or feather distributor will pay to have employees stack and sew the feathers together because of cost. That is why most of the marabou we have comes from Asia, the cheap labor there makes is cost effective to sew the loose marabou into strung marabou and also makes it cost effective to sort the marabou into various sizes instead of tossing all sizes into a large bag without being strung.

 

[o_clarki_clarki]

Russ,

thanks for explaining that as i had no idea!

vinnie

 

[BLACK FRANCIS]

thanks, flytyer. i am no longer ignorant of the details.

 

[Philster]

BF,

There are a lot of turkeys raised in Asia and the vast majority of the strung marabou (especially the fine stemmed 4"-6" stuff used on large #1/0 and larger marabou spiders came from there, even if sold by US fly tying material distributors like the one from Oregon). The bird flu has hurt the amount of larger marabou with the fine stems because the turkeys raised in Asia have been hit by it just like the chickens.

So who's still taming their marabou by going fingers to mouth to feathers... fingers to mouth to feathers... fingers to mouth to feather...

 

[Undertaker]

Damn, Philster, I was just tying with marabou the other day, and now that's all I can think about. I feel kinda sick...