here kitty kitty!

[simplefish]

Lately, I have found myself robbing my two cats of their hair to use as dubbing material. One is cream colored, and the other one is gray. I was surprised to find out how well it twists onto tying thread, and the flies I have tied with their hair have been working for me.
Last week, a sharp-shinned hawk whacked a dove in my backyard, and I have been trying to figure out what I can tie with some of the feathers that were left scattered around.
Am I losing my mind? Do you guys find yourself thinking about what you can tie with the things you find around the house?
What is the goofiest thing you have ever used to tie a fly?

 

[tomgamber]

Anyone who knows Jack Steele from the Jams has a good supply of kitty dubbing. Finding new stuff all the time. Sometimes the same stuff, just from cheaper sources.

 

[bushwacker]

I've used cat,ferret, and girlfriend hair as dubbing for nymphs. My daughter has these tiny flesh colored rubber bands that she attaches to her braces....they make very realistic bodys for free living cadis larvae. I don't use them much though because I feel bad about the impact of the rubber on the enrironment, hares ear works just as well.

 

[shakey]

a lot of us use cat hair.i have a mackerel male cat and a grey and white male that fight a lot.tons of dubbing without a trim.even wheni do snip them,my girlfriend also ties ,so she understands.

dove feathers are great for soft hackle flies.i find dove and claret to be effective.

i believe it is illegal to buy or even GIVE dove feathers,or sell flies made with dove,so you lucked out.

somebody who knows,correct me if i'm wrong,because i'd love to get my hands on more dove feathers.

 

[RLeeP]

>>i believe it is illegal to buy or even GIVE dove feathers,or sell flies made with dove,so you lucked out.

somebody who knows,correct me if i'm wrong,because i'd love to get my hands on more dove feathers.>>

I don't know for certain one way or the other, but I'm at a complete loss as to why it would be true.

So far as I know, there is some Federal oversight on doves as a game species because they are/can be migratory. But that's the only thing I know of that differentiates them from any other game bird like grouse or ringnecks.

 

[Bruno]

Potato chip bags, dental floss, dryer lint, a stolen brown hotel blanket (my version of furry foam), dog hair , cat hair, Wine corks, the kids pool toys, all kinds of packing material from work make it into my flies. A couple of Bourbons and I'll tie pretty much anything on a hook.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I recently have been using ziplock bags from my kids trick or treating that had been filled with candy. I cut out little bow tie ish shapes which look like two football shapes hooked together in center longways, or like a peanut. I have been using them for scud patterns. I tie it in at the front of the hook right in the middle of the bowtie. Then, I fold it so it looks like two football shapes on top of each other, or like wings twisted 90 degrees. Then I fold it down to the back of the hook, a couple wraps to the back and around at the back a few times, then I bring it back to the front and whip it. Oh, that is all after adding light colored dubbing to the hook. When I'm done tying I pluck some of the dubbing from the bottom without tearing the thread. They look great if you take your time. But don't forget a layer or two of lead wraps for shape and weight. That was kind of backwards,huh? Oh well

 

[tomgamber]

I've been using empty tying material bags for wing cases, scud backs and other things when the spirit moves me for years. Always look over very carefully, anything that comes across your tying desk before throwing it away.

 

[simplefish]

I guess ziplocs would work pretty well for a scud. Im gonna have to try that. It's gotta be cleaner than trying to work with a gob of epoxy. I usually end up with most of the epoxy stuck to my fingers which then picks up dubbing and feather fibers. I guess that im just a really messy tyer, but I do catch a fish every once in a while on my creations.
Bruno, that's quite a list. You should be proud of the effort you have put into figuring out what would look good tied to a hook. Dryer lint? Really? What do you tie with dryer lint?

 

[Bruno]

Dryer Lint = nymph dubbing. Plus there is always a good bit of dog hair mixed in with it. most times it is grey. I don't beleive that many tying materials are made just for tying flies. I'd think a ton of stuff is just repackaged and the price jacked up. I mean Antron is just carpet fiber.

I just read somewhere that Charlie Fox used to use a coffee bean to make beatle bodies.

Fly recipes are just that, recipes. I know in my house recipes are never followed to the T. They are a guideline. Sometimes it turn out great, other times in goes in the can.

 

[jayL]

Bruno wrote:
I just read somewhere that Charlie Fox used to use a coffee bean to make beatle bodies.

A guy at the little lehigh uses this as a pellet fly at the hatchery outflow. Just add a drop of nail polish. He slays them.

 

[Dwright]

I started using the hair from the brush my daughter uses to comb out our golden retreiver. It's actually responsible for a few of the largest trout I caught this year.

Now when I get home and tell my wfe I lost a few more flies, the dog runs under the bed. I'm not sure if there is a connection or not.

 

[Fishidiot]

Simplefish,
You're definitely not losing your mind (take my word for it - we're all lunatics in the same asylum )
I've used cat and dog hair too as well as a myriad of various bird feathers and road kill. Grouse and especially Hungarian Partridges are among the best soft hackle skins. European Starlings are also handy and they can be shot with a pellet gun or .22 year round. We used to have a Samoyed dog when I was a kid and the long white fur was great for streamers. Cat hair dubbing mixed in with rabbit guard hair makes great nymph dubbing. I think probably the most unusual material I have used is the plastic from military MRE ration bags - great for stonefly nymphs.

Bruno: Dryer lint - that's ingenuous! (And hardcore)

 

[ok1morecast]

I've used it all too...wife got a weird whisk broom a while back, the bristles are great instead of biot on certain patterns. Everyone I know wants to give me something dead to use