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ALVIN DEDEUX: The next type of material is feathers. All kinds of different feathers,
pheasant tail feathers, peacock feathers, rooster feathers, they'll come in a million
different sizes, a million different colors and a bunch of different applications. Once
again, some feathers are going to be better for floating flies. Other feathers are going
to be better for sinking flies. Some feathers like the peacock feathers, they have this
natural iridescence to them so that makes them a really great fly and they don't have
to do anything to them whereas some of the rooster feathers will be dyed different colors,
sometimes in some pretty bizarre colors. I don't think you guys ever seen a red rooster
anywhere even though there's plenty of blues songs about them. But they'll dye the materials
or they'll keep them in natural color like the peacock, and they'll also, once again
depending on the texture of the fly--of the feather, will render itself better to a floating
or a sinking fly. A big webby feather is going to tend to absorb more moisture than a nice
thin feather with the sharp barbs. That one's going to tend to make your fly want to float
on the water. So feathers are probably the most traditional fly-tying material. You think
of tying flies, you usually think of tying feathers on a hook.