Do you have any pointers when dubbing muskrat and mink? I find in helpful to use a heavily waxed thread, very small amounts of material and moistened fingers in "loading" the thread.
Saliva & Dubbing
Do you have any pointers when dubbing muskrat and mink? I find in helpful to use a heavily waxed thread, very small amounts of material and moistened fingers in "loading" the thread.
As mentioned dubbing wax helps... lots of pressure, more than you might think can help
You might find a dubbing loop easier. Especially split thread. Easy to trap and spin the fibers into a usable form.
I remove all the guard hairs from muskrat. The fine underfur is real easy to dub with - thin, fat, tapered, etc.
Regards,
Scott
Muskrat should dub easily, with no wax or spit required. I haven't tried mink.
Bob
This is an old pattern, from Fly Fisherman Magazine in 1975, called "The Mink Thing". It is just mink in a dubbing loop over a weighted hook. Sometimes I will mix in sable to give it a buggier look when brushed out with a bore brush. Mink traps air bubbles...
...it is deadly in the Spring...
PT/TB
Last edited by planettrout; 12-18-2016 at 03:29 PM.
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I use a lot of muskrat dubbing, and like Scott said, I first remove the guard hairs. I then prepare a quantity of dubbing in advance by mixing it in an old coffee grinder. If I'm not using a dubbing loop, I often spit on my fingers while I'm applying small quantities of this fur to my tying thread. I rarely use any waxed thread. I don't use much mink, but would do the same for it as well.
To use most fur that I don't want guard hair I use a fur rake.
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