Bleached dyed deer belly hair

[Kudu 0]

I bought some of this in yellow the other day. I tied several JJ's grinchworm. I took them down to one of the ponds on the farm and commenced to fish. The flies caught but the bleached deer hair has no durability. Don't use it. Two fish destroyed the hair. Bit right through it. We are not talking sharks either just bluegill. It does look nice and is easy to work with but I don

[ben bell 0]

hi kudu..are you sure it,s from a white tail. i once got some reindeer hair,natural no dye or bleach, and i could not flare it at all...the slightest thread tension cut through it..like butter is no exageration.

[Bruce Derington 0]

Could be the bleach job burnt the hair. I see many patch's of bleached elk that fall apart, a quick clue is broken tips or simply grab a small group of hair and pull, if clump pulls out or break, its burnt from process

[flytire 0]

isnt deer belly hair usually white?

 

i dont know why anybody would bleach white belly hair to dye it yellow

 

it could just be a sh!tty dye job

[whatfly 0]

Belly deer hair is quite durable...when spun, which is its primary use. Not so much if you are just using it as an antennae or even extended body without reinforcement. Probably the wrong tool for the wrong task. Post a copy of the pattern and might be able to make a better suggestion.

[ben bell 0]

i seem to recall a.k. best saying in one of his books that yellow is one of the worst colors for burning deer hair. there,s got to be better memories than mine out there. lol.

[mikechell 0]

These are tie with yellow dyed deer hair. I don't know if it was bleached first or not.

 

They're as durable as any fly I fish with.

 

[TheCream 0]

isnt deer belly hair usually white?

 

i dont know why anybody would bleach white belly hair to dye it yellow

 

it could just be a sh!tty dye job

 

My thoughts X2.

[Peterjay 0]

Bleach will certainly weaken deer hair, as well as most materials, but like the other guys said, there's no need to bleach it if it's white. I've dyed belly hair without bleaching, and it's held up OK. It's certainly not the most durable material in the world, but it should be able to withstand a couple of bluegills. Try some unbleached white and see if you get the same result. If you do, there are probably other factors at play. I agree with Norm that it might just be a lousy dye job. Acid dyes are bound to take a toll if the materials are left in the dye bath too long or if they've been boiled.

[Philly 0]

I'd like to see a picture of the pattern. I goggled it and came up with JJ's grinch worm but that one is tied with red wire. If you're trying to do an inch worm, Foam or chenille might be a better choice you could use a bead or fine lead wire to weight it.

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

http://www.rainysflies.com/bass-warmwater/js-grinchworm

 

[Kudu 0]

I bought it from sportsmans warehouse. I think it was bleached after it was dyed. I was just letting y'all know. It was a very muted yellow. The bream bit completely through the bullet head, two fish.

[Kudu 0]

I know belly hair is white killed many deer that's the reason I think it was bleached after dying.

[whatfly 0]

I bought it from sportsmans warehouse. I think it was bleached after it was dyed. I was just letting y'all know. It was a very muted yellow. The bream bit completely through the bullet head, two fish.

Deer hair bullet heads do not last, it is a fact of life. There are some tricks you can use to reinforce it a little (e.g. something underneath to cushion pressure) but expect them to fall apart, even if you use extreme measures like Flexament. Belly hair is really meant for spinning, and it is too hollow in most cases for this application. I'd recommend you find some body hair in the right color. Will not be as bright, but should stand up a bit better. You might even be able to use bucktail for that matter, but I've never tried that myself. Does not look like a very durable pattern, regardless.