If You Can't Buy It, Dye It

Over the past few years of fly tying, I come across materials I'd like to have in certain colors that are not available commercially.  Instead of admitting defeat and wishing for things to be available, I decided to try dyeing materials.  For the most part, I feel like it's been a pretty successful venture.  Those who know me know that my favorite streamer color for Ohio warmwater species is a combination of gray/white/pink.  I have been tying multiple streamer patterns this year using the Fly Fish Food complex twist body design, so naturally I had to do gray/white/pink.  Just one problem, I couldn't find gray schlappen at any of my normal online retailers.  I was ordering anyway, so I ordered an extra pack of white schlappen and made a quick stop at Joann Fabric.  There, I grabbed a cheap package of Rit powdered dye in Pearl Gray color.  I have used both the powdered and liquid Rit dye, both work equally well.  You do get a lot more dye in the liquid bottles, though.

The process for dyeing I follow is pretty simple. I recommend you do this outside on a grill burner if your significant other is the least bit squeamish about this happening in the kitchen.  My wife also found an old used pot at a yard sale which is now my designated dye pot.  The basic ingredients are the material, dye, a stirring utensil, pot, some white vinegar, a container of cold water for a setting rinse, and I recommend some rubber gloves.

I try to use just enough water to easily cover the material.  I mix in the dye and add a splash of vinegar, which I have read helps set the dye.  Bring the mixture to a boil and submerse the material in the dye bath.  Feathers, such as the schlappen from last night, dye very quickly.  I have found that hair, like bucktail, takes a long time in the dye bath for me to get a good color.  If the color looks good on the material, I give it a cold rinse in the clean water.  If the color looks right to me, I set it aside to dry and the job is done.  If the material needs more color, it goes back in the dye bath and the process is repeated until the desired color is achieved.

The materials I have dyed in this manner include: schlappen, dry fly hackle, snowshoe hare's foot, bucktail, mallard flank, and dubbing.  Bucktail was by far the most difficult for me to dye.  It took longer time (approximately half an hour as opposed to a few minutes) and more dye.  The dubbing and feathers are dyed quite easily, and I have had no bleeding color issues when I use this process.  There are other methods for dyeing materials, including using packets of Kool-Aid or dye in the microwave, but the process above is what has worked well for me.  It isn't especially hard, or expensive, and can get you the exact materials you want for fly tying.  Don't be afraid to give it a shot.

And with perfect timing, I located an online supplier of gray schlappen the morning after I went through the process of dyeing my own.