Before I start on how to construct Peacock Chenille,
I want to express my thoughts on Peacock Herl sold for
fly tying. The bagged Peacock Herl sold in stores, loose
or strung, is worthless, its only use to a fly tier might
be for making quill bodies. The barbs on the stems are
inferior and the results from trying to use it are not
worth the time, money, or effort.
I recommend you consider purchasing Peacock tail feathers.
They are available at fly shops, but I find better quality
Peacock Herl at Craft Stores. I also find some of the best
Ostrich Herl there too. You will get better results by
using the best quality material you can find.
Chenille is created by a process where two strings/or wire
strands, are braided/or furled to hold material in a compact
shape to form a yarn like component. Chenille can be
constructed by using the Dubbing Loop Technique.
- Construct Peacock Herl using 3-to-5 herls, aligning
them together at their tips. - Tie in the herl at the starting point for your Peacock
Herl Body. Leave a tag portion of the herl to secure to the
hook shank by ribbing forward and back with the thread. The
ribbing of the tag herl helps to keep the hook shank diameter
uniform for construction of the fly’s body.
Originally published January 18, 1998 on Fly Anglers Online by Steven H. McGarthwaite.