Got Dubbing?

[Druce 0]

Hey everyone, I was just wondering where you all get your home made dubbing from, naturals or synthetic, if anyone has any great homemade dubbing ideas id like to hear it. I use cat hair and some dog, very limited, yarn is slim pickings and over priced, any thoughts anyone? And whats your method for mixing? Im looking for ideas on how to collect as many different dubbing as possible.

 

Cheers.

 

Druce

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

dryer lint great fine dry fly dubbing comes in what ever color you want as long as its grey, stuffing from throw pillows really coarse great for wet flies comes in many different colors trouble is you don't know what your going to get, old carpet, as for blending nothing works better then a coffee grinder

[rockworm 0]

My favorite dubbings come from muskrat, hare, fox, otter, mink and beaver. Probably in that order. Occassionally I also use fitch, mole, and (less frequently) the underfur from bear, skunk, raccoon, etc.

 

Since you are looking to amass a collection of dubbings you should be aware that there is a remarkable range of shades on any of the above pelts, generally lighter on the belly and darker on the back. You can also encounter huge differences between individual pelts: natural mink can run from white to cream to light grey to sandy brown to blue-dun to mahogany to black. Muskrat and beaver show similar variations.

 

When I need a dubbing color not found naturally I usually turn to commercially-dyed muskrat, rabbit, beaver or synthetics such as Superfine or Antron.

 

As for mixing dubbings.... On the (rare) occassions when I am tying tens of dozens of a pattern I will either blend my furs in a coffee grinder (dry) or I will mix my furs with water and a drop of detergent, pour through a strainer and then dry it to make a felt. If I am tying only a dozen or so I blend my furs by rubbing between my fingers.

[Bruce Derington 0]

Belly Button :whistle:

[lykos33 0]

This guy has unreal prices on all kinds of dubbing,

http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/

also our forum sponsor at the top of the page has good stuff too

[utyer 0]

First off, I would say that blending your own is NOT the way to start building an assortment of dubbings. Dubbing comes in many different colors (some natural and some died.) It also comes in many different types (natural furs, wool and synthetic yarns, and blends thereof, also new syntetics like ice dubbing and quick decent dubbings.) To get started, you should pick up some dubbing assortments from either JStockard, or FTD. Assortments are usually 12 different colors of the same type of dubbing.

 

For me at least, collecting and blending my own dubbing has been a life long endevor. It too years to get to the point where I can make most anything I need.

 

Mink and beaver underfurs are some excellent dry fly dubbings. Squirrel and rabbit, are usually used for nymphs. Muscrat fur can be used for both dry flies, and wet flies. Most natural furs will float if treated with floatants. Most natural furs can be blended with yarns.

 

I get yarn at dollar stores and craft stores when its on sale. Some times I shop specialty yarn stores, for blended mohairs.

 

I shop yard sales, and flea markets from time to time looking for yarn. The last bag I got was free and contained about 10 partial skeins in different colors. Yard sales and flea markets are also good places for other strange bits of foam, and furs. Fur collars, cuffs, ear muffs, all kinds of stuff.

 

Years ago, I was able to get a lot of fur scraps from a fur store. When the would remodel an old coat, there would be all kinds of trimmings left. New coats and jackets would be custom fit to the customers and an inch or so from the arms, and sometimes even an inch of the bottom of a fine fur would end up in the scrap box.

 

There are places on the Internet where you can purchase entire skins, tails, and sometimes scrap pieces.

 

Taxidermy shops are another source of scrap furs and hair pieces. Rabbit pelts are found at craft stores.

 

For blending and mixing, I use both a coffee grinder (small amounts,) and a blender. DON'T use the kitchen blender get your own at a yard sale or second hand store.

 

Hunting for fur bearing animals is another way to get furs. Either you hunt yourself, or find friends who hunt. Rabbits, squirrel, and many varmits are possible, just depends on what people hunt where you are.

 

You should check out the Fly Tyers Dungeon web site. This is the time of year when he runs some year end specials. He has a dubbing assortment this year for $20.00, and a grab bag of dubbings and other goodies for $25.00. I have many of his products, and they are good stuff. A lot of folks on this board have purchased these year end assortments from him, and most are pleased with them.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Good advice given already. However, check out this link for some pretty comprehensive and extensive information on Dubbing from kinds and types to collecting and making your own to different methods of tying it on.

 

http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/index.c...4046&page=1

 

Kirk

[Bryan Wright 0]

Taxidermy shops are another source of scrap furs and hair pieces. Rabbit pelts are found at craft stores.

 

This is great advice. I emailed a couple of local taxidermy shops around my area and one of them emailed me back an offered me to come in any time and take what I want out of his scrap bucket. I offered to trade some fly's for it and he agreed although he doesn't fly fish so he doesn't even want anything much. Nice guy too. I haven't gone yet because he will be busy till after 11-5 but when I do I post what I get out of the deal.

[Mickalo 0]

That dubbing article link Kirk posted has some very informative and extensive details for making your own dubbings. I found this article a few months ago and since then been making 99% of all my dubs now, mainly nature materials & mixing. if you do a lot of dubbing it's the way to go. For the price you pay for most commercial dubbing you can make probably 10 times more yourself. Especially with natural dubbing, i.e. squirrel, possum, woodchuck, muskrat, beaver .... etc. Pick up some pelts or skins and you'll have enough dubbing for a very long time.

 

Mike

[John F 0]

I think every reply given is a good one. The only thing that was missed is that in the new Hatches magazine there is a terrific article on dubbing and it's construction.

John

[Druce 0]

great info all, thanks so much for the help, my patterns that use dubbing are limmited to a small number of nymphs and some craws but i think 20$ is worth a bag of different dubbings. Any further imput is very much welcome.

 

Druce.

[JohnP 0]

I've got tons of dubbing (you can never have too much), but lately I have been using a lot of the Whitlock SLF dubbing and Ice Dub. Both are great to work with. The mad scientist at Fly Tyer's Dungeon has some cool stuff, too. I really like his Frawg dubbing, but the Halo dubbing gives me fits.

[bigdewy 0]

I think every reply given is a good one. The only thing that was missed is that in the new Hatches magazine there is a terrific article on dubbing and it's construction.

John

 

Keith Barton, the author of the article referenced above has a blog that is worth checking out. Keith is a master of dying and dubbing. He is also the inventor of the Sixth Finger Scissors; which are in my humble opinion, the best tying scissors ever.

 

http://singlebarbed.com/

[crappie 0]

I know several knitters that are making socks. Use wool and lllama yarns alot. I have two cat hair brushes that I use to card the yarn. I get lots of neat color dubbings doing this. I have also used some rug yarns to get dubbing mixes.

 

Crappie