Help!! I got a rooster for Christmas!!
So my girlfriends father is a good-ol boy who prefers to raise his own meat and some of his own greens. About a month ago I helped him chase the neighbors mean old rooster out of his barn. It was a big white monster as mean as the devil. Once we got him over to the neighbors ranch he hinted to me that if he had to chase that thing off again he was just gonna kill it. So I told him if he did to let me know and Id take it off his hands cause all that white hackle would work really well for striper flies. He just kinda laughed and I thought that was the end of it, but kinda hoping I got a call to pick up that big old rooster soon. Well on Christmas morning he dropped by to exchange some gifts and he handed me a sour cream tub that was full of seed and had a nice green bow on top. He just smiled at my bewilderment and asked my daughter to help him get the rest of the present out of his truck. They came back into the house with a cat sized carrying crate toting a dang LIVE rooster. It wasnt the big white one but a more common reddish/brown rooster. My daughter thought it was the best thing ever. I guess he figured that being a bird hunter I would prefer to kill it on my own. I dont mind that part, especially since I was reminded that roosters DO crow in the morning. And being a bird hunter I do know how to skin a bird without destroying the feathers. But here is what Im not sure of-
How do you prepare a cape?
Should a rub the fat off and add salt to cure the skin?
Should I place it between 2 flat objects to keep it from curling up during drying?
Can that reddish/brown color be bleached out and/or dyed into a brighter green or other color?
I really want to utilize this as much as I can. I may only tie a dozen trout flies a year but I could use the heck out of the stuff for bait fish patterns if I can get the colors right.
