Long Live the Sheep-Pig

Image via Wikipedia

Actress Emma Thompson was recently upstaged by an animal that previously enjoyed notoriety only as a meat source and materials provider for sweaters and yes, even fishing flies. The Mangalitza (also ‘Mangalitsa’) pig — native to Hungary and Austria but a close relative of the Lincolnshire curly coat which went extinct in 1972 — sports a coat of curly hair that causes almost everyone who sees it do a double-take.
“Hair from the pigs is particularly popular in the U.S. as it retains air bubbles under water making it ideal for tying fishing flies. They come in three colours, bright red, blonde and black with a cream stomach and they are lardier than most breeds, making them perfect for Parma ham-style cuts.”
What kind of pattern might a person tie with pigs’ wool? Check out expert European tier Davie McPhail’s Pigs Wool Mayfly Gnat below. McPhail uses the pigs wool as dubbing, in part, he says, because it dries extremely quickly.

(Thanks to Gary Eaton, MCCI for the link.)