dc410
Well-known member
I spent last Saturday (the last day of regular small game season) bumping around the ridges of Perry County with shotgun in hand. My real hope was to harvest a ruffed grouse so I could skin the entire bird out for fly tying. Well, I'm not a died in the wool bird hunter and never had a bird dog so walking through the thick stuff trying to jump and shoot one can be a daunting task. Many species of small game were in season for the last day of regular small game season this past Saturday (turkey, grouse, squirrel, pheasant or rabbit). I would have been happy acquiring any one of them to support my fly tying hobby. As it turned out, I couldn't locate the local turkey flock and never managed to jump a grouse but was offered the opportunity at a gray squirrel as I headed back to the cabin late in the afternoon. I can't remember the last gray squirrel that I harvested but I decided to take this one and skin it out for fly tying. Squirrels are kind of tough to skin but it turned out pretty decent with a nice streak of red hair down the center of the back. It is probably enough squirrel body hair for dubbing for nymphs for the rest of my days and the tail will contribute nicely in tying up some Picket Pins (one of my favorite streamer/wet fly patterns). Squirrel body hair is known for its spikey quality for dubbing and its ability to create air bubbles embedded within the spikey fur which imitates the bubbles that are present around natural nymphs as they develop and molt. I used gray squirrel fur mixed with rabbit fur for the bodies on the Sparrow Nymphs that I tied for the most recent fly swap here on PAFF. Good huntin' and good tying.