Deer Hair and Rabbit question

[MikeA]

I used to avoid any fly with Deer hair because I wasn’t very good at spinning it. Well since the Zoo Cougar is one of my favorite flies I’ve gotten a little better, if only slightly, at spinning and trimming hair. My question is about the various kinds of hair to use for spinning and why. I think the fine hair I use for hair wings seems to look and spin the best. What do you guys think? I actually enjoy doing Deer Hair flies now and I want to expand on it this year. A class sure would be cool.


Another fly that I’m going to play around a lot this year is the Zuddler. It’s a Muddler with a Rabbit zonker. My question is why is it so hard to find nice full white Rabbit zonkers? All the other colored Magnum zonkers are thick and very full but the white ones are pitiful looking. Anybody know where I can find a Full thick white zonker strip?

[David L. Darnell]

I got all sorts of body hairs, Caribou is easy to spin, I use to tie up a dark dun Irresistible in size 14 that was poison on the Smokies trout, got to tieing Compara-duns and got away from most of my spinning, will do a bass or bluegill from time to time. Planning on doing some bass flies for this summer.

Being self taught, all I can tell people is dive in and try it, plan on a big mess, sure have to cut lots of hair for the trash can.

[MikeA]

I don't have any  Caribou but I did read in the Bench side Reference last night where it's a great hair for flaring. I pick some up next time I'm in a shop.

[dleo6446]

I am just getting to where I can spin fairly well and have made several of the Zoo Cougars, muddler minnows, etc, and if I can find it again, there is a list of natural hair that is great for spinning, I found it on one of the fly tying sites.  one of the things I have found too, is when I start to trim the hair to get the desired shape is to use a beard and mustache trimmer after roughing the shape in with scissors, works great!!

[David L. Darnell]

Chris Helm is considered the Guru of spinning.

http://www.whitetailflytieing.com/

[DavyWotton]

Mike ,

The two companies that dye and cut rabbit strip are Wapsi and Hareline.
Both supply white zonker strips.

In the case of good deer hair for spinning.
It depends on what you require from that hair as they vary. Most dyes hair is taken from the deer belly, it being white before you start and way easier to dye a pure color.

The absolute best hair in my book for flies like muddlers and those with natural hair is obtained from the Roe deer, which is a species found in the UK and Europe.
It is a very dense hair and flares like you do not believe.
I know that Chris helm and Dave Whitlock love it.

It is not easy to obtain here fro some reason, and that may be due to the fact the deer hides for the fly tying trade are very cheap to obtain here.

Happy tying.

Davy
www.davywotton.com