Need Help To ID a Feather

[Skip48]

Someone ask if I knew what kind of feather this is and I don't or don't remember so I was hoping that someone here may have the answer.

Thanks,
Skip
!cid_234134400@14042008-37e2.jpg

[Mike-Connor]

It?s a badger cock hackle. Like this one;

http://business.virgin.net/fly.fishing/matuka269.jpg

but with darker tips.

TL
MC

[Skip48]

It?s a badger cock hackle. Like this one;

http://business.virgin.net/fly.fishing/matuka269.jpg

but with darker tips.

TL
MC

Thanks and I should have known that since I have a Badger Cape, LOL! I just didn't look at it right since it's wider than the dry fly cape I have. I thought it may be something else. I guees this head cold I have had for a week is really taking my thinking to a new all time low.

Thanks again,

Skip

[Arnie]

The black edge on the tips looks like the India dry fly neck capes from days of old.
Good Fishing,
Arnie

[Eight Thumbs]

If you or your friends are trying to duplicate that look, you can do it pretty easily with a black Sharpie marker. It would be a lot easier than than hunting down the naturals. 8T

[Mike-Connor]

Thanks and I should have known that since I have a Badger Cape, LOL! I just didn't look at it right since it's wider than the dry fly cape I have. I thought it may be something else. I guees this head cold I have had for a week is really taking my thinking to a new all time low.

Thanks again,

Skip

It looks wide because it?s a spade feather, not a neck or saddle feather. These were once commonly used for tailing materials on dry flies. Apparently these are trimmed off genetic capes before they are packaged. Some are sold separately as tailing material, and have been bred out of existence on some blood lines. One can still find them on Indian cock capes. They are located on the edges of the neck capes. On the shoulders of the bird, between the neck and the saddle.




TL
MC

[Denny]

Without holding the actual feather in my hand I can not be sure if it has been doctored or not.

It appears as if it is from one of several shades of Gold Badger.
It also appears to be what we tiers call "spade feathers" which all chickens have naturally. Actually they are scapular feathers. They have not "bred out" just removed and packaged seperately by most breeders or shops, packaged and sold. We here at the Ranch leave them on the skin. The cut line happens to run right through the center of the patch of spades. If you buy either saddles or capes of dry fly roosters from us, you will get the spades for free. (I'm too lazy to pluck and package, plus I have a thing about ripping off the tier.) I strongly feel if you buy a skin that you should get all of the feathers that nature gave the bird.

The width of the center black stripe is not exactly the same on the Badger families. Some are very narrow, some much wider. If a tier requests a very thin black center I will try and match the tiers desire.

The feather we are talking about differs in size from very small to quite large.
They are located from the humerous (sic) first large joint below shoulder joint, up across the back, between the cape and saddle feathers, down to the same spot of the other wing.
I have been known to sell a pair of wings now and then to those wanting the very small spades. Not often though.

Hope this helps

Denny

[flyfshr]

Skip,

That feather you have is particularely interesting because not only does it have a black center (list) but it also has very prominent black tips! I believe that is extremely rare these days. It is fairly common to find chicken feathers that are ginger with a black list and that is called golden badger as others have already mentioned. It is also possible to find grey with a black list which is called silver badger and brown with a black list (called furnace). I think one can also find white feathers with black list but I don't believe that combination has a name. I have seen pictures of the badgers and furnace hackles with black tips but those combinations are almost impossible to find today (at least where I'm looking). Furnace with a black tip is called coch-y-bondhu. It was traditionally used to imitate a little beetle of that name. The other combinations don't have specific names that I know of so really you have some rare unnamed hackle that is closest to golden badger.

[Skip48]

Really interesting! I would have never thought this would go this direction.

Denny I bought your JV deal this year and I guess soon will need to try out one of you better more mature birds, maybe 2 or 3, LOL! I guess they are on the JV capes I got and as I understand it they are right on the cut so would be on both sides?

Thanks everyone,

Skip

[Denny]

Skip,

Yes, Spade feathers will be found on both the bottom of a cape, even on our JV roosters and at the top of our saddles.

Interesting note:
Schlopen are left on the saddles here at the Ranch, are found below the saddle hackle but above the tail feathers. Just lift the saddle hackle and Presto! the Schlopen, desired for tying many flies where dry fly quality is not desired or needed.

Any questions, just e-mail me direct at the Ranch and I will respond.

Denny