White Peacock Herl?

[Guest]

Hello everyone, has anyone ever seen white peacock herl? I am looking for some to use on the fly for the Armed Forces.

 

Thanks

Jim

[Guest]

I had some white peacock herl. Came from a white peacock. I do not think I have it anymore though. COuld you use white ostrich herl in its place?

John

[Guest]

Hello John thanks for the response. I just tried some and it works and looks ok. But I think the peacock would make it look better. I will post a picture of it so everyone can see it.

 

Jim

[Guest]

JB,

Try some Ostrich herl, it comes in any color you want.

[Guest]

Here is the finished project. This is with a ostriche herl rope (2 pcs).

 

 

It is a red, white and blue pheasant tail.

 

Tail and body: Red pheasant tail,

Ribbing: Blue wire,

Wing case: Blue flashabou,

Thorax: White Ostriche,

Head: 8/0 Red thread.

 

Jim

[Streamside 0]

QUOTE (jbrowning @ Nov 8 2004, 11:02 PM)

Hello John thanks for the response. I just tried some and it works and looks ok. But I think the peacock would make it look better. I will post a picture of it so everyone can see it. Jim

Are you using it as a tag or head collar, or are you using it as a layer or topping? I have some beautiful peacock right now. My cock just molted his tail feathers and they are georgous. His life mate was killed last year, so he has been in mourning all year and had the most beautiful display I have ever seen on him. Some of his quills are 12"-14" wide with very thick long bright green hurls. I also still have some very nice copper bronze window bleached from last season.

 

John

 

[Streamside 0]

QUOTE (jbrowning @ Nov 9 2004, 12:00 AM)

Here is the finished project. This is with a ostriche herl rope (2 pcs). It is a red, white and blue pheasant tail. Tail and body: Red pheasant tail, Ribbing: Blue wire, Wing case: Blue flashabou, Thorax: White Ostriche, Head: 8/0 Red thread. Jim

OOps I didn't see your fly. We must have both been posting at the same time.

John

[Streamside 0]

You can bleach peacock using the same method I was discussing here on last weeks post. Bleaching If you leave it in the solution longer, the fiber will actually come away from the stem and the stem will bleach out white with a pale leading edge remaining light tan. This is excellent if you are tying quill body Pale Morning Duns. It makes a great ribbing effect.

 

John

 

 

[Guest]

If you have a Franks Nursuery by you look in the dried flowers section. I purchased a hand full of feathers from their not to long ago. there going out of business so there darn near free.

[Streamside 0]

QUOTE (flyingcrayfish @ Nov 9 2004, 07:28 AM)

If you have a Franks Nursuery by you look in the dried flowers section. I purchased a hand full of feathers from their not to long ago. there going out of business so there darn near free.

You can't get these at Frank's!

 

Actually there is a huge difference in quality of peacock hurl. The narrow bluish green peacock feathers you buy at Frank's, Michele's, White Rose, craft stores, Feather Craft or Hook & Hackle are from the common blue peacock and are relatively cheap. They usually run about $8.00 for 3 feathers. These are good for tying nymphs and such, but they are not good quality for classic salmon fly patterns.

 

My birds are from a very rare, pure line of the Java Greens from the Rodney Michael line. Java Green feathers sell for around $5.00- $7.00 each depending on quality. Java Green feathers are much thicker and a much brighter green. Highly sought after as the proper original peacock hurl for use in classic salmon fly patterns. You can easily tell the quality of a classic salmon fly and the level of the dresser by the quality of materials he uses. I have a list of classic dressers who only buy exclusively from me every year because of the quality of the hurls. As I was saying in my post above, this years feathers where exceptional. Normally he would be quite aggressive strut around like an idiot, displaying pruning and shaking his tail wildly for his mate and by the time he was ready to molt, there would be some degree of damaged feathers, but because he was mourning her death he kept his tail tightly bundled all season and moved around very little all year. As a result, his tail remained perfect all season. His display had over 250 perfect eyes this season and his center quills where over 2 meters long. The ones in the beer stein on my tying desk are all that I have left from this years harvest and they are the lesser quality feathers I kept for myself. The rest had already been spoken for a year in advance.

[Guest]

Hello Streamside, on your bleaching method. Where would I find these items at the beauty salon or Walmart or where? It's looking like that might be the way I have to go unless I can substitute another material.

 

Thanks

Jim

[Streamside 0]

QUOTE (jbrowning @ Nov 9 2004, 12:31 PM)

Hello Streamside, on your bleaching method. Where would I find these items at the beauty salon or Walmart or where? It's looking like that might be the way I have to go unless I can substitute another material. Thanks Jim

A beauty salon, but I doubt you want to pay $18.00 to bleach a few peacock hurls.

 

Here is a link. Susan sells all kinds of peacock feathers. It's much cheaper and a lot less messy. She has natural white as well as ivory or any other pea foul feathers you might need at reasonable prices.

Hope this helps

 

 

Susans Feathers

 

Peacock feather price list

 

White Peacock feathers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Thanks Streamside. I have already emailed her a question and am waiting for a reply. Remind me again, why would I want to bleach the peacock herl when I can get them already white.

 

Thanks

Jim

[Streamside 0]

Exactly!!