As far as a book goes. The best I can come up with is a manual from 1980 titled Hunters Wanted Now by Ed Story. In this Ed writes of how to form a mail catalogue business of selling fur and feathers to fly tiers from animals shot by the hunter or trapper. There is a section on the feathers needed by the tier. They are listed as follows:
Wild Duck Wings - Matched pairs of duck wings from drake mallard, drake green wing teal, and drake pintail.
Wild Duck Flank Feathers: found on the side of the drake duck under the wings.
Mallard drake flank feathers: found on the side of the drake mallard under the wing. White to light grey in color with fine black lines.
Drake wood duck flank feathers: possibly the most important flank feather in tying trout flies and many salmon and steelhead flies. On the drake wood duck there are two types of flank feathers. Both are found mixed together on the sides of drake wood duck under the wing. The most important of the two is referred to as the lemon wood duck flank feather because of its color. It is lemon in color with fine black lines. Th other important feather is called the black and white tip lemon wood duck flank feather. The tips of this feather have bands of alternate black and white very pronounced and easy to see. They are mixed in with solid lemon colored flank feather.
Drake green wing teal flank: the feather are white with a fine black line and found on the sides under the wing of the drake green wing teal.
Pintail drake flank: the feather is very much the same color as the greenwing teal flank feather and often they are mixed with greenwing teal feather. The larger size pintail flank feather is much too large a feather to mix with teal feathers and it also has a dark brown fine line in the color pattern. The true greenwing teal flank feather is white with a true black fine line.
Drake mallard belly feathers: gray white belly feathers from the drake mallard. The feathers are used by fly tyers for wings on fan wing dry flys and cheeks on streamer fly patterns.
Drake wood duck belly feathers: the belly feathers from a drake wood duck are pure white without any lines running through the feather. This feather is used by the fly tyer to tye fan wing trout flys.
The other common used feather from a duck today is the CDC or cul de canard or duck butt feather. It comes from the oil glans located near the butt of the duck. These feathers are used on dry and emerger patterns for wings.
As far as associating the tying material to specific fly patterns ... a lot could be written on this subject. Your best bet is to check with local fly fisherman or fly shops for specific patterns in your area that use duck materials.
Tight Lines ... Fred
Wild Duck Wings - Matched pairs of duck wings from drake mallard, drake green wing teal, and drake pintail.
Wild Duck Flank Feathers: found on the side of the drake duck under the wings.
Mallard drake flank feathers: found on the side of the drake mallard under the wing. White to light grey in color with fine black lines.
Drake wood duck flank feathers: possibly the most important flank feather in tying trout flies and many salmon and steelhead flies. On the drake wood duck there are two types of flank feathers. Both are found mixed together on the sides of drake wood duck under the wing. The most important of the two is referred to as the lemon wood duck flank feather because of its color. It is lemon in color with fine black lines. Th other important feather is called the black and white tip lemon wood duck flank feather. The tips of this feather have bands of alternate black and white very pronounced and easy to see. They are mixed in with solid lemon colored flank feather.
Drake green wing teal flank: the feather are white with a fine black line and found on the sides under the wing of the drake green wing teal.
Pintail drake flank: the feather is very much the same color as the greenwing teal flank feather and often they are mixed with greenwing teal feather. The larger size pintail flank feather is much too large a feather to mix with teal feathers and it also has a dark brown fine line in the color pattern. The true greenwing teal flank feather is white with a true black fine line.
Drake mallard belly feathers: gray white belly feathers from the drake mallard. The feathers are used by fly tyers for wings on fan wing dry flys and cheeks on streamer fly patterns.
Drake wood duck belly feathers: the belly feathers from a drake wood duck are pure white without any lines running through the feather. This feather is used by the fly tyer to tye fan wing trout flys.
The other common used feather from a duck today is the CDC or cul de canard or duck butt feather. It comes from the oil glans located near the butt of the duck. These feathers are used on dry and emerger patterns for wings.
As far as associating the tying material to specific fly patterns ... a lot could be written on this subject. Your best bet is to check with local fly fisherman or fly shops for specific patterns in your area that use duck materials.
Tight Lines ... Fred
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