Coq de Leon Colgaderas Feathers
Coq de Leon Colgaderas Feathers are premium fly tying feathers coming from the province of Leon, Northern Spain. Coq de Leon feathers are the world’s best dry fly and nymph tailing material. Coq de Leon stands for ‘rooster of Leon’ and reference to it can be found in the earliest of fly fishing books. This material is a product of centuries-long rooster breeding tradition producing the best of fly tying feathers in the world. What makes these feathers so special are their super long, stiff, glassy fibers that have an exceptional sheen, brightness, and brilliancy. When emerged in water, they acquire a semi-translucent appearance. Their stiffness and glass-like translucency, come from birds’ bread at high altitudes, on a soil rich in chalk.
Their reflective and glimmering qualities, paired with the extraordinary range of colors they come in, make these feathers an absolute top choice fly tying materials as they bring pure magic to any fly.
Colgaderas are feathers from the saddle, the back of the bird, very close to the kidney area. These feathers have long stems, are brilliant and soft and their translucency makes any fly look fantastic.
Breeds of Coq de Leon
There are two main breeds of these roosters and two main kinds of Coq de Leon feathers:
- Pardo (brown) breed is a larger bird and the feathers from this rooster are marked with fine speckling.
- Indio (Indian) breed has gray, steel-colored feathers without speckles. Indio colors are solid with exceptional brightness.
These two main breeds are then divided into subgroups based on color variations.
We offer Pardo in the following colors:
- Pardo Flor de Escoba (flower of broom) has a dark background with ginger-brown spots and tobacco-colored bottom.
- Pardo Corzuno Claro (clear Corzuno), strongly pigmented with lighter gray colored bottom and finer/smaller speckles.
- Pardo Corzuno Medio (medium Corzuno) strong pigmented feather, with a beige bottom and no red undertones and finer/smaller speckles.
- Pardo Corzuno Oscuro (dark Corzuno), strongly pigmented feather, with finer, smaller, dark gray freckles and black colored bottom.
- Pardo Langareto de Verano, with stronger/thicker speckles and distinct ‘Langareto’ pattern, with the points that are regular and organized in transverse bands.
Choose from the following Indio colors: Indio Claro (clear) in light gray shades and Indio Medio (medium) in medium gray shades.
How to Use Coq de Leon Feathers
Coq de Leon feathers are the perfect material for tying nymphs, wet and dry flies. They are excellent for mounting wings as they offer high gloss, smoothness, elasticity, and flexibility. Pardo feathers, with their speckled plumage, make excellent tails. When tied in as a tail, the speckling on each fiber resembles a real-life mayfly tail. The fine, speckled pattern on these feathers gives your fly a ‘buggy’ look.
These feathers come as a pack of selected 6 feathers/bag.
Please note that being a natural product, no two feathers are the same, and variations in color and speckles within each type are normal.
Some great fly tying recipes using Coq de Leon Feathers
Quill Body Mayfly
For a full list of ingredients for the Quill Body Mayfly pattern, go here.
Biot Body CDC Dry Fly
For a full list of ingredients for the Biot Body CDC Dry Fly pattern, go here.
Fish (verified owner) –
You will not find a higher quality CDL anywhere. Not even Whiting’s. And being able to buy less than a whole cape or saddle means you can get a variety of colors. This stuff is 🔥. Get some now.
Tom OBrien (verified owner) –
Nice, full feathers that tie well to the hook. I will be coming back for more in the future!