Oval Tinsel Substitute

So you want to tie a streamer body of flat tinsel and ribbed with oval tinsel and you search and search for the oval tinsel and you come up empty. Do not fear! Here is a simple trick for making your own. It wont replace the real thing but it will serve as a substitute.

Tie in the flat tinsel and wrap the tinsel in touching 

turns to the bend of the hook. 

(I like to attach hackle pliers to the tinsel at this point)

Begin twisting the tinsel from the flat ribbon to a rope 

configuration. Pay attention to the twisting of the tinsel so that you get a 

silver rib on a silver body.

Wrap the tinsel into a tight rope.

Wrap the ribbing forward and tie off.

You now have a smoothly wrapped tinsel body with a rib of 

twisted tinsel that substituted for the real oval tinsel.

Continue to finish the fly.

Thanks for looking.

Imitation Jungle Cock

Here is an easy and inexpensive way to make a jungle cock substitute by Dick Talleur

Tt wont actually replace the real thing but for fishing flies who cares! 

Keep the real jungle cock for your museum quality flies

You don't really have to use the brass template to make the imitation.

All you need is a feather that has a white spot in the center of the stem as shown in the first photo and a pair of scissors. 

Just strip away any waste barbs and trim the guinea feather to the approximate shape shown in the third photo on the left.