Peacock

[John Dunn]

Hi all
With peacock their are two major colors that are used, green and a rust ,in your fishing and tieing which do you prefer and why.I note that with the different colors in the peacock eye their are relative few patterns that utilize the different shades. I prefer the rust color for my caddis flies and tieing, we have lost the green caddis in the stream that I fish and I think that is the reason. Any thoughts.

Best
John

[Old Hat]

Hi John,

There are actually quite a bit more colors than two. I found this out a couple years ago from a woman that was selling peacock at a tying show. She had beautiful feathers from different subspecies of peacock and could tell you what color or shade came from each. Then there is also a lot of dyed colors available. I particularly like dyed red and black. But, I think you are right, the two most well known are a natural green and "bronze" peacock. Bronze is ever popular with the wingless wet crowd and carries the belief of being generally more attractive to fish. I'm not sure this is the case, but you will find many on either side of the fence I suppose. It could be, as you are alluding to, that the bronze color just is representative of more insect species than the green. I really don't know. Anyway, I think the reflective properties and movement of peacock in general regardless of the color is what makes it one of the best additions to a fly. I have tied with the "eye" fibers and there is some nice color there. I find they tend to be a bit more brittle to tie with and don't have the fullness (translates to motion underwater) that I like.

Carl

[Ruard]

Some has told me that green peacock turns into bronze when you let the sushine on them for a long while. Does anyone know if that is true??

I like the green ones and esspecialy the very long fibers with much flue.

Greeting

[narcodog]

I have some that are natural Bronze and read that they come from a subspecies. I also have white. I tied some dry's last night with it.

[willowhead]

Sunshine does turn green Peacock bronze yes. Just put it in a window that gets good sun for a couple months. You'll be happy. i love Peacock.....what tyer doesn't. i have tons of it...........natural green, bronzed, natural white, dyed black, dyed orange, dyed red, dyed purple. It's indispensible. Now here's a trick you MUST know. When your using it (the herls) as a winging material (for instance), and you want it to take the shape of the body.....(wether there is an underwing or not).....to lay flat or with a bit of a curve.....the best way i know of to get it to do what you want it to do, in terms of laying down nice.....is to take a bodkin or something stiff and long.....like a large bodkin, and while holding the clump (of herls), straight up and taungt with your right hand, and the bodkin or whatever in your left hand, run the bodkin against the bottom of the clump of herls, putting a curve in the clump. Put some memory into the material(s).....train them like you train your hair after a haircut........that curve will force them to lay down nice and flat or with a curve in them.....all depends on how hard, and how much, you put that memory into them. Learn how to "work" the clump over the top of the bodkin.....back and forth.....and the bodkin under the clump.......you'll get the hang of it by doing it enough.....you work the bodkin and you work the clump.....you can make it do anything you like. There are examples of this at my site or at the artistic thread here.

[Jerry G]

Some has told me that green peacock turns into bronze when you let the sushine on them for a long while. Does anyone know if that is true??

I like the green ones and esspecialy the very long fibers with much flue.

Greeting

Ruard I have read and been told the same from some reliable sources. Then too I have read that too much sunlight will turn the fronds brittle. That also may be true as I have experienced that with both cock pheasant tail barbs and the hackle from one rooster neck. I usually let the hook gap and size fly dictate the size herl I'm wrapping on the fly. One great material any way you use it.

Regards, Jerry

[Old Hat]

Ruard,
Sunlight will turn the peacock a nice diluted color but it is not the same as the bronze peacock. Again, probably not a big enough difference, but not the same thing. I would also worry about too much sunlight making it brittle.

[John Dunn]

Thanks for the replies, Does any body have a good supplier for colored peacock in the U.S. I think Jim sells peacock, Jim are you out their.?

Thanks again
John

[willowhead]

Try Mike Hogue at Badger Creek Fly Tying.....google it. And any dealer (fly shop), that handles Wapsi materials can get it from Wapsi.

[tie2fish]

Nature's Spirit markets a line of dyed peacock eyesticks that are really beautiful; Great Feathers carries them.