if i find feathers do i have to preserve them or can they be used without? if they need to be treated how do i go about it? thanks

Feathers you pick up do not normally need any preservation, however they may well be infected with a nasty little beast called feather mite which can decimate your stock of natural flytying materials.
You can use chemical treatments but I find that putting the feathers in a plastic bag and leaving them in the freezer for a few days seems to kill off any possible infection without damaging the feathers in any way.
Hope this is of some help
Paul

You will be lucky to find any from what I have heard. Ladies in the USA are grabbing the all to wear in their hair.

I've heard you can microwave road kill feathers to kill the mites but I don't know how many seconds. Keep them in too long and they might go crispy.

nice one peeps what are the best feathers from a practical sense in the british countryside to be finding?

Pheasant Tail feathers are the most useful for nymphs and depending on your area won't be too hard to find

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More or less any, just use your imagination and be creative. You could end up with a winner.

I'd be hoping to come across cock pheasant tail feathers.

Edit: blimey - you guys can type quick!

Cant you just bag them up and put them in the freezer for 24 hrs ?

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how do i go about doing my own capes of feathers because my friends are all into the shooting thing!