My first attempt at married wings

[Iasgair]

I really like how this fly came out. It may not be perfect yet, but this fly will be called The Royal Guardian.

I wanted to expand my horizons and try to marry wings. This is my first attempt at it and I have to say I'm very happy with myself. But there's always room for improvement and I'm very open for any advice.

I really like my Queen's Guard fly, but it looks too much like another fly that already exists, so I changed it to this.



I found out that going to a hobby store that has goose feathers is a good place to get about ten feathers for about two dollars. But the problem is you'll end up getting eight right side feathers and two left side wings. But it doesn't matter because they are good practice materials and you may find some really nice feathers too.

[Sussex Micky]

I know nothing about fly fishing but I can certainly appreciate the skill needed to make this fly,wonderful

[RBTraditional]

That is a work of art, incredible attention to detail…..

[Dave Burr]

You have created a thing of beauty, I hope the fish appreciate it.

[Watermole+]

Goose is good-and I too have found it cheaper to buy packets of feathers from hobby and craft shops!
When practising, dyed swan feather fibres are the easiest to marry because they have larger 'hooks' on the edges.

Without 'preaching to the converted', and if you don't mind my passing on a couple of hints, I found that the surest way was:-
1. Always make sure that each strip for both sides has exactly the same amount of fibres.
2. After cutting the strips from the feathers, they tend to 'close up' and spring together to make a narrow strip with the edge 'hooks' closed, so before you lay them together for joining, hold each strip gently near its base and push the tips back with the fingertip to make them as broad as possible.
3. You can minimise the chances of the sections splitting by trimming both 'married' sides to the same length before tying them down.

Marrying mallard with widgeon or duck can be tricky because they are softer, but if you can make them to the standard of your first one, then you will have no problem!

Well done Sir!

wm+

[Ian]

Very nice iasgair and for a first try too. I find duck and jay to be the simplest, with starling and snipe being more difficult, hence the rolled wing when using them on wets.
The fly you have tied is worthy of royal approval and will catch fish