Swampdrummer, are you cutting off a length of tape and then applying it to the feather?
If you are, you may find it easier to hold the feather in the jig's clamp, stick the end of the tape from the roll to the end of the feather, stick the tape along the quill, unrolling the tape from the roll as you go, and then cut the tape off at the end of the feather.
After the tape is pressed to the bottom of the feather, remove the backing tape and put the clamp in the jig to fletch the shaft.
Guy