Basics Of Feather Fletching

Fletching refers to feathers or vanes on an arrow and the way they are arranged on the shaft. They stabilise the arrow during flight by causing the shaft to spin as it leaves the bow.

1)Parts of Fletching

Standard arrow fletching features three vanes or feathers. Two of them, the 'hen' vanes or feathers, create a flat path against the riser. The third one, which is 'cock' vane or feather, points away fromm the riser, when nocked to the string, and is often of a different colour.

2)Types of Arrow Fletching

The different types of arrow fletching are:

~Offset Fletching

1. This type of fletching may be used for both hunting and archery target shooting.

2. Three fletches are glued symmetrically onto the shaft, 120 degrees apart.

~Helical Fletching

1. Fetches are glued onto the shaft in a slight spiral (3-degree) fashion to provide more spin and greater in-flight stability.

2. Fletches also may be glued on at a slight diagonal angle to the long axis of the arrow shaft.

~Flu-Flu Fletching

1. For this type of fletching, turkey wing feathers are attached to the arrow shaft.

2. Flu-Flu arrows do not fly very far because of the increased resistance of the oversized fletching.

3)Materials used for Fletching

Traditionally, feathers were used to create fletching on an arrow. Plastic vanes have become more abundant in modern times because of their durability and colour variety.

4)Fletching size

Fletching profile should be wider than the cutting diameter of the broadhead being shot, or the arrow flight could be affected. It also should be 4-to-5 inches long to compensate for broadhead's size and weight.

If done accurately, fletching preserves speed, improves precision and maintains momentum. This gives your arrow a much greater impact after you shoot it.