How To Bleach Deer Hair
While fly fishing is an outdoor activity enjoyed by many people, fly tying is not as popular. In fact, more and more fishers are choosing to buy store bought, ready made flies, meaning that the materials needed for making homemade flies is becoming scarcer and harder to find. Nevertheless, deer fur remains a desirable component for flies given that its hairs are hollow and float. Bleached deer fur can be used for certain flies as is or it can be dyed a brighter florescent color, depending on requirements.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Deer fur
- Stiff brush
- Dish detergent
- Glass bowl
- Water
- Latex gloves
- 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide
- Tongs
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Brush the fur with a stiff brush. Make sure to remove as much of the under hair as possible.
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2
Wash the fur. Pour 1 tbsp. of dish detergent into a glass bowl and add the fur and warm water. Soak it for two hours or longer, swirling it around the soapy water from time to time. Rub the fur as you rinse it thoroughly under running water; it is important to remove all of the oil and dirt that is attached to the fur. Rinse the bowl for use in the next step.
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Mix a solution of four parts hydrogen peroxide to three parts water in the glass bowl. It is safer to pour the hydrogen peroxide into the water rather than pouring the water into the hydrogen peroxide. Use tongs to put the fur in the solution.
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Experiment to find the shade of lightness you require the fur to be. Your requirements may vary, but seven hours of soaking time is generally enough. Remove the fur sooner or soak it longer, depending on your needs. When you are satisfied with the color, remove the fur with the tongs and rinse it thoroughly under warm running water.
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Tips & Warnings
While it can be hard to find 35% hydrogen peroxide in some regions, it is available at certain health food stores.
Wear latex gloves whenever you are handling peroxide.
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References
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