Sources for dyed Muskrat Pelts

[Rocco 0]

I saw a pattern for mini Zonkers made with muskrat fur i some cool colors. The hair looked to be longer -- not sheared short -- aas you often find with the gray version. Could be from adults or from the back of the pelt...? Any way, I'd love to find one each in gold, black, tan, and olive.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Rocco

[rockworm 0]

I have tyed some mini-zonkers using natural mink and they are killer flies! If you insist on muskrat I would suggest you dye your own. You can buy pelts on eBay or from places like Moscow Hide and Fur: https://www.hideandfur.com (who I have used in the past and highly recommend.) Since you are going to slice it up, you can save money and buy a damaged skin (no head, no tail, no feet...) for less than $20. Dying the colours tan and olive should be relatively easy. Dying black and gold could be a bit more difficult- depending on your expectations. There are many threads here re: dying fur. If you are new to dying I would recommend Rit dyes. If you go this route I would be happy to give you some recipes.

[flytire 0]

google found these

 

https://www.slideinn.com/product/muskrat-zonker-strips/

 

https://competitiveangler.com/shop/body-materials/hends-muskrat-zonker-strips-1-5mm-2-5mm/

 

http://store.hookhack.com/Hends-Muskrat-Zonker-Strips/departments/1566/

 

http://www.tacticalflyfisher.com/hends-muskrat-zonker-strips/

 

https://www.tungsten-beads-plus.com/products/muskrat-zonker-strips-6-colours

 

buy white and dye them yourself

 

[Gene L 0]

A "pelt" is an entire skin. You could tie about 100,000 flies with a pelt. The zonker strips are the way to go.

[Swamp Fly 0]

Something else to consider is that to be sure any pelt you buy has been soft tanned unless you what to go through the trouble yourself. The only way I have ever seen muskrat in person is untanned rawhide, though I'm sure that you can buy them tanned from the above mentions Moscow hide and fur link. I bought one for dubbing at a sporting goods store that bought hides from trappers 35 (jeez!!!!) years ago. Cost $6 I think, I didn't care that it was raw. Also avoid pelts that have had the guard hairs trimmed/removed (to make some kinds of coats etc.), there is a term for pelts that have had this done but I don't remember it. Maybe one of the members that run some trap lines can say.

[Guest]

I think they're called sheared.

[tjm 0]

If it imitates mink it is dyed; if it imitates beaver or seal it is plucked (guard hairs) and then sheared & dyed. Garments are usually made up of very small pieces that are matched for color and texture then sewn together to make a piece large enough to cut and shape for the garment part, so salvaging a garment for the fur will not normally make anything but dubbing patches. Cutting strips of uniform width and thickness makes the ready to use strips look cheap to me.