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I finally got tired of the freaking squirrels chewing my bird feeders. I now have a few red and grey tails I would like to tie into something. Does any one have any good patterns using sqirrel tail?? Also, does any one know a good way to dress a squirrel so I can use more of the pelt? (like zonker strips?) I don't like to kill just for killing sake and would like to have a good was to "use up" these animals.
what type of fish are you tying for
view a previous post of mine
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/view ... t=squirrel
any thing. I fish warm water, cold water, salt water, what ever I have time to get to. Not to picky, as long as I'm fishing :P
maybe my streamer, i'll find a link.
dragonfly1 took pics for me
http://www.albumtown.com/showpic.php?ai ... id=1166573
http://www.albumtown.com/showpic.php?ai ... id=1166574
awesome. Thanks I'll have to try the plucking thing
squirrel makes good dubbing, i've also used some tail hair for wing cases
I couple of flies that use squirrel tail for the wing are the Little Brook Trout and the Shushan Postmaster. They are both bucktails.
It makes some gnarly steelhead patterns like the purple meanie...
Recipie-
Hook-size 2 salmon flie hook
thread-black
butt-silver tinsel
tag-purple hackle
rib-silver tinsel
Body-purple chenile
wing-of course, squirell
JZ
Hi,
Here's a pattern of mine using Pine Squirrel tail.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../fly_small.jpg
Hammlim Minnow
Thread: black
Tail : yellow fibers
Body : flat silver tinsel
Rib : oval silver tinsel
Throat: red fibers
Wing : Pine Squirrel (red squirrel would work)
Cheeks: chesnut brown wing feather from pheasant wing
And, I've had some luck with Cossebooms on rainbows (tied on size 10 2x shank hooks). Also "yellow Cossebooms" (yellow body, silver ribb, yellow tail, fox squirrel tail wing, brown hackle, red head) has produced well.
The Rat flies (i.e. Rusty Rat) use squirrel tail for the wing, and Blue Charms can do too.
- Jeff
squirrel tail for the tail
mixture of olive and brown dubbing for body (or squirrel fur)
squirrel tail for wing
your choice of thread color
#10 hook
took a 4 lb wild rainbow on that fly. The current took it deep into a tiny pool near a boulder and pow!
here is one for you very easy to tie.
SQUIRRELLY
Hook: Mustad 3906B #10
Thread: UTC 140 Black
Eyes: Gold bead chain
Wing: Red Fox Squirrel
Tail Hair
This is tied with the hook upside down. Clouser Style. Hope this is some help. John
For zonker strip you will have to tan the hide to have a soft skin . For just the fur(hard skin ) just cover the skin after removing any flesh with Borax. Someone will suggest using salt but --its more off a mess, take it from one that dries a few skins BILL
Bassman, is the body on your pattern thread?
thx,
Ed
I tie small clousers for trout using squirrel tails.
Just about any streamer pattern that uses bucktail can be tied in a smaller size with squirrel tail.
Yes it is Ed. John
Some good advice here :-
http://globalflyfisher.com/keywords/?keyword=hair
The late Mr. Cambell promoted this fly a lot.
SHWAPF
(swept hackle, wingless, all purpose fly)
It was done as a fly of the week and he wrote a whole column on it here on FAOL.
Just look under his articles
It can use anything but for the fly of the week he used squirrel tail.
Great fly
:)
I tie up several different size crayfish patterns using gray squirrel tail for the pinchers. They work great and are real simple patterns.
Hook: 6x long sizes of choice
Thread: tan 6/0
Under body: Lead wire or substitute
Pinchers: Gray squirrel tail
Body: tan chenille
Carapace: Mottled Turkey
You can also use olive as your color or just match the color of your local crayfish.
Skin out the squirrel and use a mixture of salt and borax dry laundry soap. Just rub it on the flesh side and let it cure for a couple of days, and you'll have a squirrel skin to use for what ever you want. The back of the squirrel can be shaved with a set of eletric clippers and put in a coffee grinder or blender to make squirrel dubbing. Mix the fur with a little antron yarn or poly yarn before blending, this will give it a little sparkle. Squirrel tail is very hard to dye, so unless you realy know how to do it I wouldn't suggest trying. Normal dyes such as Ritz won't work most of the time, you need commercial grade dyes. Wtih that being said, natural squirrel ( red or gray) can be used in just about any fly pattern out there. Good luck,Dave
In the book "Guide To Maryland Trout Fishing: The Catch And Release Streams", there is a pattern credited to Jay Sheppard called Sheppard's Patuxent Special. It is basically a ginger-colored bugger with fox squirrel tail. I adapted it a bit by putting a good bit of weighting wire on the top of the hook to keep the point upward, and splitting the tail to look like crayfish pincers.
I used it over the Christmas holiday on a stream that didn't have a lot of insect life, and managed to fool some rainbows.
And another one:
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/panfish/part258.html:98402]Bream Killer[/url:98402]