I use Peacock Herl in a lot of flies I tie and get aggravated when I see a pattern being tied on YouTube or elsewhere. The Peacock Herl looks so brilliant and colorful. Mine is sort of dull looking, even in the sunlight.
While perusing a well-known fly shop’s catalog, I noticed a statement in the description of their Peacock Herl, “we clean all our herl for you before we send it out…blah, blah…”
Have any of you heard of “cleaning peacock herl” and if so, how do you do it?
Thanks, Jim
Jim, short answer …No…
However there is the green herl and then there is the bronze with some variations in between…perhaps yours is not the brilliant green …the bronze does look a little duller…at least mine does…
I just wish I had fuller herl…mine [and I’ve got a lot] isn’t that nice full stuff…
Another short answer,
I have purchased brilliant green herl from our local fly shop and it has been dyed more of a brilliant green and I really like it.
Just a thought, if you are buying the strung or packaged herl and not the actual feather ‘stick’ then the herls tend to be of a lesser quality and more dull than when cut straight from the original feather. I only use herl I cut from the tail feather and I find a tremendous variety of size and quality and can choose just the ones I want to buy. Also, check with your craft and decorating stores as well as thrift shops where you will find not only peacock, but some other exotic feathers you may find useful.
Kelly.
As was stated buy the sticks more better quality. I have found strung is inferior in that it breaks easily, color not consistent and the quill thickness is also not consistent. Strung might be cheaper but you will throw more away and get more aggravated with it breaking.
I agree about the herl. I have not found any good strung herl at all. It is very poor quality for the most part.
Don’t reject some herls for being a dull, bronze color. Some some flies this is preferred.
To get herls to get a bronze cast I’ve been told they should be placed in direct sunlight for several days.
For me, and I use lots of herl, buying it is sort of like buying a good dry fly cape. I need to see it and be able to pick through a bunch to find the stuff that’s good enough for me to use.
Not all strung herl is created equal.
Some of it is excellent. Some of it isn’t.
I’ve found that the longer socalled premium herl from Orvis is great. Some of the shorter stuff I’ve found in some fly shops is marginal.
I like the larger packages of strung herl. I’ll get different shades, from green to bronze, in the same package. I can then pick the shade I want for a particular tie.
The herl pulled off of the tail feather itself, especially that found in the eyes, tends to be a bit fuller. But for the amount of flies I tie with it, I can’t afford to buy only whole feathers. Strung herl is fine for my uses if I can get the good stuff. So far, that hasn’t been a problem.
I’ve never cleaned it myself, nor seen a need for me to. The quality of the herl is the issue for me, not whether it’s clean or not.
Buddy
Jim: It appears that you may have stumped FAOL’s herl experts (lol). Could you query the “well known fly shop” and ask them? If you find out I would like to know and I would guess others would also.
Thanks, Tim
Hey Jim,
A good friend of mine who lives in AZ has a little farm and she has peacocks, she has given me some feathers and they do look nice and bright. I can gladly share with you (free of course), let me know.
Thanks
Assuming the shop in question is the one in St. Louis, I imagine they buy their herl in bulk (i.e. strung by the yard) and then high grade what they get, package it, and sell accordingly. They probably do not sort through each subsection of herl, but instead make sure that the sections they repackage are of the highest quality. If we are talking about the same shop, then I can say that they have always consistently provided the very best strung herl I have found, and I buy from them often (I go through a lot of the stuff). Off the ‘stick’ is of course the best way of getting herl, but I find it to be too expensive, harder to work with, difficult to travel with and tougher to store in that form, so I always use strung herl, typically in a dubbing loop when I need extra fullness. The off-the-shelf herl found in most fly shops will serve just as well IF you take the extra step and high grade the packets on the shelf – i.e. go through each package yourself testing for brittleness and evaluating color. If you cannot find a suitable packet on the shelf, then try another shop…or do what I do and order them from my favorite shop in Missouri.
bronze peacock herl
That shop has good stuff, i have used their herl… The consistantly best packaged stuff is NATURES SPIRIT. in comparing the 2 side by side , both are full and clean with beautiful color. I think HOOK AND HACKLE the herl as they carry Natures Spirit, they are also one of our sponsers.
So what is the big shop people are talking about from St. Louis? I am not needing herl yet, but it won’t be long. I am taking notes on what people like.
Feather Craft. Cool store.
Regards,
Scott
Oh okay. I have bought from them 2-3 times, but have not tried their herl. What I have bought from them was pretty good though. I like their selections too. But I buy from lots of places. Not everyone carries all what I need, or want.
Thanks everyone for the information. I, and several of you, now have a better understanding of Peacock Herl.
Martin: thank you so much for the generous offer, that’s very kind.
I was keeping the identity of the shop out as we have sponsors that I’m sure carry herl and we should patronize; but, …shame the threads don’t stay on track.
Jim
Somewhat embarassing, but the best strung herl that I have ever use, by far, came from Bass Pro Shops.
No problem, like I said I got more than I really need and on top of that she can send me more.
Though time consuming peacock, and indeed all herl can be steamed in the same manner as we often steam chenille. This will cause a cleaning of the herl as well as a straightening of the individual flues which make up the fuzzy part of the herl.
Bronze herl can be made by hanging a quantity of herl in the sun. It should be checked and rotated as necessary to achieve the degree of bronzing desired.
The best herl may well be the herl from the eyed stick, but, flies tied with bulk bagged herl aslo catch a lot of fish. Perhaps a better way of determining which is best for a particular fly should be governed by the intended use of the fly. Are you going to fish the fly, or show the fly.
Many fly tiers tie flies which they plan to fish. Some tiers tie for the sake of art. Some of us try to do both and therein I believe is the source of our preferences. If I can get an ounce of herl for $3.00, or pay $.50 per stick, you can bet my fishing flies will not be tied with herl from the stick, and vice versa.
Some tyers would offer the arguement that herl from the eye should only be used to tie such flies as a Quill Gordon, and it is certainly thier perogative to govern thier tying accordingly, but the rest of us do not have to conform to that narrow practice.
Relax, have fun, buy all means check the material for suitability before you buy, just don’t get so bogged down in the detail and minutia that you forget you started out to tie a fly, to have fun, and to relax at a wonderful craft.
Tight lines,
George