Craft Fur – Synthetic Fur for Streamers

What is Craft Fur and what is it used for?

Craft Fur is a synthetic fur made from very fine fibres of different lengths. Its structure makes it suitable for tying wings and tails with soft, natural movement, as well as streamer heads.

It is mainly used in streamers, baitfish patterns and shrimp flies. Craft Fur can be used on its own or combined with different types of flash.

Choosing the right Craft Fur fibre length

Different types of Craft Fur vary in fibre length and in the amount of underfur. These are two of the most important features to consider when choosing the material. The right option depends primarily on the size and type of streamer being tied.

Medium-length Craft Fur, including Extra Select Craft Fur, works well in medium-sized streamers, sea trout flies and saltwater flies. It is also suitable for forming the heads of large pike flies.

Longer varieties such as Craft Fur Long are intended for larger patterns. They can be used for wings, tails and heads in large pike flies, huchen streamers and other large streamer patterns.

Solid, Grizzly, barred and black-tipped Craft Fur

Solid colours are a versatile choice for natural and attractor patterns. Grizzly, barred, two-tone and black-tipped Craft Fur create contrast and colour transitions without the need to combine several separate layers of material.

These variants work particularly well in baitfish and shrimp patterns that require darker markings, barring or contrasting fibre tips.

How to prepare Craft Fur for tying

Cut a small clump as close to the backing as possible. If there is too much underfur, remove some of it with your fingers or a comb. Leaving more underfur adds volume, while removing it produces a lighter and slimmer wing.

Do not trim the long fibres straight across at the tips. Gently shorten them with your fingers instead. The varied fibre lengths create a softly tapered wing without a straight, sharply cut edge.

For other materials used in streamers, see our range of flash materials and synthetic hair for fly tying.

Frequently asked questions

How does Craft Fur differ from synthetic hair?

Craft Fur has a fur-like structure, with underfur at the base and longer, very fine outer fibres. Other synthetic hair materials are generally more uniform, thicker and often longer, so they are more commonly used in larger streamers.

How do I choose Craft Fur for different streamer sizes?

Medium-length Craft Fur is suitable for medium-sized streamers, sea trout flies and many saltwater patterns. Longer Craft Fur is a better choice for large pike flies and huchen streamers. Hareline Extra Select Craft Fur is also well suited to forming the heads of larger flies.

Can Craft Fur be mixed with flash?

Yes. Fine flash fibres can be mixed directly with Craft Fur or tied between separate layers of the wing. This adds flash while allowing the soft Craft Fur fibres to move freely in the water.

Should the underfur be removed?

Not always. The underfur adds volume and is useful in fuller wings and streamer heads. When tying a slimmer or lighter pattern, remove some of it and use mainly the longer outer fibres.