Greybull River Rat 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2012 I have been doing a lot of reading as a beginner in fly tying. One thing that I have realized is the fly tying community is very resourceful and, I suspect, never passes up a roadkill for a patch of hair or feathers. I have access to an over abundance of groundhogs and a passion for helping the local farmers kill them. Is the hair good for anything? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soft-hackle 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2012 Hi, I'm sure this fur would be useable for tailing dries, in fact Fran Betters' used it as tailing on his Ausable Wulff. It was listed as woodchuck and it's the same animal. It could be good for winging streamers as well. Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jolly Red 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2012 Most furs can be used for something. Dubbing with the underfur and guard hair, tailing with the longer fibers in the tail, etc. If you are taking your own game, the fur will be better if you collect the fur in the winter, when it will be a lot thicker and longer. There have been several threads lately about drying and curing the hide to preserve it, if you don't know how to do this, these threads could be a help to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rockworm 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2012 I use lots of woodchuck (groundhog) on the Chuck Caddis. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mvendon 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2012 Most furs can be used for something. Dubbing with the underfur and guard hair, tailing with the longer fibers in the tail, etc. If you are taking your own game, the fur will be better if you collect the fur in the winter, when it will be a lot thicker and longer. There have been several threads lately about drying and curing the hide to preserve it, if you don't know how to do this, these threads could be a help to you. This may be a little difficult since they like to hibernate during the winter months Here's a link to an article Peter Frailey did quite a while ago. It has quite a few patterns that use it. The front half has thicker gaurd hairs, and they keep getting more thin towards the rear portion. The tail hair can be used too. http://globalflyfisher.com/patterns/woodchuck/index.php Regards, Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greybull River Rat 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2012 Wow! That was only a 1/2 way serious question. Given the number of woodchuck that I harvest I think their hair needs to be a primary ingredient. It is near 60 degrees tomorrow....Time to collect! Thanks everyone. I continue to be impressed by the quality of the people and responses to a beginner's questions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FisherOfMen 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2012 Hair from anything can be useful. Up here in the Adirondacks we have red squirrels (tree rats/pine squirrels) instead of groundhogs. I shoot 'em just to keep them from castrating the gray squirrels, and their tails are great for anything, esp. streamers. The fur is beautiful dubbing, with a reddish orange tint. Use what ya' got! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgn113 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2012 Hair from anything can be useful. Up here in the Adirondacks we have red squirrels (tree rats/pine squirrels) instead of groundhogs. I shoot 'em just to keep them from castrating the gray squirrels, and their tails are great for anything, esp. streamers. The fur is beautiful dubbing, with a reddish orange tint. Use what ya' got! I have a bunch of grey and red fox furs laying around. Can they be used for anything? If so what would they typically be used to tie? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rockworm 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2012 Hair from anything can be useful. Up here in the Adirondacks we have red squirrels (tree rats/pine squirrels) instead of groundhogs. I shoot 'em just to keep them from castrating the gray squirrels, and their tails are great for anything, esp. streamers. The fur is beautiful dubbing, with a reddish orange tint. Use what ya' got! I have a bunch of grey and red fox furs laying around. Can they be used for anything? If so what would they typically be used to tie? Guard hairs for wings. Underfur for dubbing. Grey fox is used for wings on the RAT series of hairwing salmon flies. Red fox underfur makes great dubbing for the bodies of dry flies like the Light Hendrickson and the March Brown. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lykos33 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2012 Hair from anything can be useful. Up here in the Adirondacks we have red squirrels (tree rats/pine squirrels) instead of groundhogs. I shoot 'em just to keep them from castrating the gray squirrels, and their tails are great for anything, esp. streamers. The fur is beautiful dubbing, with a reddish orange tint. Use what ya' got! I have a bunch of grey and red fox furs laying around. Can they be used for anything? If so what would they typically be used to tie? Nope...not a thing! Send them my way and I will dispose of them properly... Murray Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tidewaterfly 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2012 I've tied with many, many different types of fur over the years, you name it & I might have tied with it. I spent a lot of time as a fur trapper too, so that just went with tying very well. As the others have said, any fur or hair type can be used to tie flies. I tie with a lot of red fox & coyote. Both have natural coloration that works well for tying things like crayfish patterns, as well as many insect forms. Use your imagination. A little searching in the fly pattern database on this site or even a Google search for flies tied with a specific material will often produce a number of fly patterns. Here's some fur & hair I've tied with: Coyote tail & body Red Fox Tail & body Grey Fox tail & body Arctic Fox tail & body Silver Fox tail & body, (plus many other variations of Red Fox cross breeds) Red squirrel Grey squirrel Fox squirrel rabbit, both domestic & wild Groundhog Badger Mink Beaver Raccoon Finn Raccoon Opossum Australian Opossum White Tail Deer, tails & body Black tail Deer, tails & body Elk Moose Antelope Black & Brown bear Muskrat Otter Skunk Yak hair Cashmere Goat Mohair Tibetan Lamb Scottish Highland Cow etc, etc, etc. Get the picture? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wavey1988 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2012 My sister has got some blonde hair extensions, I'm gonna see about dying and then using them xD It's all good for summat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgn113 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2012 Thanks for the insight on this. Maybe i will shave my wifes head tonight while sh sleeps. Make some wholley boogers with that rats nest...lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgn113 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2012 Hair from anything can be useful. Up here in the Adirondacks we have red squirrels (tree rats/pine squirrels) instead of groundhogs. I shoot 'em just to keep them from castrating the gray squirrels, and their tails are great for anything, esp. streamers. The fur is beautiful dubbing, with a reddish orange tint. Use what ya' got! I have a bunch of grey and red fox furs laying around. Can they be used for anything? If so what would they typically be used to tie? Nope...not a thing! Send them my way and I will dispose of them properly... Murray Let me know...maybe we can work something out to get them to you. Possible trade for flys/materials etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2012 .Thanks for the insight on this. Maybe i will shave my wifes head tonight while sh sleeps. Make some wholley boogers with that rats nest...lol Nah I tried that once, my wife not yours but like medusa it just scared the fish out of the river. Too acidic I reckon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites