Arctic Fox?

[Rory McMahon]

I saw this in the cabelas fly fishing catalog. It says it is just like marabou with much less waisted feathers. Are they just exaggerating about the "being just like marabou", or is it actaully something worth buying. Anyone have any personal experience using this hair.

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Yup, it's pretty much like marabou. Just not as wavy in action. But more durable. I've used it alot where I used Marabou wings (some of my chum flies and quite a few working steelhead flies). I like the stuff. They have finnish raccoon as well, which is a bit longer fibers. But works the same. Key to using it though is to soak the wing in the water THOROUGHLY before you cast it. If you throw it out dry, it'll float. Found that out the hard way (but, found out you can catch chums on a dry as well ;) ). I have a huge variety of colors of AF.

[FT]

I've used artic fox for at least 16 years as wings on steelhead hairwing wets. It ties a nice, dense near the body but much sparser out near the hair tip wing and allows a nice, small head at the tie in point. It move around a bit like bunny strip hair in the water; but I don't consider it to be at all like marabou despite what Cabella's says. It is far more durable than marabou; but if you really want the motion of marabou, it will disappoint. If you are looking for a nice winging material or looking for a longer fiber length strip than bunny strips provide with about the same amount of movement as bunny, it would be perfect.

[Hywel]

Contrary to Cabella's 'marketing', Arctic Fox is nothing like Marabou - especially when the underfur is removed.

It does, as previously stated, make a lovely winging material, and it also yields some wonderful results when used in a dubbing loop for bodies and 'collars'.

Hywel

[Rory McMahon]

Thanx for comfirming what i thought, i figured cabelas was stretching the truth with the advertising claim.

[halcyon]

Arctic fox is a lovely material for tying when you need a durable, long fiber, that will not absorb lots of water and cause you to have to cast a brick. It looks and feels much like rabbit but has a length that is much longer than any rabbit other than some angora rabbits. It breaths in the water in a manner much like marabou. It is usually bred in a snow white color and being a hair takes dyes very well, including brillant colors and UV dyes, even better than white marabou. Unlike bear hair (any species) the underfur is not wire-like and kinked like calf tail, it is soft, straight, and fine like rabbit. So if I were to try to explain how to use it to someone that had never actually seen the material I would say it was "like marabou - only much better". Or possibly if that person had used gray fox for tying hairwing salmon flies I would describe it as 5" long gray fox fur:p

Regards,

[Kevin Giusti]

I just recently started using arctic fox tail in my tying and I really like it. When tying a hairwing steelhead fly I always reach for the arctic fox now. Also it has good length to it so it is great for larger patterns and big tubes. It comes in about any color you would want and has a great action in the water. Its very soft and ties in easy with very little bulk. I havent tried cabelas stuff. If you want marabou action then buy marabou but I think you should definately try out arctic fox I think you will like It! Kevin

[Rory McMahon]

from this thread and from google ive found that it is really good for hairwings, unfortunately i never tie any hairwings. I was hoping to use it for woolly bugger tails. I hate using marabou because of all the thick stems waisted feathers.

[Philster]

from this thread and from google ive found that it is really good for hairwings, unfortunately i never tie any hairwings. I was hoping to use it for woolly bugger tails. I hate using marabou because of all the thick stems waisted feathers.

You're buying the wrong marabou. A good shop SHOULD point you to the best material on the wall for what you want to tie, not just pick the front pack on the hook. Test your shop, go in and tell them what you want it for. If they just grab a pack ask them, "why is this good for buggers?" or "why is this good for palmering?". They should be able to open the pack, take out a feather and explain why it's good. Words like, "length", "action", "matting", "fine stems" should be uttered. You'll be able tell B.S. when you hear it. Demand service! Heck I not only paw through everything on the wall, but I wet my fingers and see if the dye is going to come off easily on my hands! I HATE that! Not to mention the staining to other patterns in a wet fly box!

Next time you see a tying demo being advertised here by one of the sponsors, go and ask how to pick marabou. Jack cook, Mike Kinney, Aaron Reimer, and a host of others who give demos have forgoten more about material selection than we will ever know.

P.S. for buggers clip the fibers from the stem and tie in the loose fibers in a bunch. Never use the stem for anything but wrapping palmered marabou.

[Stan Wright]

I started using fox to tye my bonefish flys and just love it. Then moved on to streamer flys. Nice movement in the water and olds up great on those tough toothie critters. Buy a pack and try it.... You probably already have a packet of everything else sold at the fly shop.... You Need Some Fox. :thumb: LOL

Aloha,
Stan

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Well, problem could be if you're not getting enough "movement" like marabou is to cut down on how much you're stacking on the hook. If you tie in enough to make the same "out of water" bulk as marabou, it won't move much, if at all. Problem with some flytyers, they tie for "out of water" looks, not for what it'll do IN the water. I've had alot of luck using AF, why I said "Yup, it's pretty much like marabou. Just not as wavy in action". Haven't looked at the Cabela's marketing on the stuff though. But will have some good movement. I know I've tied up a ton of these on jigs for gear guys, and have nothing but cheers for it's performance (and these are for guys who want marabou action). Key was not to tie in so much. I know I've seen some flies and jigs tied with AF where the guys tied it so it was nice and fluffy (and bulky looking) like a palmered marabou pattern. Problem when wet, it won't condense down like marabou, why it's best to cut down how much you tie on and have it sparse looking BEFORE it's wet.

[Karjala]

Fly Red Fox
http://perhorasia.fi/images/full_size_images/12504.jpg

I tie this fox wings like this links pictures shown... Ok its Finnish but good pictures.
http://www.taoft.fi/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=754

[kodiaksalmon]

I like silver fox. It's got gradient color to it. The stalk is one color, and the tip is black. I don't use it instead of marabou, but I am recently a fan of it. I'd not used it before a couple of months ago, but am now sold. Pull the underfur, and leave the long guard hairs, and it creates a very nice sparse, whispy wing that you can extend out behind the wing. It's nice to have a hair that won't flare like deer, but has some length to it as well.

Jeff