Hareline Elk Mane

Description:

What it is

Hareline Elk Mane is elk mane hair taken from the neck of male and female elk. The fibers are long, durable, naturally buoyant, and easy to handle on the hook. Its less hollow than deer hair, so it doesnt flare as aggressively, but it holds up well and rides high.

What to tie with it

Use it for dry-fly wings, including down-wing styles, plus stonefly and caddis wings. Those long, stiff fibers also make excellent tails for larger dry flies and drakes, and they stack well for bullet-style dry fly heads. At the bench youll mostly be stacking, tying in as a hairwing, and trimming to shape rather than trying to spin it.

Flies and the fish they're for

The Goddard Caddis is a classic place to use elk hair, tied as a buoyant caddis dry for trout on rivers and streams, especially when adults are skating or fluttering on the surface. Elk mane is also commonly chosen anywhere a pattern calls for moose body hair, so its a handy substitute when youre tying larger, stiff-tailed dries for trout in moving water. In general, this material lives a very dry fly lifekeeping caddis and big-bodied attractors floating and fishing clean in rougher current.

How it compares

Compared to Hareline Premo Deer Hair Strips, elk mane is less hollow and has longer fibers, which makes it better suited to larger hairwing dries and tails. Premo deer hair flares easily and is suitable for spinning hair, while elk mane is not the right choice for spun-hair heads or poppers.