Preference? Artic Fox or Rabbit?

[VaCrappieMan]

I have been mostly using kiptail for my threadneck jigs (don't care much for marabou) and I wanted something else to try. I have seen both artic fox and rabbit (crosscut) used in jigs and like the way they look. Which material do you guys prefer or what are the strengths and weaknesses of each material? I like the durability of kiptail which is why I mostly use it. Just wanting to fuel my addiction a little more by buying a bunch of different colors of some other type of material LOL

[skiptomylu]

I like both. I also like using zonkers with crosscut together sometime. Rabbit is softer and Arctic Fox can tangle a little in a box, but nothing bad. Rabbit has a lot more options for colors and mixed colors too.

[VaCrappieMan]

The reason I said crosscut is I saw a few jigs of yours using crosscut (not even sure what that is) that were really puffy almost craft hair like and I thought they looked really good. I have tried craft hair and hated it... but, I like the way it looks and the one jig that managed to lay well out of the craft hair I tied was a really good producer for me last year lol... I'm not to fond of the zonker strips of rabbit hair (just the way they look) is the crosscut rabbit basically strips too?

[STUMP HUNTER]

I like using zonker/ crosscut. Crosscut are cut across the hide and zonkers are cut from the length. Fox and rabbit moves very well in the water but using zonkers for the tail gives you a choice for tail length. Crosscuts are used for tying the body by palmering or wrapping around the hook.

[skiptomylu]

Yes as SH said crosscut just means they took the hide of a rabbit and cut it across from side to side and not length wise like a zonker strip. They make a great looking jig and you just tie it in and wrap it back tot he head and tie it off. You can get crosscut and zonkers to match or some two tone hair too.

This like will give you some idea as to what it out there. I have about every color they make and lots of packs so if you want some I probably have some or you can get it from this place or probably a lot of other fly tying shops.
Rabbit Fur | Fur & Hair | Fly Tying Materials | Bob Marriott's Flyfishing Store

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[skeetbum]

Rabbit is probably a bunch cheaper. I bought a few squares of fox a while back, almost $4 per square inch. But the stuff is worth buying to try a few jigs out of. Great action in the water.

[Fatman]

You can make regular zonker strips work but you have to keep stroking the hair back as you tie them in, the crosscuts work great for this and you can use the regular for tails.

Artic Fox is excellent!!!!!!!! I managed to get some good pieces through one of my fly fishing boards in a swap box. With the craft fur you can't just cut and tie in, cut it and use an old toothbrush to get the underfur (fuzzy stuff off the cut end) - for smaller jigs you'll want to put the long thin hairs and it will even the ends into a nice tapered look and easy to tie in.

I like the Artic fox, zonker strips (until this year I had never used them) and yes I like the craft fur it ties in nice if you take the time to clean it up a bit and basically when you use bucktail you have to do the same thing. I'll post some two tone craft fur jigs tonight to show how nice they look.

[dandeman]

Rabbit is probably a bunch cheaper. I bought a few squares of fox a while back, almost $4 per square inch. But the stuff is worth buying to try a few jigs out of. Great action in the water.

Hey skeetbum, HugeDomains.com - CrazyAngler.com is for Sale (Crazy Angler) has the fox for $2.75 per sq. in., I just got some a few days ago.

[dandeman]

I like using zonker/ crosscut. Crosscut are cut across the hide and zonkers are cut from the length. Fox and rabbit moves very well in the water but using zonkers for the tail gives you a choice for tail length. Crosscuts are used for tying the body by palmering or wrapping around the hook.

Thanks for all the great info all of you guys make available to everyone. I'm relatively new to this hobby and haven't tried rabbit yet. Your comment about the length of hair on the different cuts of rabbit is very helpful to me regarding what to purchase for different ties.

Thanks!!! - dan