1 25th May - One way to improve performance on arrows is to make the fletches smaller. It reduces accuracy and reduces drag. In clouting, we're kinda aiming at the ground so it seems a little more distance and a little less precision is a workable trade.
2 So we move to this groovy gadget, lent me by Steve Mudd (cheers Steve!). The two black strips grip the edge of the little bit of quill that you normally glue to the arrow, and hold the fletch against the outline just visible on the metal plate. Opposite that is the blade in the lid. You close the gadget, wallop gently with a rubber hammer, and presto - a low-profile fletch cut from a bigger one.
3 This is where I feel smug because I picked up 2 bags of 3" para fletches in my green from the Longbow Shop bargain bin, unable to resist them despite not really having a use for them, and they provided the material to cut down leaving the 2.5" paras I'd bought spare for the next set.
