Common uses for this feather are mayfly tailing as the barbs are very stiff and are very close in resemblance to the actual tails of mayflies.
They are also used as a substitute for heron as many times the barbs are exceptionally long.
The hackle itself it considered what’s known as a “spade hackle”. This essentially means the barbs are long and stiff. Some rooster species are also known for their spade hackle.
Originating from 1624, the Coq de Leon, known as the “rooster of Leon,” stands as the oldest line of birds bred specifically for their feathers.
Within this line, two distinct categories exist: the “Pardo,” characterized by larger birds with feathers adorned by delicate speckles, and the “Indio,” also known as the Indian line, featuring grey or steel-colored feathers devoid of speckling.
While both lines are further subdivided, the similarities in their colors make defining their specific characteristics a complex task.
The feathers exhibit impressive colors and, in traditional Spanish fly tying techniques, they’re not wound onto the hook like a typical hackle. Instead, clusters of fibers are bound onto the hook and then spread out using tying thread to create a radial hackle effect. These speckled feathers also serve well as tails and caddis wings. They’ve become more accessible in recent years due to their increasing popularity in fly tying. When at their best, these feathers possess a stiffness and glass-like translucency resulting from birds bred at high altitudes in chalk-rich soil. The feather quality is influenced by the time of year they’re harvested and comes in two types: Indio, which are solid and single-colored, and Pardo, which are mottled.
INDIO:
nergisco (black)
palometas (white)
rubion (natural red)
palteado (silver grey)
acerade (ash grey)
avellandado (brownish grey)
perla (pearl grey)
claro (light grey)
oscura (dark grey)
flor de Escoba – (dark background with reddish brown spots)
sarrioso – (light brown background with pale russet brown flecks)
corona – (fallow deer background with pale russet brown flecks)
aconchado – (conch shell)
langareto – (mottled in distinct yellowy lines)
encendido – (flushed with red)
medio – (medium shaded and stippled)
oscura – (dark shade)
crudo – (immature indistinct mottling .
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