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The nature of feather construction

To whet the appetite

To whet the appetite
This article is not intended to be a complete scientific discourse on the nature of feathers. Feathers are as unique as the birds that wear them. The following discussion is general in its scope while being specific enough to cover the majority of feather types that the fly tier will encounter. All the same great effort has been placed on accuracy of feather and component names and descriptions. Perhaps just as important has been a desire to whet the appetite of the fly tier toward a better understanding of not only physical construction, types, and purposes of feathers, but also to make that same tier more curious about other materials not understood. Observation leads to understanding. Understanding leads to better results in any endeavor. Sadly it is easier to take for granted what has been said in the past rather than investigate on our own.

Feathers at hand
It may prove beneficial to have a selection of feathers on hand while reviewing this article such as an eyed peacock upper tail covert, a turkey tail feather, a turkey "marabou" semi-plume, a ring-necked pheasant contour feather, and a rooster neck hackle.

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Feather Anatomy 101


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