color bleeding

[southpaw]

Can anyone recommend methods for preventing colors from bleeding from dyed rabbit, marabou, etc, on finished flies?

For example, white/olive double bunny, dye from olive will discolor the white after it gets wet.

Maybe just rinse/dry the materials before tying?

Thanks!

[soulefly]

Good Day,

Yes, one thing you can do is rinse your marabou in cold water until the water runs clear. Purchase an inexpensive "delicates" bag, place marabou inside, rinse, then dry on air only (no heat) in your dryer. (Heat can melt feathers.)

Soulefly

[billmiguk]

Hair and feathers are protein-based...which means they require an acid dye (the acid being plain old white vinegar) to be properly color-fast. Many off-the-shelf dyes are actually for cellulose (plant fibers) or combinations of dye types (with the hope being that at least one of the dyes it contains will work on a particular material). The best solution for finding the right dye for the job is to buy from a chemical supplier. I buy from Pro Chemical & Dye...great products, fair prices, and knowledgeable staff. Hope this is helpful to someone.

[billmiguk]

Hair and feathers are protein-based...which means they require an acid dye (the acid being plain old white vinegar) to be properly color-fast. Many off-the-shelf dyes are actually for cellulose (plant fibers) or combinations of dye types (with the hope being that at least one of the dyes it contains will work on a particular material). The best solution for finding the right dye for the job is to buy from a chemical supplier. I buy from Pro Chemical & Dye...great products, fair prices, and knowledgeable staff. Hope this is helpful to someone.

[shaggy]

Can anyone recommend methods for preventing colors from bleeding from dyed rabbit, marabou, etc, on finished flies?

For example, white/olive double bunny, dye from olive will discolor the white after it gets wet.

Maybe just rinse/dry the materials before tying?

Thanks!

I brush all my flies or jigs out after each trip. Do it right before you put your rods back in your vehicle. After use I blow out and brush out any excess water, and hang the jig or fly on my body, chest pack somewhere to air dry. When I get home I repeat the same process with soap and water and let all flies or jigs airdry for 2 or 3 days before putting them back into my flybox. Then before I use that fly or jig again I get it wet at the stream and put a little dirt on it to rid any left over soap and water residue from the previous cleaning.