What is the difference between Furnace and A Dark Bronze Badger?
And where does the Indian Cochy-y-Bondhu fit in? Mine seems to be like a Furnace with the barb tips being black. Thanks. 
Ray,
Iām certain Denny can answer this question 100x more accurately then I can and perhaps he will. In the meantime Iāll take a stab:
Furnace is like a Coachman Brown with a black web along the stem. A dark Bronze badger is a different color but also has a black web along the stem.
Cochy-y-Bondhu is as you describe - āa Furnace with the barb tips being blackā.
Hope that helps, at least until Denny comes to my rescue, lol.
Allan
Hi Ray,
Yah, furnace (brown with black stripe down the stem) with black tips is a true coch-y-bondhu and it should be treasured! These are rare as henās teeth these days. Iāve looked for one for years, along with badger with black tips (which I also canāt find anymore). These used to be very popular feathers, but nobody seems to supply them anymore.
Not sure what āIndian coch-y-bondhuā is though?
- Jeff
Sorry, meant to say that the coch-y-bondhu feather is named after the fly pattern that called for it. Which is a very simple pattern. flat gold tinsel for a tip, peacock herl body (fat), and a coch-y-bondhu hackle (for a dry fly). This can be a very effective beetle pattern. With the rarity of the feather, itās now generally just tied with a furnance. Iām sure the fish donāt care, but still, you could tie a few with the ārealā feather just to do it!
Here is a list I posted on my web-site Ray, it is about as clear a description as you are going to get.
http://donaldnicolson.webplus.net/page157.html
The reason Iāve asked is that I heard that the black tip barbs was also a differenciating factor between Furnace and Bronze Badger.
BTW I called my Coch-y-bondhu an āIndianā is merely because that was its origin from Eric Leiser long ago.
Also if my memory serves me right I am pretty sure Denny told me the color is judged by the back side of the hackle.
Yes, yes n yes. I am not an expert but thanks to all of you for defering to me.
One must understand that many of these colors were named by tiers way before we had genetic hackle. They used what they could get their hands on. Different breeders and tiers have named a color and advertise it under a name. I understand a lot of hackle from fighting chickens were used. Remember, any feather can be tied with. Many of the patterns in many of the older books (now referred to as Classics) were not on the same page we of today are.
Here is my understanding about the colors asked about. Remember they all are very difficult to breed for.
Furnace = dark (black) center. they come in different widths. Some narrow, others wider, barbs one of the many different shades of brown.
Coch-y-bondhu = dark (black) center. One of the shades of brown on the barbs, with speckles of black on the tips of the barbs but sometimes
are seen all over the feather.
Greenwell = dark center (black) barbs, ginger barbs.
Gold Badger = dark center (black) more gold than badger barbs. Sometimes sold as Greenwell.
Silver Badger = dark center(black) silver to almost white barbs. (there are many different shades of color)
I like to look at a cape or saddle from the back side (like I show in my āup Closeā pic on my web site. If you view the hackle when laying flat or in a package you will not see the exact color you will see when you tie. At least I normally tie one hackle at a time on a fly.
This is my understanding and these are rooster colors. Seldom do you see them in hens, especially the genetic hens:
Sometimes I do get a hen with almost the same color as the rooster in the above colors.
(the key word, being āAlmostā)
Hope this helps a bit. Is just my thinkin and if you differ, OK by me. Tie lots and go fishin.
Denny
I recall buying a coch-y-bondhu cape from Herterās back in the 60ās. It was pretty much badger, but I tied most everything with it as it was the only cape I had at the time!
Very nice descriptions. Thanks Denny!
A couple of years ago I found a grade#1 Greenwell Original Hoffman Neck on the pegboard in the back of a sporting goods store that no longer sold fly tying materials. For 50% off the OLD price! I amost laughed out loud when they rang it up. Later, trying to explain my find to my wife just didnāt have the impact I felt it warranted at the time. 