11 replies to this topic

[Simon Lidster]

Playing with some horse hair, some natural some coloured with magic markers.

All size 16 FTB 103BL hooks

Coq-de-leon tails
Golden badger hackles

Enjoy!

Simon

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[phg]

Not bad! I really like the way the bodies look, segmented and semi-translucent.

Do you treat your horsehair with anything to make it more pliable? I have some Icelandic Pony that is so brittle that it shatters when I try to wind it around a hook.

[perchjerker]

phg:

Ditto your comments on the flies.

One usually soaks natural materials such as this in warm water before use. I do for moose mane when I tie mosquito patterns using it. One also soaks peacock herl stems and rooster feather quills before their use in making quill bodies. Some even recommend putting a drop or two of glycerine in the water to make them even more pliable.

Cheers!

[lykos33]

LOVED the flies, horse hair is a favorite of mine ...unfortunately all I have is black so I am limited a bit. I usually wipe the hair with plain old conditioner to soften it before tying..seems to work on mine..
Murray

[Simon Lidster]

Must have been a very supple hair as it wound with no difficulty and no preparation.

For stripped peacock quills I use hair removal cream to strip them, wash, then soak in hair conditioner for 10 minutes or so. Very few then break when winding on.

Looking at the pics in full size I clearly need to work on better tapers for the body and neater hackles. Only for my own satisfaction, I'm sure the trout don't care!

Simon

[dazzyd]

Nice patterns - i've tried horse hair for bodies - even torturing myself tying to weave it!!!! LOL - but not found it any better for soaking in water.

[phg]

phg:

...

One usually soaks natural materials such as this in warm water before use. I do for moose mane when I tie mosquito patterns using it. One also soaks peacock herl stems and rooster feather quills before their use in making quill bodies. Some even recommend putting a drop or two of glycerine in the water to make them even more pliable.

Cheers!

Hackle stems and peacock quills have never given me any problems. I have tried soaking horse hair in water, but I may not have soaked it long enough. I'll try adding some conditioner and soaking overnight. I love how it looks, but it has been difficult to work with.

[Piker20]

I love horse hair too but only have the dark stuff at mo. Like the idea of lighter hair and using markers although I like the hair for its natural translucency. (sp?)
Haven't found any issue with supple or breaking but my hair comes from a horse that is regularly combed and conditioned so maybe that helps?

I'm using tail hair by the way? Are you folks having problems using body or mane hair?

[phg]

Don't really know if it's mane or tail. I got a selection of Icelandic Pony hair from Netcraft a few years ago. It doesn't seem to be in their current catalog. The yellow worked pretty good, but the red and green were too brittle to wind around a hook. Like I said, I need to try soaking it longer.

[Piker20]

It could be the process they used to dye it those colours. Especially if they bleached it first. I would stick with natural and maybe try getting natural white or pale and try the markers if you need a different colour.

[phg]

Correction, it is horsetail, and I got it from Feather-Craft. I paid $1.50 a package a couple of years ago. They still list it at $1.95/package.

I've got a few strands soaking now. If this makes them more pliable, I may order a couple more packages. The green should make a killer caddis larva.

[nindja]

I use horse tail hair. No need to soak any of it. Easy to get just ask a horse owner to save you some when they trim the tail. Might have to wash some poop out though.

Peace
Nindja