Jeff,
The only thing I've ever used black bear hair for was a hair wing version of
an Atlantic salmon pattern called The Sweep, and I wasn't satisfied with
that since the hair is actually not black, but a dark brown. I have, on the
other hand, found a few good uses for moose hair. I use it for antennae and
tails on stonefly patterns, for tails on BWO duns and other dark mayflies,
and for patterns like the Bulkley Mouse and dark versions of the
Greaseliner. The tips of moose hair seem to be pretty sturdy, the hollow
butts are the weakest part. I wonder if soaking them in water would make
them a little more flexible and less likely to break when used for nymph
bodies.
Preston
