Someone has posted original scans of the feather plates from Leonard West's "The Natural Trout Fly and Its Imitation"(pg 73 through 91).
To you, Mike Conner, I say thank you, as well to the posting at the Fly Fishing in Maryland forum I lifted this from. I highly suggest the original post as Mike Conner, the poster, added many very helpful. personal notes that I don't feel is right to steal. The descriptions and plates are PD, but his information is not, please view it at its original site as long as its there.
Plates and annotation after the jump...
2. No. 2 is also a secondary wing feather from the wing of a hen pheasant, and is used
for march browns, and also for sedges.
3. Is from the tail of a cock pheasant, and is very good in colour and speckle, but not
good to work, as the fibres do not marry well ; the aider wing is sometimes made from this feather.
4. Similar to No. i , but from a lighter coloured bird.
5. Tail feather from a hen pheasant, a useful sedge colour.
6. From an Orpington cock ; a fine cinnamon, and easy to work.
7. This and many other varieties of finely speckled feathers are obtained from the capercailzie.
8-9. Were taken from a game hen, and are fine in the speckle, and good working feathers ; alders and march browns are sometimes imitated with this feather.
10-11. Are Bittern feathers, which have a great variety of colour and marking ; no finer imitation can be found for some of the sedges, &c. The fibre is soft and silky and marries very well.
15. Is from the wing of a French partridge, and very useful for sedges. Easy to work.
16-17. Tail feathers from a partridge, good in colour but long in the fibre, and very apt to break up rather badly.
18. Partridge wing ; fine in colour and easy to work, just right for a grass moth or a small sedge.
19. A quail wing feather, used whole to imitate the big sedge "Grandis."
20-21-22 Grouse feathers. There are also several other shades on a grouse, equally good and useful, both in colour and texture.
23-24. Woodcock wing feathers; probably about the easiest to manipulate as wings, and useful in quite a number of flies, e.g., oak fly, sedges, etc.
25-26-27 Are from a brown owl. For sedges they are very good, especially the larger ones, but they must either be tied thick or supported, as they turn very soft after getting soaked.
28-29. Good in colour and markings for dark sedges, but all night-jar feathers soon knock to pieces, being so soft and fluffy, but for wet flies they are very good indeed, while they last.
30-31. Are from a Landrail, which is a grand bird for the fly dresser. The feathers are pleasant to work, and very attractive to the fish.
34. Is from a tern or sea swallow, which has a number of hackles as well as wing feathers of a very delicate pale blue grey, decidedly suggestive of a variety of small duns. Grayling esteem this colour highly.
35. From our old favourite the starling, which, although one of the commonest, is among the most useful of birds, providing also small dark glossy hackles of fine quality.
36. Blackbird ; good alike in texture and colour for a dark coloured dun.
37. Coot or Waterhen wing ; a fine texture, and possessing just the right brownish tinge for many of the stone flies.
38. Peacock sword. Having been frequently asked what was meant by a sword, and also where the best green body herls are obtainable, we decide to illustrate this feather.
39, 40. Heron feathers, rather course in the fibre. Excepting the smaller feathers, all beautiful in colour, and the herl from a large feather makes a fine grey blue body.
41. Indian Runner duck, which, like all the other ducks, yields some very beautiful feathers.
42. Teal ; a beautiful black feather with white lines, more useful for sea trout than for brownies.
43-44. Widgeon duck (No. 43), of a rich velvety black with white edge ; makes good sedge's wings, and also Elytra for beetles. No. 44 has a strong showy marking, and is sometimes used for May-flies.
45. The brown mallard, which was at one time used for the wings of a great number of flies. The amateur may find difficulty in tying this and other duck feathers when used in sections. The best way is to cut out the desired section with a piece of quill attached, and cut this quill off after the wing is tied in position on the hook not before.
46. This is a rather expensive feather from a bustard, It is a great favourite, and a couple of fibres are very attractive as tails to almost any fly. The feathers are, unfortunately, soft, and the fibres break off short with continuous use.
47. Breast feathers from a teal ; although almost any duck will yield feathers like this.
The feathers having the finest speckle are those obtained from the Canadian Wood Duck, the Egyptian Goose, or the Indian Runner Duck.
2. Furnace Cock (neck).
3. Red Cock (neck).
4. Red with White List, Cock.
5. Red Cockerel.
6. Yellow or Brassy Cock.
7. Dark Badger Cock.
8. Yellow Badger Cock.
9. Pale Badger Cock.
10. Brown Badger Hen.
1 1. Game Hen.
12. Pale Game Hen.
13. Dark Game Hen.
14. Dark Cinnamon Hen.
1 5. Cinnamon Hen.
1 6. Dark Buff Hen.
17. Buff Hen.
1 8. Cree Hen.
19. Yellow Cree Cock.
20. Yellow Cree Cock.
21. Fine Cree Cock.
22. Black Cock.
23. Black Hen.
24. Green Black Cock.
25. Dark Blue Cock.
26. Dark Blue Hen.
27. Light Blue Cockerel.
28. Rusty Cock.
29. Rusty Hen.
30. Dark Honey Dun.
31. Medium Honey Dun.
32. Honey Dun.
33. Merlin or Blue Hawk.
34. Coot or Water Hen.
35. Dark Snipe (under wing).
36. Starling (under wing).
37. Grey Partridge (breast).
38. Brown Partridge (back).
39. Woodcock (dark back).
40. Light Woodcock (under wing).
41. Brown Owl (back or wing).
42. Grouse, Cinnamon.
43. Grouse, Speckled.
44. Grouse, Barred.
45. Landrail or Corncrake.
46. Curlew.
47. Golden Plover.
48. Ibis.
49. Parakeet or Love Bird.
50. Green Plover or Pewitt
Topping.
51. Dyed Hackles.
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