Craft Fur?

[1hook]

Thinking about investing in some craft fur for streamer patterns. Is there any certain brand to look for? Can I go right to my local craft store and buy this stuff for a few bucks or do you have to get the "fly tying" kind?

[john52948]

don't know for sure, but my guess would be the only difference between the craft fur you get at walmart, and the craft fur you get at the fly shop would be the price. I tried craft fur for clousers in the late ninties, and was not happy with the way the material seemed to mat up. I ended up using ep fibers, lot more expensive but I was much happier with the results

[whatfly]

As john52948 says, craft fur is craft fur. Only issue to look out for is length, really. Some brands are longer than others, and that might be an issue if you are tying large patterns. Saw quite a bit of it at Michael's the other day.

[FishnDave]

I use Rumpf Extra Select Craft Fur. Probably the same as Hareline Extra Select. Could it be the same as craft store fur? Could be.
Like John said, the material does mat up when you catch a fish, but run your fingers/fingernail through it a few times and its good to go. I don't know why, but the stuff just catches fish! Bass, Catfish, Crappies...they all love the stuff.
Here's a bass on a Firetiger-colored craft fur baitfish pattern:


The fly looks like this:


Here's a 19" bass on a chartreuse version (it looks really small down there!):


Catfish like the shad-colored versions:




like this:

[dave potts]

Bet that cat gave you a nice fight.

[smij]

The craft fur at my local craft stores are too small for the patterns I tie. Rumpf and Hareline are what I use.

I just picked up some EP brushes that look pretty good, too.

[Fatman]

The Darice craft hair is good stuff although short.

I use a lot of the Hairline craft fur


but the best stuff I've ever used is Targus Craft fur which is really hard to find and I'll buy it when ever I get the chance. As you can see the Targus is longer which is what people want. Only other thing that's long in craft fur is the hair on troll dolls - and it is good craft fur.



For those who want a really good not real expensive hair for longer streamers is Arctic Goat hair. Have a few buddies that are using it for tying pike and muskie jigs.
http://www.jsflyfishing.com/wapsi-arctic-goat

[SMClark]

Google the dolls and bears craft outfits for samples of their craft fur / faux fur / fake fur ( eg, consumercrafts.com/store/details/catalog/basics-fur/10240-79 :
product ID 10240-79, 9" x12" long pile light fawn brown craft fur, $ 1.77 )

[smij]

Do you know offhand how long the fibers are?