I do know there are fly patterns out there by the name “Skunk”, but my real question for the Gurus of this site is…
Are there any fly patterns anyone may know of which actually uses Skunk Hair in the construction of a particular fly pattern?
It may not be the most pleasant smelling materials to work with unless thoroughly de-scented, but I’m curious because of all the other natural materials out there which we use in our endeavours.
Interesting question because I’ve never seen a pattern that called for skunk per se. I know folks who use skunk as a polar bear substitute in wings for steelhead flies, and while I’ve never seen pattern that calls for skunk explicitly, I would not be surprised to find one.
according to my universal fly tying guide by dick stewart, copy write 1979 , the pattern listed on page 45 called the skunk. uses both black and white skunk tail.
I have tyed a few with skunk, both black and white and red and white. As was stated the white makes nice hair wings. The under fur can be used for nymphs. Oh it doesn’t stink.
How about the well known Green Butt Skunk steelhead fly?
Charlie Brooks also tied a Skunk Hair Caddis.
The original Skunks (both Green Butt and original) used skunk hair. It was replaced on commercial versions by bucktail since it’s so much easier to get. You can get skunk hides from furriers for a pretty fair chunk of change, but the hair really is nice.
There are also more than a fair number of dead skunks lying all along Hwy 89 during the summer, free for the taking for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of scent.
Maybe this will help: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/010801fotw.php
There seems to be a dichotomy here…there are many patterns that are called “skunk” because they are black and white and what this thread is after is what patterns actually use skunk fur originally .
Many of those patterns called “skunk” are, in fact, tied with skunk. (As mentioned, the steelhead flies are an example.) Also, as mentioned above, it’s been used as a sub for polar bear for decades. I usually use it for both the white and black parts of a Blacknosed Dace.
Thanks for the responses folks.
I have always been curious to know if Skunk hair was used in fly patterns and I have wanted to use Skunk in place of Polar Bear, for Polar Bear is not only very expensive, but also illegal here in Canada w/o special permission (so I Understand).
This time of year is prime time for acquiring a road kill Skunk as they come out of winter hibernation, but it is rare not to find one flattened.
On my very early morning trip into town yesterday, I passed by a fresh road kill in perfect condition which I had planned to pick up 1/2 hr later upon my return. Unfortunately a Coyote must have got it before me, or I have some other crazy fly tyer living in my rural area. I want to be able to skin one, for the hair not only looks beautiful, but would make great fly patterns I believe. Perhaps today I’ll have better luck so I can skin one in the garage outside. My wife however, is so far happy of my misfortunes…ha!
A variation of the traditional Skunk wet pattern. Very effective in the Northeast for trout and panfish.
Tied with bucktail though. 
It Is very hard to get the odor out of a wild skunk pelt. I had one some years ago that my neighbor shot in his chicken pen. He hit it with a .22 shell in the back of the head so it didn’t spray and the pelt was in good shape. I skinned it, washed it in tomato juice and covered the skin with borax before hanging it in the garage to dry. Months later and several dressings with borax later I still couldn’t bring it into the house and eventually threw it out. There are people who raise skunks which have the stink gland removed as infants. They are very expensive even by fly tying standards.
I leached the recipe below off the Internet. Fur fish & Game has also posted that hydrogen peroxide and baking soda will work. Pity I didn’t know about this when I was a boy scout. I used a 4-hour shower and a the better part of a bar of soap. (I must have used the better part of the bar. What was left was certainly the worse part…)
“Combine 1/4 cup of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of a dish washing product (such as Dawn) along with 2 pints of hydrogen peroxide in a basin.”
A skunk pelt at this time of year is more likely to be “hair” than “fur”. For streamer wings, that is probably a plus. If there is a fur trappers’ meet and sale in your area, you might be able to get well handled fur there. Damaged furs are heavily discounted when it comes to making garments. Most trappers would be happy to sell you a clean, well prepared but damaged skunk pelt for a few dollars. The same might go for muskrat, beaver, fox, and whatever is trapped in your area. These furs should be well handled, scraped and dried etc… They will NOT be tanned. A hide which hasn’t been scraped and dried properly is no bargain, even if free.
Regards,
Ed
http://www.hideandfur.com/inventory/7370.html
Range of prices here. You might contact them for more suitable material.
Got mine from an international taxidermy that was located in the town I was residing in. Was given a lot of exotic (to the fly tying trade) materials just for the asking. I also made it a point to give the owners some of the handiwork I produced from their generosity.
Some they fished and some they in turn gave away to their clientele. Made some lifelong friends and customers as well. Proving again that one man’s trash is another’s treasure…
All I know is, I ran a trapline for 10 years. Dealt with a lot of skunks. Been sprayed a couple of times. Nothing in this world could possess me to need to tie with a material so badly as to start processing skunk pelts. I’ll stick with black bear and bucktail as a substitute.
Ed, I carry that recipe and a few dog first aid Items In my ammo case every fall. Unfortunately I did not have it when I had the skunk hide.
I found that being hit dead-on by a skunk actually wasn’t all that bad. In a minute or two, I couldn’t smell anything and didn’t smell anything for days. Alas, that immunity did not extend to the rest of my boy scout troop. Hence the 4 hour shower…
Regards,
Ed
Thanks Guys, great stuff.
Ralph…I understand where you are coming from, but I’m personally challenged to prove myself that I can once again do this, but with a Skunk.
Ed…thanks for that recipe. If I luck out with getting a nice critter I hope the peroxide won’t bleach it out.
As a kid of 15, the dog and I got hit head-on one mid November evening while walking thru the bush at the cottage. I’ll never forget that cold tomato juice and lake water scrub down and bath we had to take while the folks stood in the heated cottage and laughed their faces off. I knew full well then, that the smell from a road killed Skunk was just the “after smell”, for the head-on version was like breathing ammonia which left me unable to smell properly for a day or so.
Rites of passage are common across many societies. Navies induct “polliwogs” to become “shellbacks” when they cross the equator. Fraternities have pledgeships and initiations. I think that getting sprayed by a skunk is almost mandatory for the adolescent male with aspirations of outdoor sports. I understand that their mothers might disagree. 
Regards,
Ed the Initiated
P.S. Don’t soak the fur/hair in hydrogen peroxide, just was it.
