Where can I get coq de leon feathers from??

[pechetruite]

Orvisfan,
I sent you a PM and check http://www.pechetruite.com/catalogue/

[Highlander]

Whatever source you use try & get the genuine ones from Spain. The Whiting ones whilst ok lack that certain something that the Spanish bird gives.
They have that extra sparkle sheen to them that the others lack. I think it is down to the grit intake from the region that does it.
Probably nuclear waste.

[Chris Reeves]

Whiting have managed to breed a domestic rooster with feathers that look like a Coq de Leon feather which is a pretty impressive feat. That said the original cdl is a specific breed from the Leon region of Spain. There are a number of breeders many of whom claim to be breeding from the original stock. If you find genuine cdl from the region it should have a little tag on it
(like a wine certification stamp).

Genuine coq is expensive and should be used sparingly. It is stiff, shiny,well marked and lovely to play with.

Whiting cdl is slightly less stiff. It is best used for tails on dries and in can be used in bunches in the wings on sedges

Whiting is much cheaper to buy, although the colours vary greatly and I would not advise buying it by mail order. Find a shop where you can choose the exact colour you want, although not too many shops in the UK will stock it. I don't know if spiderplus has any, but it may be worth asking Phil.

Cheers

I have trouble using it for tails..it tugs out easy. and i end up with 'no tail' flys. Dont have this happen with any other material....whats my problem?

[arkle]

W.P. What thread are you using, UTC by any chance ? If so change to Uni 8/0 & put extra wax on it. Also are you trimming the butts shortly after the tie-in point, if so allow the butts to run the entire length of the body before trimming, & slightly increase your thread tension. The fibres should break before being able to be pulled or loosened then.

thats my evening sorted out then!! thanks i'll try it.

By the way with the price of them i was always bothered about wasting any.....I found the really lovely plumes at the base mixed with copper wire, and mole on a long shank 16 or 18 make a great little lure for my light weight stream rod.
I call it the coq 'E' ******.....but i guess it's all been done before. It looks like a flapping tadpole in the water, for those places you can just toss in a lure and let the current work it for you.

Hey I got edited does the the fly called the Wooly B**G*R get edited? Its denotes it's similarity with a bug not a sexual act.

[Highlander]

Chris Reeves said

Whiting have managed to breed a domestic rooster with feathers that look like a Coq de Leon feather

I have a car that looks like a VW Golf, engine sounds like a VW Golf, the door shuts like a VW Golf............but it ain't a VW Golf.
Whiting can produce the most wonderful of capes & every credit to them but there is no way on this earth they will produce Coq de Leon as the Spanish birds unless they import a couple of acres of Leon area earth & feed the chickens with food grown on that & supply grit from the self same source. Life is fraught with compromise but if one can get the real thing then I go for it every time. Others mileage may vary.

Tight Lines

[Chris Reeves]

What sort of car is it then?

Seriously, I wasn't trying to say Whiting,s feathers were as good as the real thing, just that they were similar in some ways except price. I have a few really good bunches or proper stuff and nothing compares to it for colour and stiffness.

As to it pulling out of tails, well it is very stiff and shiny so that's not exactly unexpected. I always dab a bit of varnish on the shank, cover with silk and then tie in the tails. I am sure wax would do as good a job but i rarely use it.

I use bunches of the whiting cdl for wings on mottled sedges, but tie it in very very tightly and dab varnish on the cut ends. This usually keeps it in place.

cheers