History and uses
History
The feathers of the roosters of these two native breeds from the surroundings of the Curueño River valley and Boñar (located in
northeastern León, Spain) have been used since time immemorial for the handmade production of fishing flies for trout. These rooster breeds and the various varieties within them are already mentioned in the “Manuscript of Astorga” by Juan de Vergara, dating from 1624, in which they are referred to as “Gallos de Boñar” (Boñar Roosters). This would indicate that they are the oldest breeds in the world whose feathers are used for fishing. In their area of origin they are also known as “Gallos de pluma” (“Feather Roosters”) or “Gallos y Gallinas de río” (“River Roosters and Hens”).
What makes them so prized and unique in the world is their feathers, which are considered the best in the world for fishing, especially for salmonids (trout and salmon). For a feather to be of good quality, it must have the following characteristics: good “Obra” (length of the rachis or usable portion of the feather for tying flies), shine, fineness, smoothness, water-repellent properties, and straight tips on the feather fibers.
The French were the first to call them “Coq de Leon”, which is the name by which they are known worldwide. Today, they are officially recognized as “Pardo de León” and “Indio de León” (León Roosters) and are listed as endangered breeds due to the scarcity of specimens. Within these breeds there are different varieties.
The first “pela”(plucking) of the rooster, carried out approximately between 6 and 9 months of age, is called the “Limpia”(purge) and is usually not very useful due to its short “Obra”. After that, the rooster is plucked every two and a half to three months, approximately, when the feathers have fully grown back. The feathers are extracted and selected by hand, one by one, from different parts of the rooster: the
back, the head, and even the wings. Depending on the area from which they are taken, as well as their shape and length, they are given different names (“Riñón o Riñonada” (Kidney), “Semicolgadera” (Semi-saddle),“Colgadera” (Saddle) and “Cuello” (Neck). The feathers are grouped and tied into “Mazos”(bundles) of 12 feathers with similar characteristics, length and quality. Feather quality does not mainly depend on where the roosters are raised, but rather on factors such as genetic selection, feeding, handling, and management.
These roosters have been raised by hand for centuries, mainly around the Curueño and Porma rivers. Some of the villages where they have traditionally been bred include: Aviados, Campohermoso, La Mata de la Bérbula, Valdepiélago, La Vecilla, La Cándana, Sopeña, Ranedo, and Nocedo. The place of origin of the Indio breed is La Cándana de Curueño, from where it was taken to other villages. In Campohermoso and Aviados there were originally only Pardo roosters. Today, there are a few breeders spread across several provinces of Spain (León, Cantabria, Burgos, Galicia, Palencia, Ávila, Asturias, etc.), and there are also some specimens in foreign countries such as France.
Types of coq de León feathers and their uses in fly tying for fishing
The feathers of the coq de Leon are considered the best in the world for tying flies for sport fishing, due to their extraordinary characteristics: front and back sheen, fineness (softness), smoothness, stiffness, hardness, flexibility or elasticity of the fibers, good vibration in the water, water-repellent properties, and fast drying. Coq de Leon feathers can be combined with feathers and hair from other animals, as well as with other synthetic materials.
In addition, the feathers of most varieties of the Pardo de León breed have a mottled pattern known as “penca” (speckled), which can vary in thickness (fine, medium, and big) and in different colors, thus giving rise to the different varieties within the breed. This diversity of colors and shades in the two rooster breeds (Pardo and Indio) makes them suitable for imitating countless types of flies.
RIÑÓN
Riñón feathers are especially suited for wet flies. They are used to make the wing hackle, and are also used for the wings of dry flies. They are particularly suitable for making the wing cases of stoneflies and
caddisflies, the wings of mayflies, thoraxes, the wings of other insect species, tails (cerci), and the tails of perdigon nymphs. These feathers differ from the next two types in that they have a rounded shape.
SEMICOLGADERA
Semicolgadera feathers are used for wet flies, for the tails of perdigon nymphs, for wing cases (of caddisflies and stoneflies), for fly wings and cerci (tails), for mayfly wings in dry-fly tying, and for streamers (for freshwater and saltwater fish). These feathers differ from the other two because they are spear-shaped.
COLGADERA
Colgadera feathers are used for the following: tails of wet flies, tails of dry flies, nymphs, emergers, streamers (for freshwater and saltwater fish), black bass flies, tails of perdigon nymphs, wing cases (of caddisflies and stoneflies), fly wings, mayfly wings in dry-fly tying, etc. These feathers differ from the other two mentioned above because they have an elongated shape (they are the longest of the three types).
The most highly prized of the three above is the Riñon (or kidney-area) feather. With it, the finest wet flies and perdigon nymphs are made. In decreasing order from highest to lowest quality (based on sheen, ease of tying, and the visual appeal of the fly imitation), the ranking is: Riñon,Semicolgadera, and Colgadera.
COQ DE LEON DOWN
Coq de Leon down can be used for the thorax of nymphs (such as caddisflies).
LIVE ROOSTER NECK AND HEN NECK (COQ DE LEON AND HENS, PARDO AND INDIO BREEDS)
Neck feathers are especially suitable for dry-fly hackle, wings (of ants and dipterans), legs, caddisflies, stoneflies, and other surface insects. Hen neck feathers can be used for nymphs, wet flies, hackles, wing cases, mayfly wings, caddisfly wing cases, streamers, and for imitating insect exuviae. Therefore, they can be used, among other things, for trout flies, salmon flies, and flies for other freshwater and saltwater fish. Rooster neck feathers tend to be longer, while hen feathers are
more rounded.
There is nothing better than coq de Leon neck feathers for hackle in terms of flexibility, fineness, how well they sit on the water, and because they do not twist the tying thread. The difficulty lies in finding them, as they are very scarce on the market. Another advantage is that roosters have neck feathers of different sizes, suitable for use on different hook types and for different fly sizes.
WING AND TAIL FEATHERS OF COQ DE LEON
Feathers from the upper part of the wings (wing coverts) are used to tie nymphs, cerci (tails), wing cases of caddisflies and stoneflies, fly wings, and mayfly wings in dry-fly tying. This type of feather is stiffer than Riñon feathers. In addition, some of the rooster’s tail feathers can be used to make wing cases for wet flies and nymphs.
