SLF (Highlanders favourite)

[scotfly]

For a long time there have been a few people like me who love SLF, and there has been a few, like Highlander who hate the stuff. This has always mystified me, I've always found SLF easy to work with and I like the appearance and behaviour.
I think I now know why. I have always used the "Masterclass" SLF and always assumed that the "Masterclass" title referred to particular colours, It doesn't! It actually refers to type.
There are/were six types of SLF, all with different characteristics. I bought a job lot a few years ago from a tackle shop which was selling off all of its flytying materials. But since I had the cube, the job lot lay undisturbed in the bottom of a drawer, until recently. When I went through it I realised I had four different types....




Of the four the "Masterclass" is an excellent, easy to use, medium dubbing.
The "Midge" is excellent too, though a lot finer.
The "Hanks" I haven't used, but they are for using as a winging material and look OK for the job, though I think there are much better alternatives available.
The last one I have is the standard dubbing, described as a substitute for Seal's Fur. I think this is the one that Highlander has a loathing for, and I have to agree, it is bloody awful stuff, almost impossible to dub with!
So now you know, the next time someone says SLF is bloody awful, ask them which type they are referring too.
The two I don't have are the SLF Twists, which are just pre-made dubbing ropes and; SLF Finesse, which is described as "fine" so I would imagine that it is similar to the Midge and should be OK to work with.

[.D.]

As far as I'm aware the Masterclass stuff is blended SLF Finesse - it used to also come in plain colours. I quite like, and use the Masterclass blends, but you're pretty limited in what you can do with them given the very short staple. Even the coarse standard SLF works quite well blended with rabbit, squirrel or hare, for nymphs and wets - like in the Dave Whitlock blends.

There's another one now though, just to confuse things further - SLF Prism. That's like fine Ice Dubbing, and completely  unlike the other, older products.

.D.

[thewaterbouys]

       I use the master class cube good stuff, i tend to use ice dub a lot or spirit river.

[Highlander]

Call it what you will, the original stuff is still pish.
:roll:
Tight Lines