Peacock Swords

[Kyle]

My sister has a friend that has a couple peacocks and has given me several feather that I have used the herl of off. I want to ask for some swords, but I don't know what, or where these feathers actually come from. I know they are cheap at the fly shop, but there is just something about finding the materials for flys in "nature", squirrel tails, pheasant feathers, goose biots, duck feathers, ect.

So what feathers are they? I think if I am going to ask for some swords I should be able to explain what and where they are.

A google search was no help in finding a description, but there are plenty of places that want to sell them to you.

Kyle

[Trout Commander]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=what+part+of+the+feather+is+a+peacock+%22sword%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=f&oq=

It is result #2: "The peacock sword feathers are side tails that are eventually replaced by full eyed feathers as the males molt from season to season."

[Geoff]

Sides of the back feather display. They are usually only about a foot long.

[jdmidwest]

Nice thing about Peacocks, they molt those tail feathers every year so you should have a good supply. I still tye off ones I collected off ours at the farm back in the 90's and share them with my friends. They sit in a vase in the work room. One full feather tyes alot of flies.

The swords are the shorter feathers on the tail, the herl has a curl to it and a softer stem with a rounded end. You will use them on full dressed salmon flies and some wet flies, the Alexandra comes to mind as the only one I have tyed with them. For the most part you will only need the tail feathers for the bulk of the patterns.

Note the curl and the sheen.