Coq De Leon

[mickporter]

I have some coq de leon feathers which have been brought into the UK by a friend who visited Spain recently.

They are beautiful feathers, but packed in small quanties of several Pardo colours.

I noticed recently that Whiting Coq De Leon capes and saddles are being sold on Ebay quite cheaply.

I wondered if anyone has used these, and if so have they compared them with the original feathers from Leon?
I have no idea where on the bird the feathers I own come from. If I buy some of the whiting feathers, should I buy capes (necks) or saddles?
Presently I only use the feathers for tailing due to their cost and my only owning a few treasured feathers. On a cape I will have lots more feathers than I can use for just tails. So what else have members used them for?? Are the whiting capes short enough in the hackle length to use them for dry fly hackles??

Lots of questions but I would be interested in knowing more before I buy!!!

[Hans Weilenmann]

Mick,

Those feathers are found between the shoulders of the bird. Not the neck, and not the saddle.

Tom Whiting sells the full pelts, but the traditional method still in use in Spain is to pluck the feathers off the live bird in a regular, periodic harvest.

I was in Leon, Spain, this past summer and saw the feathers being harvested from a rooster. Was fascinating to watch and photograph.

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

Just a little gee whiz here for anyone wanting to read it:

[url=http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/coq_de_leon.htm:140b2]www.flyfishinghistory.com/coq_de_leon.htm[/url:140b2]


Mike

[StevenOjai]

A friend of Ed Gallop... Paco Soria, contacted me a couple of years ago. He grows Coq de Leon roosters in Spain. He also harvests only a selcted number of feathers periodically through the year. He mentioned that the quality issues we look for in the Coq de Leon come from the soils that the rooster is allowed to feed from. The minerals that are picked up within these soils give the plumage a distinction that can't be duplicated elsewhere. I always appreciate Han's ability to discern statements of this sort. So, Han's...any comment?
Steve Schalla

[mickporter]

So therefore the saddles and capes being sold by whiting's are just coq de leon coloured feathers and not the stiff feathers plucked from genuine birds??

I suppose this is reflected in the price and why they are so cheap in comparison.

Whiting's should state this in the adverts then........

[Hans Weilenmann]

Steven,

I have no conclusive evidence either way on the minerals and/or somewhat radioactive soil providing a critical component for the feather quality. The feathers coming from there that I have handled have all been of a consistently high caliber.

Tom Whiting has an excellent track record producing quality feathers, and on that basis, and from the latest pelts I saw at the recent Denver show, they are getting close.

One key difference is and will remain is the fact that the Spanish birds get plucked at regular intervals, with the birds often several years in age. The Whiting birds follow the standard genetic hackle route: killed and skinned.

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

[Fishnfool]

I have both the feathers from Spain and a Whiting's "Tailing Pack". The feathers from Spain are by far superior.

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John G.
Albuquerque, NM

[PaulM]

I also have both the feathers from Spain and the Whiting Coq de Leon product. While I can't say that one product is superior, I will say that the Spain feathers are way different in appearance and physical features. The Spain feathers are significantly stiffer and have a very interesting opaqueness. The Spain feathers were also significantly more expensive.

I can see plenty of uses for both products.

[Hans Weilenmann]

Mick,

The Whiting pelts are genuine Coq de Leon strain, not dyed 'normal' roosters.

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

[Steve Molcsan]

Hans,

If I may ask might you post a photograph of the feathers from your Leon Spain trip.

Seeing your gift with a camera at close range here on this board I am sure they would be quite interesting to see.

Steve Molcsan

PS: Maddog48 thanks for the link!