Pig's Wool

[Donald Nicolson]

I have been reading an old book called 'The Angler and the Loop Rod' by David Webster.
In it he illustrates and gives the recipes for a range of salmon flies. The dubbing he uses is pig's wool. Well, I am just an old fashioned city boy and I did not know you could get wool from pigs, I'm always learning something new.
Has anyone ever seen or used pig's wool?

By the way the loop rod refered to is the kind of rod before reels were used.
He says his trouting rod was 13ft 6in 3pc, butt ash,middle hickory and the top was lancewood.On the top was attached a strong loop of twisted horse hair. The casting line was horsehair,18 to 20ft, with a loop on the end to connect with the rod loop. The gut line was 16 to 17 ft, so that the total length, to the last fly, was 34 to 37ft.
He recommended the hair line be tapered.
The book was written in 1885 and he died in 1904 at the age of 78.
Right! who out there is now going to build a loop rod, you've got all the info.

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Donald/Scotland



[This message has been edited by Donald Nicolson (edited 03 February 2005).]

[Ron Mason]

Awesome, there is no question so obscure that someone on FAOL has an answer. Best tying site on the web.

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Ron M

[flyfisherjoe]

Here's the web site that sells it: [url=http://www.feathersmc.com:396e8]http://www.feathersmc.com[/url:396e8]


Here's a direct link to the page with a picture of a pig with an impressive wool coat
[url=http://www.feathersmc.com/materials/Detail.php?prodID=111:396e8]http://www.feathersmc.com/materials/Detail.php?prodID=111[/url:396e8]

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Joe

[Ronn Lucas]

I seem to remember that the breed of the pig that the wool came from in bygone days in the UK is no longer around. It may be close to what is being used these days but I haven't seen either the original or the new stuff. Just a guess, I bet they are close but that is just a guess.

Happy Trails!
Ronn

[flymaker2]

here is what I dug-up:

Blond Mangalica.

The Hungarian Mangalica is a fat-type hog of medium body size with fine, but very strong skeleton. Fur of the Blond Mangalica can be found from grey to yellow and yellowish red in each variant, the yellowish red coloration is caused by keeping and soil conditions.

The fur is dense and long, curling like chips in winter, more tender, shorter and more straight in summer. The curling is a breed character, however the ringed, strongly curling fur and the coarse straight bristles on the back or flanks are not desired. The excessively fine "woolly" fur is not even desired. The seasonal moulting of Mangalica is very typical and due to the thick , curly winter hair is remarkable. Professionally kept and fed animals cast the thick hair in the spring, their summer fur is short - threaded with plain surface. The pigmented, dark skin shows better through the thin fur, therefore the colour of animals seems darker, brownish grey in summer.

Learn something everyday...
Rich

Well I'll be hornswoggled!! I grew up in the country (Arkansas & Illinois) and if someone had come up to me yesterday and bet his Wallyworld flyrod against my Sage that he had some pig's wool I would have ended up losing my Sage.

Yur right, learn something everyday on this board!

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Snow on the roof with fire in the hearth

[quillg]

I also know someone who processes and sells his own pigs wool. I don't think he goes to length that Bill Bailey does to dye the wool. I have some and it is very nice. One thing about pigs wool is that it is very course. If you want I can send you his email.

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Rich

[Diane]

Sometimes the materials used in fly tying sound like a prank that we camp counselors used to play on the kids. "Come on, let's go on a snipe hunt." "You can get an extra dessert if you bring me back some Pig Wool." "Come on kid's, I'll tell you the legend of the Ghost Fibre."

What's next? A left-handed smoke shifter?

[drolfson]

Good crap Diane, you got that straight!! My first thought when I saw the link from flyfisherjoe was that someone had used Photoshop to mess with people's heads, but apparently not. Or all y'all are doain a really good job!

Don

[flymaker2]

These are considered an endangered breed of Hogs. From what I have read, there are a only few hundred in Germany and a few thousand left in Hungary/Bosnia area.
Rich