Do you all like saving money?
I don't, otherwise I wouldn't fly fish.
But the color range of flies make for large expensive collections of animal products real fast.
I've been researching dying feathers and fur. Did my first attempt last night, with stuff around the house.
I heated water to close to boiling, added blue food coloring. Soaked in grizzly hackle, bucktail, white calf hair, and a patch of cream colored rabbit. After a few minutes of stirring I dumped in maybe a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinager. I'm out of white vinager. It didn't seem to have an effect on color.
Bucktail didn't turn out too well, other did dye well, and no color rubbed onto my fingers after drying.
The hackle feathers are kinda messed up, didn't go back to their normal state. Might try resoaking and trying to get them back right while wet.
I'd be interested in hearing if any of you dye product. How so? And if there are different methods for different substrates.
Bonus points if anyone used natural pigments and minerals and such to obtain any colors. I've made my own oil paints in the past and have a collection of pigments. Although I'm sure lead, arsenic, mercury and everything else that goes into oil paint isn't good for the fish lol. But I like natural earthy things, so if anyone has ideas here
I know Rit works also. But curious what folks do here. Thanks
I don't, otherwise I wouldn't fly fish.
But the color range of flies make for large expensive collections of animal products real fast.
I've been researching dying feathers and fur. Did my first attempt last night, with stuff around the house.
I heated water to close to boiling, added blue food coloring. Soaked in grizzly hackle, bucktail, white calf hair, and a patch of cream colored rabbit. After a few minutes of stirring I dumped in maybe a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinager. I'm out of white vinager. It didn't seem to have an effect on color.
Bucktail didn't turn out too well, other did dye well, and no color rubbed onto my fingers after drying.
The hackle feathers are kinda messed up, didn't go back to their normal state. Might try resoaking and trying to get them back right while wet.
I'd be interested in hearing if any of you dye product. How so? And if there are different methods for different substrates.
Bonus points if anyone used natural pigments and minerals and such to obtain any colors. I've made my own oil paints in the past and have a collection of pigments. Although I'm sure lead, arsenic, mercury and everything else that goes into oil paint isn't good for the fish lol. But I like natural earthy things, so if anyone has ideas here
I know Rit works also. But curious what folks do here. Thanks