Anyone use muskrat fur??

[c-denby 0]

Hey everyone..

 

I know there is a use for everything when it comes to tying flies, BUT, it depends on how useful that item is... I am curious as to if Muskrat fur is a popular tying item?? I do not find it very often in fly shops or online. But, I do hear about people using it sometimes.

I'm sure the underfur would make good dubbing. What would I mix it with to get a buggy look to it? and what length of fur is best for dubbing medium to large flies?? I have started experimenting with making dubbing but my dubbing never turns out all the good.

Any dubbing recipes out there for muskrat fur?

 

 

Anyways, I ask because I was given a few fur coats and one was muskrat. I still haven't finished cutting it all up and I have more muskrat fur than I know what to do with. I used 2 8" by 8" patches to make a big bag of straight muskrat fur dubbing and just that alone will last me forever.

 

Anyone that can use some muskrat, PM me. I will give you a nice big patch of fur in exchange for a couple flies or whatever..

I can't do this for everyone, so the first 5 people to PM me..

 

 

Cheers,

Chris

[JohnP 0]

Muskrat makes excellent dubbing and is used on a number of gray-colored nymphs. For bugginess, just keep the guard hairs in when you make your dubbing. Polly Rosborough, a famed southern Oregon tier, used muskrat on many of his best flies. He used it in what he called a fur noodle, with a dubbing loop. It is great stuff. I have some that I felted, using Rosborough's technique, where I sheared off a bunch of fur, then soaked it in water and mixed it up, then laid it out flat on a paper towel to dry.

 

Here is a link to a web site with info about Polly:

http://web.mac.com/robertdotson/iWeb/Fly%2...Rosborough.html

[Mickalo 0]

Yes muskrat makes some excellent dry fly dubbing. I starting using it myself since getting into some dry flies. You can make some really nice dub blends with it.

 

Mike

[c-denby 0]

Thanks.. That Felting idea might work well for what i'm using it for..

 

Cheers,

Chris

[Jaydub 0]

At one time Muskrat was a very common dubbing. With the guard hairs removed, it makes a great body for an Adams or Blue Dun dry fly.

[Firetiger 0]

Muskrat underfur is one of the best dry fly dubbings I know (along with fellow water dwellers the Beaver and Otter). Fine hair, easily dubbed and naturally water resistant.

 

If you can get hold of tanned hide of Muskrat (sometimes goes by trade name Bizam) it makes excellent zonker strips - IMHO much better than rabbit fur

 

J.

[Mickalo 0]

There's a gentleman in my area that sells Muskrat soft tan skins for about $15 + S/H that are excellent skins. Coffins Creek Furs.

 

Mike

[Steve P 0]

Just as everyone has said thus far, make a great nymph dubbing with the guard hairs left in or pluck them and makes a killer dry dubbing, makes some of the best zonker strips around as stated above. It will take to dye really well also so the possibilities become near endless there.

 

There is a general nymph/flymph pattern out there called "The Muskrat Love" but at the moment google won't give me anything that would be appropriate for a family oriented site... very similar to the casual dress but tied on a longer shank hook and with a little flash and then a partridge feather on the front instead of the ostrich herl.

 

Steve