Feather Girls

[luckie88]

Has everyone heard about this new trend in hair design for women? Apparently there has been alot of hackle, peacock eyes, marabou, and other feathers being used to dress for hair extensions and other things. I even heard from a local fly shop owner that stylists would come in and just clear them out of their saddle hackle and neck hackle, ect... He also said that Whiting may be doubling their price and same with others. It's a nice new trend and looks good, kinda. But in town I've seen girls walking around with about 125 bucks of hackle on their head. He also said that most have "wised-up and started going directly to the supplier (Whiting, ect...)" So get the stuff while you can before all the good stuff is all gone. Check out some of these links:

http://www.whitingfarms.com/prod_craft.html

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...1062ed1d424d73

So that's where all that missing hackle went the last time my girlfriend was over.

[Lake Erie High Ball]

It's a nice look but I bet it could be the beginning of pattern baldness.

Please don't anyone show my daughters, sisters, wife or girlfriend this thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CJOr...eature=related

[hugefish_80]

Great, thats all I need. I can see it now.

If I am alone:
Pretty girl to her friends " That creepy dude is still staring at us, let's get out of here..."
Me thinking "I really love the color of that one, I be I could tie some pretty awesome streamers with those"

If I am with my lady:
Me thinking "I really love the color of that one, I be I could tie some pretty awesome streamers with those"
Her as she bops me in the back of the head "Quit staring, I'm right here"

Either way, not gonna end well.

[CharlaineC]

the hair dresser near me does it and they charge an arm and a leg. i have been teaching a gentleman how to tie in the small resterunt next door to it and i tell you the looks i get when i pull out some conranch hackle. they drool. lol.

[Eric-WD]

reminds me of the 70s when my friends had similar items attached to alligator clips. Glad my daughter hasn't picked up on this trend as she knows where my hackle is and wouldn't hesitate to use it. This will go away in a year or less and something new will come about.

Eric

[Cold]

After a little digging, found this blog post I knew I'd read:

http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2010...arms-feathers/

[Fatman]

Just don't tell em where ya got it Char!!!!!! LOL but yeah I've seen it starting here in Vermont. When I told the two shops where I go to get stuff when I need it right now, they thought I was kidding. Now there asking if the ladies are hair dressers cause they don't want to sell it to them.

Guess I better ask the wife for some extra cash and stock up a few colors.

Gonna have to laugh though, I can see it now flytyers running by these women and snatching the hackle LOL

[maodiver]

All I can think is...oh no!! All that hackle, etc getting thrown away when the prom/dance/club, etc is over. Someone needs to get a business card into the salon, with a notification that because you want to help the environment and be "green" you will recycle all feathers when the ladies are done with them...most of them would surely appreciate it.

[chewydog]

The down side to all of this, increased demand will diminish supply. Some natural colors already sell out early season, especially with the big boxes buying them up.

[Buddy Sanders]

The upside to all of this:

Increased demand will cause increased production and an eventual reduction in prices for all of us.

This is not a zero sum game. If folks need more feathres, someone will grow them. And if the hair decoration market drives new demands for variations in color and type, then that's good for all of us.

Hackle prices aren't high because there aren't enough of them. They are high because they are a niche product with a pretty low demand level. There are not a lot of hackle companies. Adding a thousand new ones with the production capabilities of a Whiting or Metz will only make the prices, selection, and availability better.

Plus we can all laugh at the girls with chicken feathers stuck in their hair....

Buddy