horse hair

[herefishy]

Has anyone ever used horse hair(mane and tail)as a material for flies? I'm wondering how it is to work with and how it acts in water. I'm work at a horse farm and have access to vast quantities. One had a blonde/ silver mane with a bit of a gloss to it that caught my attention. Anyway, i'm just wondering if anyone has ever thought to try it. lemme know...

-->herefishy

[Neeso1aj]

im sure it could work like moose hair. im not sure if it floats or not but what the heck tye a few up and if dosnt work oh well. trial and error.

[chainolaker]

I was given a mane and the only use I could ever find was for tails. I tried experimenting with some spinning and it was disastrous to say the least. Hopefully someone will reply with some tips but I have never had any luck with horse, though I haven't thrown it away yet either.

[fliesonly1234]

Horse hair? Are you tight with Barbaro?

[BIZZARRO]

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they use the longer mane and tail hair for the body of nymphs or midges, wrap it up the shank like you would a quill. Anybody else ever hear or try that.

> Biz

[rlee3t]

horse hair makaes great tails and feelers for smaller stonefly imitations...i use quite a lot of it for feelers and tails on a lot of other types of flies...
rlee3t
the incredible fly
union city, mi

[Gnatman]

wrapped bodies on smaller quill-like flies (already mentioned), antennae and tails on crickets, and in the OLD days it was a standard material for ant patterns. Legs on foam ant patterns would be another possibility - as well as ribbing.

Have fun experimenting. :D