Dryfly dubbin.

[kimjensen 0]

Hi.

 

I have some of this Hareline dubbin. Can it be used for dry flies? Or should I only use synthetic?

[famill00 0]

I would buy some superfine. Its designed to float. I use hares dubbing for wets. You can buy a combo box of superfine for pretty cheap and it has nost colors you need...

[Piker20 0]

If you wind a loose scraggy body, or pick it out well it will trap air and float fine. If you use the superfine 'dry' dubbing but wind it tight you'll find that it sinks just the same as everything else. All you need to do is give the fly a squeeze on your sleeve or fly patch everyso often to squeeze the water out and its fine again.

[rockworm 0]

Rabbit fur (Hareline dub) works as good as Superfine for dry flies if you treat your flies with a floatant prior to use.

[Mickalo 0]

a mis-nomer about rabbit fur it does make an excellent dry dubbing if you use the uderfur removing the guard hairs use it all the time for dry dubbing. muskrat, mink, beaver, possum, otter,snowshoe fur also good for dry dubbing if you use allot of natural materials.

 

Mike

[kimjensen 0]

Thank you very much for the help. I think I'll buy some Loon Hydrostop and soak and let em dry over night.

[Piker20 0]

remember even a something water repellent will sink. Look at steel. A needle will float as it has very little surface area spread over contact with the water. Once you put it on end it cuts straight through. The difference is surface area. So make your bodies shaggy or wound loose and you trap air and provide buoyancy. Tight dubbing noodles whatever the material will sink more easily.

[kimjensen 0]

Thank you for the advice.

[SilverCreek 0]

Nymphs have shaggy bodies and mayfly duns have prominent thin smooth bodies. Adult caddis flies have a bit shaggier appearing body than mayflies because of the thier legs.

 

 

 

Rabbit underfur is very fine, and I used a lot of it for dry fly dubbing before the "superfine" synthetics. The Hareline dubbing in the photos is mixed underfur AND guard hair means it has the stiff guard hair mixed in. It is better for a nymph dubbing.

 

My advice would be to buy a superfine dubbing if you are going to be imitating adult mayfly duns and if you are going to use the Hairline for dries, that you use it for your adult caddis fly patterns. The guard hairs can imitate the caddis legs,

[kimjensen 0]

I'm not sure I agree on it having guard hair in it. This is very fine stuff. I've seen rabbit with guard hair in it and it looks much more coarse than this.

[kimjensen 0]

Hmm... On their website it just says 100% rabbit hair perfectly blended.

[rockworm 0]

I suspect the coarser stuff you mention was probably hare's mask or hare's ear- where the guard hair is darker and thicker. The guard hairs on the body are much finer. I am pretty sure Hareline dubbing contains guard hairs- I think it is chopped up a bit. If you want it without the guard hair, get yourself a rabbit skin or two. It makes excellent dubbing in its natural colours (brown, tan, white- sometimes on the same skin), and is easy to dye. The guard hairs can be removed as you use the skin- a pinch at a time

[SilverCreek 0]

I'm not sure I agree on it having guard hair in it. This is very fine stuff. I've seen rabbit with guard hair in it and it looks much more coarse than this.

 

Kim,

 

Examine the dubbing.

 

Guard hair is stiffer than the underfur. It should be obvious if there is guard hair in it. Guard hairs are the straight fibers and the underfur is more pliable. I think I see straight guard hair fibers in the olive tan package.

[Dcap240 0]

Hare's ear plus is the dubbing with the guard hairs. The packages you have there are just underfur. If the dubbing has guard hairs or a blend hareline calls it hares ear.

[rockworm 0]

Hare's Ear Plus is rabbit fur Plus Antron to give sparkle.