Tennis ball protection?

[dryflyguy]

I just inherited a bunch of tying stuff.

As I was going through it, I found big bags of mallard flank and wood duck feathers
And inside each bag of feathers, was a tennis ball.

I've never seen - or even heard of - this being done before.
Any one out there know the purpose of this?

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

That's interesting... It's possible that moths and other bugs, don't like the chemicals used to bond the fuzz to the rubber?... Or that nitrogen or helium inside the balls leak out and kill bugs and keep the feathers fluffy?
I've heard of pressed charcoal briquets being used to absorb moisture in tackle boxes to stop rusty hooks but have only seen mothballs or cedar chips used to keep bugs away from feathers and fur.

 

[Bamboozle]

If it's a white tennis ball it might be a GIANT moth ball... 😉

All kidding aside, I know some folks put tennis balls in the dryer to act as a fabric softener. Maybe the previous owner of the feathers figured it would do the same for feathers...?

 

[dryflyguy]

Bam - I figured if anyone knew what this is about, it would probably be you.

This stuff belonged to an old friend of mine.
We took tying classes from the same Pittsburgh area fly shop back in the day.
Although he did it quite earlier than I did.

The guy that taught the class, and owned the shop, was full of lots of odd techniques and tricks for FF
And I'm guessing my friend likely got it from him

 

[salmo]

Hey, that might be my tennis ball. If it has never touched a racket, it's definitely mine.

 

[riverwhy]

If it protects your fly-tying materials, probably not good for your dog.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Trout redds look a lot like this.
View attachment 1641233299
Don't step on it. Next!

Obviously, you're not a golfer.

 

[tomgamber]

Obviously, you're not a golfer.

My dad took me out after school so he and his coach/teacher buddies would have a foursome. First time, I shot a 90.

 

[jifigz]

Obviously, you're not a golfer.

This is definitely one of my favorite movies. Actually, all the Cohen Bros films are great. Fargo is just dynamite.

 

[PatchezMDM]

Obviously, you're not a golfer.

I love a well placed Lebowski reference.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I just inherited a bunch of tying stuff.

As I was going through it, I found big bags of mallard flank and wood duck feathers
And inside each bag of feathers, was a tennis ball.

I've never seen - or even heard of - this being done before.
Any one out there know the purpose of this?

Some people believed that Bounce dryer sheets repel mice and insects. The former owner of may have heard that he should put some bounce in his feathers, so that’s exactly what he did. 😊

 

[Tigereye]

Was it used to prevent crushing the bags and contents when stored?
Kinda like wanting a fluffy pillow or down vest vs a flat one.

 

[dryflyguy]

Was it used to prevent crushing the bags and contents when stored?
Kinda like wanting a fluffy pillow or down vest vs a flat one.

Guess that's a possibility.
One of the bags had 2 of them in it

I used to wear down coats.
When I washed them , I used to put them in the dryer with an old tennis shoe to fluff up the feathers.
But remember reading that a tennis ball could be used for that too

 

[Cebe]

If there is a cut in the ball I seem to remember it was to put a few moth balls or flakes into it and then put in the bin with materials.

 

[dryflyguy]

I had thought about that also.
But no, nothing has been added to the tennis balls

I've added a few moth balls to my stuff that stashed in the attic for long term storage.
Put them in some netting for that

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I had thought about that also.
But no, nothing has been added to the tennis balls

Solid naphtha disappears after a while. Only the distinctive odor remains.

 

[Bamboozle]

I had thought about that also.
But no, nothing has been added to the tennis balls

I've added a few moth balls to my stuff that stashed in the attic for long term storage.
Put them in some netting for that

Naphtha (AKA Moth Balls) like cedar is a repellent to keep bugs away but it won't kill critters that have already infested unprotected natural materials.

To accomplish that you need moth CRYSTALS or paradichlorobenzene.

I always quarantine new natural materials in a large sealed Rubbermaid container with a generous supply of moth crystals inside for a week or longer before putting them with the rest of my materials. I also keep moth crystals in all of my storage bins.

FWIW - Freezing is NOT as effective for all bugs and the "smell" only bothers me when I open the container, not the fish...

BTW - I have never had any insect damage on any of my materials following this discipline. 🪳

 

[dryflyguy]

There were no slits in the tennis balls.
I guess the fuzzy material on the outside could have ben soaked in something.
But there was no smell.....