Moms' Talk: Birds Of A Feather...

They come in solid colors including blue, black, green, pink, purple and white.  Or maybe you prefer brown and black stripes.  They are thick, thin, long and short.  The best part about them is that they go with everything!

I’m talking about the newest hair accessory rage, feathers!

These are not your typical craft store feathers. These are rooster feathers. Before they were used as fashion items, they were generally used for fly fishing. The appeal to the fisherman is basically the same as they are to the hairdressers who are being inundated with requests to adorn the heads of customers, young and old!

“These particular birds are breed for durability and for flexibility and for the flow and in many cases for the color (of the feathers),” explained Captain Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Bait and Tackle on Boston Post Road.  “You go ahead and tie them to your hair but you’re also tying them to a hook to make a fly to fool the fish."

My girls were not really “asking” for the accessory, but they were talking about them and showing interest.  As for me, I was very interested. 

I bypassed the local beauty salon and went straight to the source, which turned out to be Captain Morgan’s shop. With feathers in hand we could do it!

Much to Ana’s chagrin she was with me when I decided to explore this newest fashion craze.  All the way there, a whole 10 minutes, Ana fretted about what I would say. I heard the famous mantra over and over again, “You are going to embarrass me!  What are you going to say?”

We’ve all heard those words haven’t we? They are heard many, many times in many, many different situations by parents nationwide!

I was going to go into the shop, look around and happen upon just the right feathers.  That was my plan.  The minute I walked in and realized I was totally out of my element the words just jumped out of my mouth, “Do you have the feathers that everyone is putting in their hair?” I asked Captain Morgan.

Okay, I have to admit, I thought we were in for it.  The look on his face was somewhere between disbelief and horror.  That only lasted a second at most and he came out from behind the counter to escort us to the back of the shop where his “feathers” were strategically "hidden away."

“The fact that people are coming in and they to want to buy some rooster feathers for their hair, that part of it doesn’t bother me,“ said Captain Morgan. “It’s when the angler or fly tier would come in and they want some material and there is a shortage of it or they’ve been going to a lot of different places and they can’t find what they need.”

He went on to say that although the rooster feathers are the one item in his shop that are hot right now, this is certainly not the first time customers have made purchases for hobbies or projects that are not fishing related.

 “We traditionally, in the shop, will have people come in and buy things for a variety of non-fishing related things,” says Captain Morgan.  “The unfortunate thing, in this particular case, is you are taking a particular product that takes a long time to get it where it is and the price is being driven up artificially,” he added.

Don’t get me wrong, I do feel a bit guilty taking these fly fishing feathers away from the hard working fishermen who use them for their livelihood.  Yet we all know this fad, like all fads, will soon fade into oblivion. 

I just didn’t want to be left out!

While my daughters' feathers are weathering the swimming, shampooing, sleeping, brushing and overall daily abuse, my own feathers stayed in about a day before they fell out on their own.  I believe it was a message that at my age I really shouldn’t be sporting feathers in my hair. 

Captain Morgan agrees that this fashion statement will run its course and the rooster feathers will once again be of interest to only the fisherman.

“It’s interesting, it’s fun,” says Captain Morgan.  “But it’s a fad and it will fly away soon!”