Fashion fad puts fly-tying feathers in short supply

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - a fashion fad that many fly fishermen hope will fade fast. Fly-tying feathers are being snatched up at an alarming rate by hairdressers who weave them into their clients' hair for a flashy new look. The growing fashion demand has since depleted a limited supply of special roosters bred and harvested to meet the fly-fishing industry's needs. Now the feathers are hard to come by and expensive if found. But Toner Mitchell, manager of The Reel Life fly shop in Santa Fe, said he's got a special order coming in — and his longtime customers will get first dibs when the shipment arrives. "I'm going to squirrel most of that away for my secret stash," Mitchell said. "We'll put the word out over the Internet and let our regular customers know we have some behind the counter." And that's what it has come down to as the solitary sport finds itself thrust into the fashion limelight. The fad has taken off during the past year as celebrities, models and the public embraced the fashion trend, which has people attaching the long, slim, eye-catching feathers to their hair for a new style. Read more

Fashion fad puts fly-tying feathers in short supply