Just starting to look into this alternative.
Many recipes call for Ram's Wool and I see many patterns where wool could be a substitute. I can't seem to find Ram's Wool at the fly shops and I imagine wool, yarn or rug yarn to be much cheaper.
Folks at craft stores are telling me wool is very water absorbent and any synthetics would only be a blend/mix of poly and wool so that would rule that out.
Mostly I am trying EP Baitfish-type flies.
So the questions are:
Can yarn be used as a Ram's Wool substitute?
If so, what "type" of yarn?
Where can I find Ram's Wool?
Is there another substitute for RW and what makes it better?
Thanks all.

Tying with wool is similar to tying with deer hair. Just like with deer hair, wool is sold still attached to the skin. So, you buy a square piece or patch of wool. Think about raw wool straight off the sheep.

The wool fibers are trimmed from the patch of wool and usually spun onto the hook similar to spinning deer hair. (I should add that many tyers will comb out the fibers from the patch instead of cutting them out.) A deer hair fly will float but a wool fly will sink.

Personally, I find working with wool to be one of the more difficult tying techniques.

Yarn is not really inter-changeable with raw wool. Yarn is used for some patterns and it can be used with similar tying techniques as are used with wool, but the results are very different. Now, with that said, someone on here may know how to achieve similar results, but I don't.

Good luck!

If you are in the north Texas area, come out to Bonham state park for the Red River Rendevouz the 3rd Saturday of January and you'll find a lot of experienced tyers that will be happy to help you learn some of these tying techniques.


Rex

Salsa, I am not familiar with �Ram�s wool as such but guess it�s lambs�s wool that Rex discussed and I don�t like to use it either.
In the past I have used Icelandic Wool for 6-8 inch flies but no longer since all the new synthetics.

I don�t know about wool yarn but if you are taking about �poly� yarn, I have used a ton of Aunt Lydia yarn � same as EP fiber when combed.
If you are tyin� EP flies it will work and not absorb water as natural wool.
Poly rug and craft yarn available at many craft and fabric stores.
Have you checked out wig hair � good stuff and inexpensive.

I have played with lambs wool a bit, but I don't care for it much. I learned to stack it for the head on sculpin patterns as taught by Marc Pinsel of Hammond Louisiana. Marc sometimes comes up to tie at the Texoma Tie In, but I don't know if he will tie this year at the Red River Rendezvus. He also ties at many FFF conclaves. When used this way you can't use razor blades to shape the head and it dulls the tying sissors very quickly. I hate screwing up the edge of my tying sissors.

I had a friend that used little whisps of olive lambs wool to dub the bodies on his damsel fly nymph pattern, but he is the only one I have ever seen do this.

I have never played with the Icelandic sheep's wool as sold by fly shops for use on streamer patterns. Sorry I could not be of any more help.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

You can buy lamb wool squares at Swan Point Landing in Rockport. They have several colors. I tried lamb wool but didn't like it.

There are a number of great substitutes for ram's wool if you have trouble locating the right material - or simply don't like tying with it.

Craft fur is available at most hobby stores and fly shops, comes in a wide array of colors and works well as a substitute. Cut it off the 'hide' and tie it in clump-style like you would wool or spin it in a dubbing loop and then trim to shape.

Macrome yarn is another great and widely available alternative. Comb out the strands with a wire dog brush and create great bodies and heads by tying in clumps and packing them back. The white yarn takes color very well so you can use Prisma markers or sharpies and color it as you go. The material is pretty coarse, so I use some Fiskar's shears when trimming the yarn instead of my good scissors.

I have also started tying with Sanyo's Laser Yarn. Technically it is dubbing material, but the fibers are really long and make superb heads, bodies and wings in a pinch. Align the fibers by pulling the clump apart and re-stacking the fibers a number of times and then tie it to the hook shank by one end for a longer wider body or lash it down in the middle and trim for a shorter, packed body.

Hope this helps.

Wow thanks for the great responses guys! Time for me to go shopping. The lil ole ladies love it when I come in asking for chennille and yarn n such.