Fly tying materials can easily get confusing and big game hair like deer, elk and moose hair is no exception. You’ve got bull elk, cow elk, select cow, yearling elk, Comparadun hair, stimulator hair, belly hair and more. What are the characteristics of each one, and how do you know which to use for a given fly pattern?
In this fly tying 101 guide, we’ve got you covered with some easy-to-remember deer, elk and moose hair basics.
Have questions about other common fly tying materials? See some of our previous fly tying guides: Fly Tying Threads, Working With Chenille, Working with Dubbing, A Quick Guide to Chicken Feathers and Working with Marabou, and Working With Pine Squirrel and Rabbit.
“Some of my favorite dry flies utilize deer and elk hair,” said our very own Doug Andrews, who teaches fly tying and fly fishing 101 classes here at Anglers All. “I fish elk hair caddis, stimulators, and Comparadun variations throughout the dry fly season. I fish all of these flies in different color combinations and find them to be very effective. They float well and they are easy to see.”
Deer, elk and moose hairs are fun to tie with and they’re used to create some of our favorite streamer and dry fly patterns. Once you get to know them, it’s not as complicated as it may first appear. Here are a few basics to remember when working with big game hair…
Important Characteristics
When tying with any type of big game hair, there are some basic characteristics to look out for. The first is uniformity. Notice the overall length of the hairs, the length of the tips and the color uniformity across the strip or patch. A patch of hair with wildly uneven lengths or tips will make for problematic fly tying.
Next, take a closer look at the tips. They should be fine and short. Long, wispy tips generally don’t make great fly tying material. Consider the fact that the stiff, hollow fibers of a deer or elk hair provide buoyancy. The tips however are not hollow. A hair with very long tips will not stay afloat as well as a hair with short tips. Shorter tips also tend to be more uniform.
Finally, take note of both the density and the diameter of the fibers. You’ll notice some types of hair have a larger diameter and are less dense (fewer individual hairs per square inch) while others are thinner and denser (more hairs per square inch). The type of hair you choose depends on the look and effect you wish to have in a fly pattern.
TYING WITH DEER HAIR
There are many different types of deer hair and many different ways to use them in fly patterns. Deer hair is commonly spun to create heads on streamers. It’s also used to create dry fly wings, Stimulators and Comparaduns both being great examples. Fortunately for the sake of clarity, these hairs are often aptly named in their selected packaging:
Spinning Deer Hair: Just as the name suggests, Spinning Deer Hair is ideal for streamers. Use this deer hair type to create collars and spun heads. For example, check out the Zoo Cougar or the Drunk and Disorderly. Packages of Spinning Deer Hair have been selected specifically for this purpose with fairly long hair fibers. If you’re looking to spin a deer hair head, remember that you can choose a hair with thick diameter fibers. The thicker the hair, the less of it you need to create bulk. The Umpqua Swimming Frog is another good example of this point.
In addition to hair that’s labeled as Spinning Hair, you can also look for Deer Body Hair to use for spinning purposes. Like Spinning Hair, body hair typically has a long fiber and heavy diameter that’s ideal for spinning. It really flares out when tied onto the hook.
“Using a deer hair that is specifically selected for spinning is helpful when tying those muddler-style heads on streamers,” Anglers All crewmember, Brad Mountfort told us. “The Nature's spirit Spinning Deer Hair is great for those streamers, or for bodies on spun dry flies like the Irresistible.”
Stimulator Deer Hair: Deer hair that’s labeled as Stimulator Hair has been selected for shorter fibers and a thinner diameter than spinning hair. This makes it more suited to tying dry fly wings – as the name indicates, for patterns like the Stimulator.
One advantage of thinner diameter hairs, is that there are simply more hair fibers per square inch. This is an advantage on smaller flies and any fly that’s intended to float. On a dry fly wing, thinner hairs mean more hairs and better buoyancy.
A good alternative for those Stimulator-style wings is a bull elk hair. And in addition to dry fly wings, Stimulator Deer Hair can be used for spinning streamer heads on small streamers like the Mini Sex Dungeon or on dry fly bodies like the Irresistible.
Comparadun Deer Hair: These are short, fine hairs that are used most commonly for creating dry fly wings. Comparadun Deer Hair makes excellent wing material, even for elk hair caddis. The benefits of Comparadun Deer Hair include great consistency, color and short tips. If it’s going to be a dry fly wing, it’s hard to go wrong with Comparadun Deer Hair.
“As their names suggest, I use Stimulator Deer Hair for Stimulators and Comparadun Deer Hair for Comparaduns,” Doug Andrews suggested. “However, ‘all purpose’ deer hair also works very well. Both the All Purpose and Comparadun Hair flares well for that Comparadun-style dry fly wing.”
Deer Belly Hair: When tying a fly pattern with brightly colored hair, Deer Belly Hair is the go-to material. This is because belly hair is naturally white and it doesn’t need to be bleached before dying. The bleaching process weakens hair. So a dyed hair that begins naturally white is far superior.
Deer belly hair has a wide diameter and is very hollow. This makes it good for spinning or in any pattern where you want it to flare. It’s a great option for those brightly colored spun deer hair heads on bass patterns.
TYING WITH ELK HAIR
Cow Elk Hair: Cow elk hair is generally used as a spinning hair on large flies. It’s a bit coarser than most deer hair, and thicker in diameter. Cow elk hair tends to be a bit longer than Spinning Deer Hair and its big, hollow fibers create good buoyancy. For those big streamer patterns, Select Cow Elk can be a good choice.
Bull Elk Hair: Bull elk hair tends to have long fibers and slightly thinner in diameter than cow elk. This is the classic choice for patterns like the elk hair caddis. It does not flare as much under the pressure of tying thread, making it a good choice for those dry fly wings that you want to lay back in one direction.
“I do prefer bull elk hair for tying elk hair caddis wings,” Doug said. “It stays bunched nicely for that specific type of wing.”
Yearling Elk Hair: Yearling elk hair has shorter fibers and has a fine diameter. In appearance, it’s usually somewhere between deer and cow elk. This is a good option for small streamers. While it’s not a great alternative for caddis patterns since the tips are a bit long, it is a good option for wings on bigger mayflies like a Green Drake.
TYING WITH MOOSE HAIR
Moose hair is very durable and tough. It makes an excellent tail material on mayfly patterns and it does not flare very much. It can also make a good wing material on large terrestrials and stonefly patterns. The shop favorite, Grillo’s Hippie Stomper is a great example.
“I like stiff moose body hair for tailing dry flies,” Brad told us. “It does not flare like other hairs and is very durable for fast water patterns such as Wulffs dry flies. The standard color is dark brown to black. It is also available in bleached, which is a light tan.
“Moose body hair can also be used for split tails on small flies such as a Poor Witch or RS2,” Brad added. “The Poor Witch is a classic Anglers All pattern with tons of history, it was developed decades ago by the fly shop’s founder, Jim Poor.”
General Tips for Working with Hair
First, we’d recommend using quality hair scissors. As with any task, starting with the right tools makes the job much easier. Hair is notorious for dulling blades, so beginning with a solid scissor will make life a lot easier.
Next, we’d recommend a hair comb. When you snip hair from the hide, the first thing that needs to be done is to comb out the under-fur. This fuzzy material absorbs water, so it’s imperative to remove it for better buoyancy. A hair comb makes it quick and easy to remove this under-fur. For more tips on creating better hair wings, take a look at this quick video tutorial on the Anglers All YouTube Channel.
Finally, a hair stacker is an essential tool when working with big game hair. This allows you to quickly and precisely even up the tips when tying in hair. For a tutorial on using a hair stacker, check out this video on the Anglers All YouTube Channel.
Contact Us With Questions
If you have follow-up questions or if you need help getting started, please feel free to ask. There are no dumb questions when it comes to fly tying materials! Stop by and see us at the fly shop in Littleton. Or give us a call at 303-794-1104. Our crew would be happy to help with any of your fly tying or fly fishing endeavors.
