What it is
Hareline Icelandic Sheep Hair is natural sheep hair used for tying flies with long, durable fibers. In the water it has excellent movement while still holding some shape, and it sheds water easily so big flies don’t stay waterlogged. The fibers also blend well with other materials when you want more rigidity in a wing.
What to tie with it
This is a go-to for baitfish imitations, streamers, and the kind of large poppers where you want a long, breathing profile. Use it in stacked or layered wings, as a mid-wing over flash, or blended into other hair and synthetics to add a little backbone without killing movement. It’s also handy when you want a big fly to stay translucent and mobile rather than turning into a heavy mop in the water.
Flies and the fish they're for
Icelandic sheep hair shows up in Sunray Shadow-style flies, which are fished for Atlantic salmon in rivers and for steelhead in Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes tributaries. It also fits naturally into leech-style salmon and steelhead patterns, where that long, mobile hair gives you a flowing silhouette in moving water. Tied as a long streamer wing, it’s right at home for predatory fish that eat larger baitfish, both in freshwater and in salt.
How it compares
Compared with Craft Fur, it has a similar texture and swimming movement but it’s natural rather than synthetic. Craft Fur typically runs shorter, which makes it easier to control on small-to-medium flies, while Icelandic sheep hair shines when you want length and volume for bigger patterns.
