14 replies to this topic

[Panama Red]

Red Fox Squirrel just looks fishey...

[Chefben4]

Nice ones! Look like an easy tie too!

[agn54]

Beautiful flies Dave, I love the thunder creek style. What size hook did you use? Also, I've noticed you have been using jungle cock lately, did you buy a cape, or just the individual feathers? I've been thinking of trying some for a while now but just haven't gotten around to buying it yet.

[Panama Red]

Look like an easy tie too!

Uber easy...Both are tied Bob P hollow style. Just add ice dub and flash as you go.

What size hook did you use? Also, I've noticed you have been using jungle cock lately, did you buy a cape, or just the individual feathers? I've been thinking of trying some for a while now but just haven't gotten around to buying it yet.

Hey Andy, how's things in your part of paradise? These were tied on #4s because of the hair length. I bought a jungle cock cape, I found mine on e-bay for $45, be careful if you use google to search for places to shop... You get more than feathers .

ODC on florida sportsmans fly forum did a soft hackle streamer, I went to Jack Gartside's web site and BAM... A new addiction, hope to try them this coming weekend, can't stand this lack of fishing anymore, I've tied at least two years worth of flies in the last couple of months.

[Capt Mel Simpson]

Panama,

Some things I did with squirrrel; First I bleached and then dyed them, got off on another tangent but plan on going back to this soon. Some neat results.

Mel

Attached Files

•  014.JPG   855.11K   26 downloads

[surfbunker]

Capt. Mel,

I saw some squirrels that color, of course I was fishing the warm water discharge at the Nuclear Power Plant...LOL!! Nice dye job!

[agn54]

Hey Andy, how's things in your part of paradise? These were tied on #4s because of the hair length. I bought a jungle cock cape, I found mine on e-bay for $45, be careful if you use google to search for places to shop... You get more than feathers .

Things are going well over here, but I haven't been able to get out in a while. Having a baby has made it a little tougher to get out, but now that she is a bit older and sleeping through the night I hope to start going more regularly in the next few weeks. I think I will probably opt for one of those ebay capes as well. They seem to be of decent quality especially since I will be hoping the flies get destroyed. I'll be sure not to google JC, or my wife may have questions for me the next time she uses the computer How are you doing these days? I hope you are able to get back on the water soon. By March things will be really blowing up out there

[Robert M]

Those look like they would make some nice mud minnow imitations. May have to tie up a bunch for my part of the coast. Sweet ties and Dyes

[Panama Red]

Some things I did with squirrrel; First I bleached and then dyed them, got off on another tangent but plan on going back to this soon. Some neat results.

Thanks for the tip Mel. JJust bleach, wash and a Rit type dye?

Things are going well over here, but I haven't been able to get out in a while. Having a baby has made it a little tougher to get out, but now that she is a bit older and sleeping through the night I hope to start going more regularly in the next few weeks. I think I will probably opt for one of those ebay capes as well. They seem to be of decent quality especially since I will be hoping the flies get destroyed. I'll be sure not to google JC, or my wife may have questions for me the next time she uses the computer How are you doing these days? I hope you are able to get back on the water soon. By March things will be really blowing up out there

I swear our daughter didn't sleep the night through until she was two! Does put a crimp in your activities. I plan on getting back on the water this weekend, if my back cramps up I'll sit on the casting platform...

[agn54]

By sleeping through the night, I mean she occasionally makes it until around 6:30 or so. We still have plenty of those 2 am wakings, but at least it's not every night now. Glad to hear you can get out again. I hope to go this weekend as well but may have to wait until the following week. Fishing should be getting real good pretty soon

[Capt Mel Simpson]

Not so easy... used 2 to 1 amonia (clear) and 20% peroxide (the kind hair supply places sell), sitting in a bath of warm water, takes about 4 hours. I washed them before hand with Joy dish soap.
They're dyed with Fly Dye from Anglers Workshop. I qt 140 degree water, 1 tsp dye, 1 drop of Joy and 2 tbl spoons of white vinegar.

Esier than it sounds, I've dyed a lot of other materials with the Fly Dye...works really well.

Mel

[tidewaterfly]

Not so easy... used 2 to 1 amonia (clear) and 20% peroxide (the kind hair supply places sell), sitting in a bath of warm water, takes about 4 hours. I washed them before hand with Joy dish soap.
They're dyed with Fly Dye from Anglers Workshop. I qt 140 degree water, 1 tsp dye, 1 drop of Joy and 2 tbl spoons of white vinegar.

Good stuff!
But, under NO circumstance try it with bleach! Bleach will literally eat up & dissolve anything you put in it! Before I knew any better, I tried it with a gray squirrel tail, and had nothing left!

Panama, I like to tie with Fox & Red squirrel tail too, and agree, it just looks "Fishy"! I like it for crawfish & shrimp patterns, as well as for Smallmouth jigs. I also like gray squirrel, and dye some, but don't usually bleach them. I like the natural barring!

[Capt Mel Simpson]

Your right you loose some barring, but some tails more than others. In the same batch you'll get different colors and barrings,I don't know why unless it's the different enviroments, sexes, etc,. This winter I'm getting a dozen greys that all came from the same place, we'll see if that matters. The attached is exactly what I was looking for in bleaching, a fly that's been around here, the west coast of Florida, for 20 years called the Blond.

Attached Files

•  006.JPG   809.57K   18 downloads

[Panama Red]

Not so easy... used 2 to 1 amonia (clear) and 20% peroxide (the kind hair supply places sell), sitting in a bath of warm water, takes about 4 hours. I washed them before hand with Joy dish soap.
They're dyed with Fly Dye from Anglers Workshop. I qt 140 degree water, 1 tsp dye, 1 drop of Joy and 2 tbl spoons of white vinegar.

Good stuff!
But, under NO circumstance try it with bleach! Bleach will literally eat up & dissolve anything you put in it! Before I knew any better, I tried it with a gray squirrel tail, and had nothing left!

Panama, I like to tie with Fox & Red squirrel tail too, and agree, it just looks "Fishy"! I like it for crawfish & shrimp patterns, as well as for Smallmouth jigs. I also like gray squirrel, and dye some, but don't usually bleach them. I like the natural barring!

Thanks for posting the the secret formula Capt M and thanks to Tide for the explanation...I would have dumped a tail in bleach and wondered where it went Looks like I'll have to break out the chemistry se and give it a shot.

Your right you loose some barring, but some tails more than others. In the same batch you'll get different colors and barrings,I don't know why unless it's the different enviroments, sexes, etc,. This winter I'm getting a dozen greys that all came from the same place, we'll see if that matters. The attached is exactly what I was looking for in bleaching, a fly that's been around here, the west coast of Florida, for 20 years called the Blond.

Sweet looking Tarpon food...I assume that the collar is bleached red fox squirrel, no dye?

Thanks for all the inputs...dave

[Capt Mel Simpson]

No, it's bleached grey squirrel, see the previous photos. Bleached red squirrel is just a lighter red...not so nice.