base coat of white gloss krylon or rustoleum (I prefer Krylon), 1-2 coats of color of your choice (again krylon is my preferred), crest with Tester's, then a final 2-3 coats of Minwax Polycrylic gloss. If you get the surface smooth with the paint each coat and allow ample time to dry between coats, it leaves a beautiful, durable finish.
Oh, and fletch tape works perfectly. The smoothness of the finish has a lot to do with how well it adheres...that's why I prefer the gloss. Use a dab of fletchtite at the tips of each end of the feather and you'll be ready for multiple pass-throughs.