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JOAT

Polar Bear Hair

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I got a small bag of polar bear hair. Pretty amazing stuff and very hard to come by. Super buoyant and naturally "shimmering pearlescent”.

 

I'm at a loss as to what to tie up with it. I don't want to waste any of it. So, if you had a little polar bear hair and were targeting salmon, trout, and maybe pike, what would you make out of your polar bear?

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Polar bear hair used to be rigidly controlled and could not be commercially sold in the US. You had to have documentation to show any of it in your possession was imported here before the ban on importing went into effect.

 

It makes great classic streamers for steelhead and salmon. I would not use it on the toothy critters.

 

Rocco

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That stuff looks really good, i have seen some patches available in stores around northern BC, i think those guys use it in 'intruder' style flies in a dubbing loop, but even for saltwater applications i have seen it used for winging material. Let us know what you come up with :)

 

Just wondering, Rocco, with the classics what is it used for the wing? Would it be suitable for hairwing spey types?

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Its amazing when you look around nature. All the materials God left us. He was a definate fly fisher. If you're using a small amount I would try to use it as a final underwing before a darker top wing of herl or bucktail to lift the natural pearl effect. That way yocan spread it over a few flies too.

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Hi JOAT,

 

Depending on the length, you can use it in place for any streamer that normally calls for bucktail. If you only have natural, and not a large bunch, you can mix it with white bucktail to make it stretch. If it's still on the hide, the hairs are much like a double tapered fly line. If you have long hair that's around four or five inches in length, you can cut it in the middle and get two smaller trout type streamers from one bunch of hair.

 

Regards,

Mark

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I used to have a patch of polar bear many years ago. It was expensive even then if I remember correctly. It is good looking stuff. I bought it to tie a fly known as a McNally Smelt developed by Tom McNally. Not sure I spelled it right. It was used for great lakes salmon. It was a neat fly and I still have one that I am thinking about putting in a shadow box. It reminds me of a modified Deciever but I think it was developed before Lefty's. I can't veryify how good it was at catching. I never made it to any of the great lakes streams to try for the salmon.

 

I believe that the fly was featured in a Fishing Digest Annual in about 1970. Try Google for the pattern. I think it is available on the net.

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That stuff looks really good, i have seen some patches available in stores around northern BC,

 

Pretty common, actually....one local shop here in Calgary has a bin of 8"-14" sq patches for about $5 each. I have a few in a couple of different colours...very neat hair, but I still haven't decided what to use it in.

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Interesting stuff, esp about the availability in Canada. Over here (Alaska) it can be sold by a Native Alaskan after they have turned it into a "craft item". So, a native friend of a friend who can go up and get polar bear fairly easy came up with a nifty end-around play to foil the government regulators. He cuts his polar bear hide into strips that are about an inch wide and vary between about 2-6 inches long. On one end, he hot-melt glues a little triangle of felt with 2 little doll eyes glued on top of it. Some of the hair is natural, some of it he has dyed (lightly) to shades of orange, yellow, green, etc. Anyway, he puts 3 of his eye-balled bits of polar bear "craft" into a ziploc bag and attaches his official native craft label proclaiming the contents to be "Polar Bear Ice Worms". He sells these "crafts" to fly fishermen, who get to take the "ice worm" apart and make flies out of it.

 

The pieces I have are on the hide and have about 2-3 inches of hair length on them.

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If your in western canada, malcolm ruddick is the man. he dyes it better than anyone and will not divulge his secret. last I heard he and his wife were in the kamloops area.if his wife kathy is about, have a chat. the lady is one of the premier flyfishers in the world.

marc

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If your in western canada, malcolm ruddick is the man. he dyes it better than anyone and will not divulge his secret. last I heard he and his wife were in the kamloops area.if his wife kathy is about, have a chat. the lady is one of the premier flyfishers in the world.

marc

 

Agreed...I believe that the dyed stuff (about 12 colours) that the premier local fly shop carries is from Malcolm.

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