I know there is nothing I will ever come up with that hasn’t already been done or tried but I have been playing around with horse tail and mane lately. I have used it for tails, body material and ribbing and I like the results although they need refining. I have found it to be quite durable. This hair comes from horses bred in Asia specifically for using the hair in making bows for stringed instruments as it will need to take a little abuse. I am currently using a very clear color although I am getting some other colors as well. The clear allows for transparency which I like.
I tried horse tail (with silk thread) for furled leaders a while back. Faruk Ekich grew up making leaders and tippet with horse hair, so I had to try it. I have a bunch left over, and have been considering using some of it for tying.
He gives me all the horse tail and mane hair I want.
I use a bunch of different colors. Black and white to make bodies on mosquito patterns, died some white to olive for small dry and emerger bodies, and use the natural greys, browns, and black for the same applictions.
Makes nice tight bodies on small midges. Tough and takes waterproofing well when you need a fly to float.
You can get some cool effects by braiding some colors together before using them to make a body.
I’ve had mixed results using it for a tailing/wing material, though. I prefer other materials for that, but it will work if it’s whats at hand.
I did see something recently on some long body hair fibers coming in from the cold north where horses have very long body hair and are raised as a food source. That will make beter tail/wing type streamer material, I’d think.
I met Steve Siverio at The Fly Tying Symposium, Somerset November 22 and 23. He uses this kind of hair to tie these flies. I hope they are of any help.
Horse hair was used for fly lines and snoods/leaders/snells before silk. In fact Horse hair was used for lines for 2000 years first identified by Aelian in De Natura Animalium (200 AD). Darrel Martin has a great write up on lines in “The Fly-Fisher’s Craft” and how to make a horse hair line. Paul Jones at http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/ has it in usable quantities.
A lot of long pony hair is used now, as evidenced by those salt water flies.
It’s great stuff and certainly a classic material in more ways than one.
Thanks all for the excellent input. I placed another post regarding my late thank you. My computer was down for several days. Please accept my apologies for not responding in a more acceptable manner.
