moleskin dubbing?

[euan]

I'm sure I've read fly recipes that call for mole as a dubbing, but thought I'd check before I go to the effort of skinning the one the cats left at the back door this morning! After all, moleskin trousers arent made of mole

Do I microwave it to kill the bugs after salting or before?

[blithfield2]

Euan,

Take my advise and buy one - you will not appreciate the smell of said corpse and your 'better half' even less so!

[dartmoor navigator]

Lol - microwaved mole

Mole skin / fur comes as cheap as chips and come nicely cured.

The Devon half stone is one traditional fly that uses mole, it is a very nice and tactile dubbing.

[euan]

pay money for something I've got for free!
All those stereotypes about stingy scotsmen were based on me

Does mole smell particularly bad? I have had a bit of experience curing rabbit skins.

I read about the microwave way of getting rid of bugs on here but thinkin about actually doing it makes me think it'll cook the skin which can't be good Is it more of a method for feathers?

[dartmoor navigator]

Originally Posted by euan

Does mole smell particularly bad? I have had a bit of experience curing rabbit skins.

Mole can't smell any worse than rabbit, surely?

How do you cure your rabbit skins, Euan? Mine always turn out manky and disgusting

[euan]

Originally Posted by dartmoor navigator

How do you cure your rabbit skins, Euan? Mine always turn out manky and disgusting

Depends what I'm using them for - for dog dummies I just use salt then cut off the manky bits round the outside. They end up hard but as I'm just stitching them roughly around some stuffing it doesnt matter - they go stinky and soggy with dog drool and wetness from the grass eventually but then I just replace them.
The best method I used was one I read on a taxidermy site cant remember the exact process but it involved soaking them in a dilute sol'n of battery acid then bicarb to neutralise it. Essentially they were pickled Much more labour intensive with all the washing and rubbing to soften them but ended up with very supple leather, a bit like chamois but with fur on it.

I did try brain tanning a deer hide once ...it went in the bin after a week

[Spider]

Jesus wept, do you live in a hut in the highlands mate?

[euan]

Originally Posted by Spider

Jesus wept, do you live in a hut in the highlands mate?

No, but I can dream Little house in the middle of the woods next to a loch though ...not far off

[silversedge]

I skinned a mole years ago,take the advice and buy one,smelly wee buggers,nearly as bad as a stoat

[christy27]

Best way is to gut it and remove the eyes. It's the eyes that smell. Deep fry the remains on high heat. That makes the bones brittle and can easy be chewed-bit like Kentucky after a skinfull. The pelt should drop off during the frying process. Be sure to use a chip basket to fry in else it will be lost forever. Hang up to dry overnight.

Next morning drop the pelt into a boiling kettle with a few drops of fairy liquid-swish around a few times and leave to cool. Now here's the tricky bit, get one of those wooden steak mallets and wallop wallop wallop until all moisture is removed-don't overdo it else you will dent the hair. Blow dry to prefered style and there you go-all done .

Alternatively you could contact Fordsflytying and buy one ready done for 2.95 Bit steep I know, but when you consider the process cheap as chips.

Chris.