In the UK we probably use more feathers than fur, mostly bucktail I suppose on salmon flies, and a little deer on muddlers.
I would be interested to know what fur my American friends would consider to be indispensible and how they use it? Assume money is no object…
Furs, Huh?
Let’s see, there’s Arctic Fox (tail and body fur) for wings and tails on steelhead and salmon flies; elk hair from various portions of the hide for all manner of caddis flies; deer hair for spinning and winging; moose mane for bodies, tails and wings; rabbit, both hare’s mask for dubbing and strips for wings and bodies; woodchuck for wings on October Caddis; Silver and Red Fox tails for wings and tails on salmon and steelhead flies; black bear and polar bear for wings and tails on steelhead and salmon flies; and of course grey and red squirrel tails for trout fly wings and tails; and as you mentioned, bucktail. Oops, almost forgot calf tail for winging on dry flies, beaver for dubbing, and skunk for wings and tails for salmon and steelhead flies.
Of course most of these furs and hairs come in a variety of dyed colors also, whick I just have to have on hand.
Let’s not get into what feathers I have filling up the 16 drwers on my tying cabinet.
REE
[This message has been edited by NoahsBoyz (edited 23 March 2006).]
Elk for dry fly wings and tails on caddis patterns like the elk hair caddis, stimulators, humpys. Squirrel for wings and dubbing, and zonker strips for wings,bodies and crawfish claws. Rabbit is indespensable for warm water fishers as dubbing, wings, tails, or as a substitute for marabou.
"I would be interested to know what fur my American friends would consider to be indispensible and how they use it? "
If I had to pick 1 (and only 1) fur it would have to be snow shoe rabbit skin. The fur can be used for any bodies. Remove guard hairs for smooth dry fly bodies or leave in for nymphs. Guard hairs are long enough for some streamer wings. Since the winter phase is white it can be dyed any color imaginable. The fur/hair off of the feet can be used for tailing, winging or dubbed bodies as in the ‘Usual’. This hair is also water resistant and great for wings so it can be used for Wulff type flies comparaduns and emergers. Finally, even though you said ‘Money no object’, the cost is very reasonable.
Allan
If I had to pick one it would be Elk hair. In various dyed shades I tend to use this material for lots of flies.
A close second would be Moose Mane. Just can’t beat Moose for tailing dry flys.
“If we carry purism to it’s logical conclusion, to do it right you’d have to live naked in a cave, hit your trout on the head with rocks, and eat them raw. But, so as not to violate another essential element of the fly-fishing tradition, the rocks would have to be quarried in England and cost $300 each.”
~John Gierach
If I were limited to one tying material, I would select rabbit fur. I can tie anything from a nymph for trout to a large streamer pattern for bass and pike.
Jim Smith
Road Kill–Fox,Black and Grey squirrel tail. Deer.
Bill
You guys are lucky that you have plenty of choice. Here we can buy deer hair (small packets of about 3" squares) from an unspecified part of the deers body… occasionally elk in a similar form…
Bucktail is common although expensive in full tails or pieces dyed or plain. Squirrel tails are cheap enough. But all other furs and hair is fairly scarce and only obtainable at rip off prices in tiny packets etc… biggest road kills here are cats. Occasionally see roadkilled badgers but because they are protected and reputedly carry TB picking them up is a no no.
Which is why apart from salmon flies and lures, which mainly use bucktail or squirrel tail, flies are dressed with feather and some synthetic body material… I wish I had reasonable access to some other skins and furs.
[This message has been edited by mickporter (edited 23 March 2006).]
Rabbit with snowshoe being the most important. Just started to use snowshoe rabbit feet after getting some from Amie for xmas and not sure how I ever lived without it. After that I really love to antolope for spinning and using for adult caddis instead of deer.
REE has a great list. But I’ll still add 2 of my favorites, Muskrat for wings on streamers and squirrel tail for all sorts of things.
Fish more, work less!
Bear hair - seldom used - but is top-notch streamer hair. Need a back for a minnow pattern - toss in some bear hair (black, brown, dyed …). Tie in a bunch for frog or hopper legs. Naturally water repellant, and the air pockets created in the lumps seem to last longer (when desired).
Other than that - Bucktail, squirrel, deer body hair (if used, can be substituted for elk).
English Hare’s mask, mole, austrailian opposum, seal, fox
RW here,
I recently acquired two tails from juvenile flying squirrels that my daughter’s cat brought home. I’ve hunted fox squirrels, gray squirrels and the little pesky red squirrels,and tied with hair from their tails, but I’ve never handled a flying squirrel, and I’ve never felt any fur that was softer, not even mole skin. I’m reluctant to tie with it because I might never get ahold of any again. Think I’ll wait until the Catskill Rendezvous and ask tyeflies what he thinks of it before I use it. Anybody have any experience with this fur? Feels like it would be the smoothest dubbing material I ever worked with.
Later, RW
“Maybe your stature as a fly fisherman isn’t determined by how big a trout you can catch, but by how small a trout you can catch without being disappointed.” <John Gierach>
RW,
I’ve never handled fly squirrel so I cannot comment on its tying qualitites. What I will say is,use it. If at some point you run out, then worry about getting more.
Allan