11-10-2003, 01:30 AM
[cool]Hey, Don, I got about $40 worth of fur from that place you suggested at [url "http://www.flyfishusa.com/"][#0000ff]http://www.flyfishusa.com/[/#0000ff][/url] . I got three whole skins...black, hot yellow and bright white. Great skins and good size. The fibers on the fur are good and long...and should come alive in the water.
I also got several packages ($2 ea.) of the "zonker strips" in different colors. These come four precut strips to a package...cut about 1/8 inch wide and the full length of the pelt. They are perfect for the tails on small to midsize flies and jigs, and for wrapping bodies.
The third type I tried was some "magnum strips". These are twice the width of the zonker strips and should be ideal for bass jigs and twin tails on mack sized creations. The two tone chartreuse jig has a green tail with a magnum strip. I plan to incorporate some of these into some buzzbaits.
In my diagram, I illustrate that you cut zonker strips about 1/8"...either vertically (for most applications), or horizontally across the grain of the fur for a flatter wrapping job on bodies.
If anyone is planning to make "Bunny Honey Jigs" for macks...with the traditional tubes of bunny fur...or long wide strips...they will just about have to buy the whole (or half) pelt and cut what they want from the skin. I haven't measured it out, but I am guessing that I could probably make at least twenty large mack jigs from one good skin. Divide that into the $7 for a prime skin and you find that each jig costs you about 35 cents in fur. I suspect if you were to find someplace that sold those jigs they would be getting anywhere between $5 to $10 apiece for them. Of course there is the cost of the hook and the lead...and some fancy paint. But the most you would have in materials would be under $1 per jig. Usually a lot less, since lead is 40 cents a pound and average grade hooks might run a dime.
Hey, Don, when are you going to introduce your new stuff to the fishies at the Gorge?
[signature]
I also got several packages ($2 ea.) of the "zonker strips" in different colors. These come four precut strips to a package...cut about 1/8 inch wide and the full length of the pelt. They are perfect for the tails on small to midsize flies and jigs, and for wrapping bodies.
The third type I tried was some "magnum strips". These are twice the width of the zonker strips and should be ideal for bass jigs and twin tails on mack sized creations. The two tone chartreuse jig has a green tail with a magnum strip. I plan to incorporate some of these into some buzzbaits.
In my diagram, I illustrate that you cut zonker strips about 1/8"...either vertically (for most applications), or horizontally across the grain of the fur for a flatter wrapping job on bodies.
If anyone is planning to make "Bunny Honey Jigs" for macks...with the traditional tubes of bunny fur...or long wide strips...they will just about have to buy the whole (or half) pelt and cut what they want from the skin. I haven't measured it out, but I am guessing that I could probably make at least twenty large mack jigs from one good skin. Divide that into the $7 for a prime skin and you find that each jig costs you about 35 cents in fur. I suspect if you were to find someplace that sold those jigs they would be getting anywhere between $5 to $10 apiece for them. Of course there is the cost of the hook and the lead...and some fancy paint. But the most you would have in materials would be under $1 per jig. Usually a lot less, since lead is 40 cents a pound and average grade hooks might run a dime.
Hey, Don, when are you going to introduce your new stuff to the fishies at the Gorge?
[signature]