Deer Hair?

[hungNtree]

I've been trying to spin some deer hair and having no luck at all. The thought just hit me though, I've been trying with hair from a buck tail. Should I be trying with body hair? I'm not sure if the hair is different or not. Or maybe I'm just not holding my mouth right.

thanks in advance,
hNt

[Wes]

yes, tie from body hair. depending on the size of tie use a pencil sized clump to begin with.

[Bass_Bug]

Yep, big big difference between different parts of the deer. Buck tail doesn't flair very much but flairs less and less the closer you get to the tips. Belly hair is shorter and doesn't flair much either. Body hair (form certain parts of the body) are the best for spinning.

Chris Helm is the Guru of deer hair. http://www.whitetailflytieing.com/index.htm

One of his latest DVD's http://www.bennett-watt.com/All-Abou...tinfo/NHOFT01/ will tell you all the basics.

[ldice]

Spinning deer hair might be one of those flies that would be better if you bought it instead of tying them. That would save a lot of gray hairs.

[Uncle Jesse]

Spinning deer hair is an art. Remember artist range from Van Gogh to the kid in the first grade, then there's Picasso and the guys eating mushrooms calling themselves artist. You can get better with practice, breaking the thread ran me nuts, so I bought some kevlar thread, which doesn't break as easily. I'm up to about the third grade level now.

[NJTroutbum]

I can spin the deer hair. One color...thats about it. Don't let it intimidate you though.....you may find out it's what you end up doing best:^)

[mahanvey]

Yes... deer hair spinning can be addicting. For instance I'd rather spin deer hair than work with popper foam. Others are just the opposite. With the hollow deer hair, you can get just as much float as you can foam, and do the same thing with the hair, making poppers and skimmers... It's all in the tyer's personality.

[hungNtree]

thanks for the tips guys, I'll have to get some body hair, I'm sure not doing any good with the tail hair. I've never figured it, but I'm sure it would be cheaper for me to buy flies and no doubt the flies would be better too. But where's the fun in that?

hNt

[Steven]

Just as an aside, try to use body hair whenever possible, it's easier to use than is belly hair. For some reason though, some colors only seem to be available in belly hair.

I would suggest using Gel-Spun thread as well. Very strong yet won't cut the hair like Kevlar. It is very slick though; sometimes it's tough to get it started.

Spinning is easy. The art comes in the cutting and shaping....

[turvy]

Body hair from the deer is actually hollow and stiff. I've found that wrapping the hook shank with thread keeps the hair from spinning...make two very light wraps around the deer and then pull it tight...Pack hair back tight and keeping moving toward the eye. Deer hair mice are fun and my daughter's cat (minus the hook portion of course) goes through about 4 toys a year.