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Feathers were one of the first things used to make fishing lures before things like metal, soft plastic, and plastic skirts came into play.
They are highly effective at mimicking everything from small fish to flying insects and can catch almost every species of fish on the planet when used correctly.
If you are not using feathers in some sort of way in your fishing, you are missing a trick. They might be an “old” type of lure, but they work.
Having been a fly fishing guide and offshore skipper for over a decade, feathers are a big part of my lure arsenal. Today, I’m going to run through how to use feathers when you are fishing and all the different lures that come with them.
What Fish Are Attracted To Feathers?
Saltwater fish such as mackerel, herring, and bass, are the most likely fish to be caught with feathers. Larger species such as groupers, snappers, tuna, and cod are also common catches. The range of species is wide and almost every predatory fish will be interested to take a well presented feathered lure.
In freshwater, trout, grayling, and salmon are the most commonly fish caught with feathers. I have even caught several carp during summer months on a feathered hook!
Fish are attracted to artificial or natural feathers, either will work equally well with a presentation that looks authentic.
When Should I Use Feathers?
As with all kinds of lure fishing, feathers are most likely to catch fish when used in several feet of water. The rise and fall of the lure require a few feet of water to create the motion to attract any fish and also to prevent snagging on the bottom.
Therefore there are no specific best locations to use feathers. However, sea anglers fishing from a pier, jetties, harbour walls, and boats will have the greatest degree of success. Freshwater anglers fishing with floating flies for trout, bass, grayling, etc will catch in any stream, river, or lake.
Feathers are widely used to catch baitfish by anglers at the start of a chartered fishing boat trip. Smaller fish such as mackerel are the mainstay live or dead bait for larger ocean fish such as sharks. Several baitfish can be caught in a short amount of time using multiple feathered hooks.
In my experiences both as an offshore skipper and as a fly fishing guide, the warmer months are more prolific in catching fish rather than colder periods.
Why Are Feathers So Effective?
Feathers come in a range of lengths, and widths, and can be dyed to be any color you want. From chartreuse to tan, red, black, orange, and purple, there is a feather available in any color you want it to be in.
The range of colors and sizes of feathers is very useful when searching for a lure or fly you want to use. But, the main thing that makes feathers so attractive to fish is the pulsating action they create in the water.
When you move a feathered lure through the water, the feathers wiggle just like a fish’s tail. When you bring that lure to a stop, the feathers pulsate, adding an even more attractive action to your lure or fly.
The action in conjunction with the particular color, size, and shape of the feather come together to make your lure a lot more attractive to a fish.
What Are The Types Of Feathered Lures?
There are quite a few different types of lures that integrate feathers into their design and this can range from offshore trolling skirts to crankbaits, spoons, vertical jigs, and jigs. Let’s take a look at them all so you can decide which ones you want to add to your tackle box.
Feathered Jigs
Feather jigs are quite simply a weighted jig head hook with feathers tied around the shank of the hook to create the body of a fish. They are about as close to a fly as the lure world gets and they are very effective in many different fishing scenarios.
The great thing about feathered jigs is that you can work them at different depths. Simply cast out the jig, let it sink as deep as you like, and then wind it in, and start searching for what depth the fish are feeding at.
They are most effective when fished with a “pause and go” retrieve. When you pause, the lure sinks in the water column which creates the feathers to pulse, this mimics an excellent natural action that fish love.
You can catch multiple species with feathered jigs from bass to tigerfish and walleye. Be sure to have a few different sizes, weights, and colors to match the prey your intended target likes to eat.
Spoons & Spinners
Some spoons and spinners come with feathers attached to the trailing hook of the lure and this adds an element to the lure that means a bite vs no bite.
A trailing feather adds a lot to these types of lures since they are made with metal and don’t have much natural action to them. Spoons and spinners rely on the vibrations and flashes they create in the water to attract fish, but not much else.
When a trailing feather is added to them, the lure suddenly has a lot more action and it looks more natural. That means any fish over-suspicious of the less than natural look of spoons and spinners, might just change its mind when a trailing feather is added to them.
Crankbaits
Crankbaits such as rapalas can also come with a feather attached to the trailing hook. The added feather works in a very similar way to the trailing feather on spoons and spinners, but it is even more effective.
If you have seen a crankbait swim, you will have seen how its front lip catches the water and causes it to swim side to side. It is a fantastic action that fish love, but now imagine that action with a trailing feather, it is going to look pretty awesome right?
As the crankbait moves through the water, the wiggling action transfers to the feather at the trail and is even more pronounced, making the crankbait look even more like a fish.
Vertical Jigs
Many of you might not have any experience with vertical jigs as they are predominantly used offshore to catch species like dogtooth tuna, GTs, amberjack, and more.
They look just like a spoon but are much heavier and are dropped to the bottom of the ocean alongside steep drop-offs next to reefs. The angler then pumps and winds the jigs up as fast as possible, so it looks like a fish surfacing at speed.
Some vertical jigs come with feathers attached to the top and bottom hooks. The additional feather again creates a lot more natural movement in the lure when the angler pauses between pumps, enticing a bite where one might not have occurred without a feather.
Topwater Plugs
Topwater plugs, which are primarily used in bass fishing, also come with feathers attached to the trailing hook. In fact, some pro bass anglers even have a stock of feathers that they can attach to the lure themselves and won’t fish a topwater plug for bass without them.
Topwater plugs work by creating a lot of noise and disturbance on the surface and without a feather, they are quite effective. But, when you add a feather, a lot changes.
The noise attracts a bass looking up at a plug but if the fish isn’t feeling particularly aggressive, there isn’t much to entice it to eat. With some trailing feathers, the lure suddenly has a more fishy action and will convince that fish to eat.
Feather Daisy Chains
If you have been sea fishing in the UK or offshore anywhere in the world trying to catch small bait fish like mackerel, then you have probably used or seen feather daisy chains.
These are simply small hooks with a few feathers tied to them that are rigged in tandem creating a shoal of 4 or 5 baitfish. They look just like a shoal of small anchovies or sardines that smaller predators like mackerel and bonito love to eat.
These are usually fished with a weight in front of them with the shoal of feathered jigs swimming behind. This sinks the light feathered hooks and allows them to swim just like small bait fish underwater.
Feather Trolling Lures
Feather trolling lures have been around for years and are simple to make. All one needs to do is tie feathers around the lure head to create the perfect lure skirt.
The feathers are tied upside down so that they pop out the sides of the lures which also creates a shuttering effect while being trolled in the water and a broader profile. The feathers also lend themselves to a more natural action than plastic skirts, which some species find hard to resist.
Feather trolling lures are particularly effective when fishing for species such as mahi-mahi and albacore. The more natural action and broader profile simply drive these species crazy and they are a must in any trolling tackle box.
Flies
Flies, used in fly fishing, are where feathers first started being used in fishing. Their first use in history is slightly contested, however.
There are some sources that show feathers being attached to hooks by the Romans as early as 100 AD and 300 AD. But, the first use of a fly was in the 13th century in the UK.
If you are a fly angler, then you will know that feathers can be made into pretty much any fish prey on the planet. Sitting in my fly box now I have size 22 dry flies that look exactly like a midge and I have huge double-hooked sailfish flies that look like a 12 inch bait fish!
To use a fly effectively, you, of course, have to use a fly rod as they come with close to zero weight, and the only way to cast them an effective distance is with fly casting!
Feathering Out
There is no doubt that feathers catch plenty of different types of fish; their natural movement in the water perfectly imitates the movements of a small prey fish. With a range of colours and sizes available, anglers can create their unique feathers for a true sense of accomplishment.
I hope this article helped you understand the opportunities when fishing with feathers. You can read more on fishing with baits and traditional lures for predator fishing, with a focus on pike, perch, and catfish.
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