Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

Gary LaFontaine regularly tied and fished nymphs made from cat hair.

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

The end of my dog's tail would make excellent mayfly tails...hmmm

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

take the underfur that you collect in your brush and use it as dubbing.

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

I regularly use cat hair, my daughter loves helping acquire materials ;D

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

dog hair, cat, guinea pig. It all works and well. Siberrian husky gaurd hairs make great tails.

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

I've heard tjat certain dogs have more buoyant hair than others. Dogs such as the golden retriever were bred as hunters and swimmers, so their hair is better for floatant dubbing.

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

Been brushing my female Siberian Forest cat and using the hair for cased caddis. I don't have a coffee grinder, just kinda snip up some of the hair (her coat is 3-4" long, and the underfur is pretty fine and soft) about 1/2-3/4" long and spin it on some waxed thread. She is a tortoiseshell, so her coat is great mixed streambed colors - brown, grey, white, black and gold/orange.

There she is, on top of Barr Flies! That's my Milla

Her brother is also a Siberian, but he is orange/red and white, and his coat is a lot finer and has a lot less underfur - he brushes out a lot more light ginger, and he may find himself adorning a mayfly dry or two. Their coats (the guard hairs, esp. ) are naturally water shedding, and his coat is noticeably softer. (Everybody at the vet's office calls him 'bunny boy'!) This is Milo

Milo is currently sitting in front of my monitor and getting into everything. I'm doomed!!!

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

I have a black lab and use his hair from time to time. The softer fluffier hairs are best. If you get the wirey hair its harder to work with, but using the dubbing wax will help a lot.

I also tried using my own hair just for the hell of it (asked my barber to put a large handful of hair in a sandwich bag after my hair cut) My hair is an excellent "blue dunn"..due to its stage of gray...but it was too damned wirey so could never use it,...not even with mega dubbing wax.

 

Re: Using long dog hair for flies???

Those stiffer or more wirey hairs are probably better for wings and tails than for dubbing.