Cree Subsitutes!!!

[TitanFlies 0]

Here's a database submission from Mice, it uses Cree for the body hackle and it looks killer. Of course, anything Mice does looks other-worldly.

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern9437.html

 

[David Legg 0]

Well that is sure pretty!

[Al Beatty 0]

Hi TitanFlies,

 

You've gotten some great posts to this thread so we'll just add an idea rather than a feather source. Why not make your own Cree hackle? On the hook this home-made color is very difficult to tell from the real thing. Here is how it is done:

 

Take a grizzly pelt (cape or saddle) and bleach it slightly so the barring changes color from black to ginger/brownish. Wash and dry the pelt then select one feather and use a felt tip (Sharpie or other color-fast) black marker to draw bars across the feather at the point where the ginger barring meets the white. On the hook it's darned near impossible to tell from the real thing.

 

Bleach solution: 2 parts NON-SUDSING ammonia and 1 part hydrogen peroxide. If you use the low percent solution of hydrogen peroxide from a drug store (3% I think) it can take several days to bleach a pelt but if you get the stronger solution at a beauty supply store it works much faster; often doing its job in less than a day. NOTE: Do Not use regular sudsing ammonia, it will make a real mess out of your feathers. Also, do not use regular wash bleach unless you want all the tips on the feather fibers to burn off. You can find the bleaching process on our Web site. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Gretchen & Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com

[TitanFlies 0]

Hi TitanFlies,

 

You've gotten some great posts to this thread so we'll just add an idea rather than a feather source. Why not make your own Cree hackle? On the hook this home-made color is very difficult to tell from the real thing. Here is how it is done:

 

Take a grizzly pelt (cape or saddle) and bleach it slightly so the barring changes color from black to ginger/brownish. Wash and dry the pelt then select one feather and use a felt tip (Sharpie or other color-fast) black marker to draw bars across the feather at the point where the ginger barring meets the white. On the hook it's darned near impossible to tell from the real thing.

 

Bleach solution: 2 parts NON-SUDSING ammonia and 1 part hydrogen peroxide. If you use the low percent solution of hydrogen peroxide from a drug store (3% I think) it can take several days to bleach a pelt but if you get the stronger solution at a beauty supply store it works much faster; often doing its job in less than a day. NOTE: Do Not use regular sudsing ammonia, it will make a real mess out of your feathers. Also, do not use regular wash bleach unless you want all the tips on the feather fibers to burn off. You can find the bleaching process on our Web site. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Gretchen & Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com

WOW! I never would have thought of that! Thanks Mr. Beatty!

[Hot Tuna 0]

Brilliant Beattys....the power of the pen!

[David Legg 0]

Great idea... I once tried using a light brown marker across the edge of the white, but didn't care for how it turned out. Never thought of trying it this way.