I Got To Ask...

[catman]

Anyone else here ever use real cat wiskers in their fly tying? We have 2 cats that loose a wisker now and then and these things are long (4 to 5 inches), straight & very heavy-duty, I've saved them thinking someday I could use them on a fly. Anybody tried using them in their fly tying...

[jdmidwest]

You could use them as a quill type body on a dry fly or ribbing on any fly. You could shave all of them off on one side and watch him stagger around the room!

[Danimal]

Or you could cut off the last 2 or 3 inches of his tail and call it a cat leech. Dan-o

[catman]

Or you could cut off the last 2 or 3 inches of his tail and call it a cat leech. Dan-o

I don't think the wife would go for this option, Dan-o.

[The Caddis]

We have a cat that some would call black, but to me it is more smoky colored. I'll brush the cat and use the fur I pull off for dubbing. Makes a great scud and nymph patterns. The wife suspects that I do this only for tying purposes and not for the benefit of the cat, I think it is a mutually beneficial relationship.

[flyman]

That's great! I always wondered if anyone else ever thought of using a pet as tying material. I have a collie/shepherd mix and I always think of how he would look great as a fly. I think it shows how truly addictive fly fishing is. If you start looking at loved ones and pets and start thinking of fishing, you may have a problem, hahaha:)

[The Caddis]

Yes, you certainly do look at things differently.

Taking your kids to the zoo. The animals and exotic birds you see, what to do if should walk upon a feather that has fallen out. My wife has said "don't even think about it" a time or two.

Roadkill has new meaning. Driving back from Missouri this past week, I noticed at least 5 deer who were lying beside the road on the turnpikes, the possibiliities are endless.

[Sharps4590]

I hunt a lot and use the fur and/or feathers from a lot of the game I take to tie flys. We also have two Miniature American Eskimo dogs, pure white, and when the wife brushes them I keep their fur.....well...I did. I now have a life time supply. It makes a good dubbing and can be dyed any color one needs. I also use the brushings from my Siberian Huskies. Feathers from: doves, turkey, quail, ruffed grouse and pheasant are on my bench. Fur from: squirrel tails, rabbits, deer, 'coon, pronghorn, and elk are on my bench...none of which were bought. Ain't found a use for the coon yet but there's gotta be sumthin'!

Back when we raised chickens and rabbits I kept some of their featers and furs also. Anyone know what critter they get chenille from?

Vic

[Zach Bearden]

Sharps, I'm not 100% positive on this but I beleive that Chenille is actually small parts of fiber layed out on a board and they put a wire down the center and wrap it up with a small but of yarn/string type stuff and it makes a rope. One of the recent magazines I got showed how to make one of these nifty ltte tools out of common materials that most people would have in their woodshops. They also lay out dubbing and make dubbing ropes.

As for the coon, do you have the facemask of it? If so it can also be used as an alternative to hares mask for a 'Coon ear nymph!

[Kayser]

Try using the coon for traditional hair-wing streamers. A few patterns call for coon tail, and quite a few call for woodchuck and badger, too, so its all fair game.

I'm surprised no one has wood duck feathers off of ducks they've shot. I think I have two or three one-gallon ziplocks full of flank feathers. They are VERY plentiful on the hill ponds here, and I have seen many on the various ozark streams I've fished.

Rob