Dying hair and hackle

[ldice]

What would be some good ways to dye hair and hackle? I have seen anything from Rit dye to Kool Aid being used, and was wondering which would be the best way to dye materials?

[kbproctor]

Go to the search option and use the title of your thread and you will find that there are as many opinions on that as we have members. I hate to give a flip sounding answer like that, but it has been discussed at length several times over the last few months. I have not tried dying any of materials as yet. I find the subject interesting but fear certain death if I make a mess and the wife finds out.

I would say that it depends on what you are trying to do. Rit would be more vivid, I would think, but Kool Aid would give the materials a nice fruity taste. Then I have to wonder if we can dye feathers and hair with Kool Aid, why don't we have blue kids? Is that how we got Smurfs?

OK. I'll shut up now. Well, not really but for a few minutes anyway. Maybe.

[jack]

i've tried a kool-aid formula on two bucktails and i't seemed to work. send me a pm for the details.

[jack]

maybe this will be easier.
my wife got 12 bucktails for me from the local processor. i skinned one without washing and used the white and brown on several flies. i just started tying about a year ago and have tried something new every week.
last week i wanted to tie some clouser minnows for crappie. i skinned two tails and washed them in dog soap. the formula i used for these was 6 oz. water, 2 packs kool-aid, and 4 oz. vinegar (2 cherry for the red and the other was 1pack berry blue, 1 pack lemonade, and 25 drops yellow food color,). put the tails in simmering solution for 15 min. (do not boil or the hair will fall out). when cool, stored the two solutions in a quart bag. the next day, i rinsed the solution out and let them air dry out. then the next day, i started tying. i'll let you know how the color holds. i tried the flies in some water and they seem to work o.k.