Here is a link to an Ebay seller that I have ordered from. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ssn=crystalcreekfibers&store_name=crystalcreekfibers&_oac=1&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l170197 Firestar and Angelina fibers are what are marketed in the fly tying trade as Ice, Arizona, Krystal, SLF, ...

FlyFisherMann1955 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:38 am Tworod,

Are the jaws on your clamp smooth or serrated?

Thanks- Ken

Serrated and given the intended surgical use they are very gentle on hackles whether at the stem or tip.

A solution for tiny delicate hackles of any type is a micro-vascular clamp. You can find them on the internet and are commonly used for eye surgery. Excellent for tiny dry fly hackle too though with the genetic hackles being 6-12 inches long these days the need is a lot less than days of yore. Here ...

Have you tried mineral spirits?
Naptha may also work.

Did you get your melanistic yet? I was tying a bunch of Sparrows and had to go into my pheasant box. Here are some pictures of an unpicked melanistic cock skin and flank feathers along with a picture of some melanistic hen flank. The hen skin is a prized possession but is well picked over. The photo...

Here is a piebald. Nice with only a few applications.

Three ideas that can help with seals fur. 1. Put varnish on the tying thread. Just swipe the thread with a needle dipped in varnish. If you tie a large number of flies your fingers will get very sticky after a while and you will have to clean them before you can proceed with tying. 2. Use a heavier ...

It looks like a melanistic skin to me. Piebalds are more tan/ginger in my experience.

They appear on Ebay from time to time. There is one available now. https://www.ebay.com/itm/125687746886?hash=item1d4392d146:g:e6cAAOSw4TljrdUH&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0NhzY4bD%2FoPmDWWepsggK0BH1Rn%2FsCtzSPm4icLl%2BoSUpuNHUo2jSHYR7w4JCAiGKmsQKXkI8FX58KFgd4kEg9Pc%2B8cB%2FXEy3Zygk3GkBkGZJ4v9Q6xxHRgKG...

The mono-rig is nothing new. I used it exclusively until I was about 14 over 50 years ago. Give either of these a try. They are deadly!