Storing Fly Tying Tools Pattern & Tying Instructions
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Good quality, large bucktails can be hard to find so it’s important to know your way around them, in order to minimize waste. There are basically three different zones on a tail, each containing a different type of hair.
The hair at the tip of the tail is fine, relatively short and not especially hollow. The middle third of the tail is arguably the best quality hair, as it’s long, usually straight and somewhat hollow, making it easy to work with. The hair of the lower third is too hollow for many applications but it does have its uses.
The hair at the upper third of the tail, because it’s fairly straight and doesn’t flair much, works well for the tails on many patterns. The premium stuff from the middle third is what most people use for long wing material, as on Clouser Minnows and Lefty’s Deceivers. It flairs just the right amount when tied in properly. The hollowest hair from the base of the tail tends to spin and flair like deer body hair, and as a result, works well for things like muddler heads or patterns where reverse tie-in is required.
The hair at the tip of the tail is fine, relatively short and not especially hollow. The middle third of the tail is arguably the best quality hair, as it’s long, usually straight and somewhat hollow, making it easy to work with. The hair of the lower third is too hollow for many applications but it does have its uses.
The hair at the upper third of the tail, because it’s fairly straight and doesn’t flair much, works well for the tails on many patterns. The premium stuff from the middle third is what most people use for long wing material, as on Clouser Minnows and Lefty’s Deceivers. It flairs just the right amount when tied in properly. The hollowest hair from the base of the tail tends to spin and flair like deer body hair, and as a result, works well for things like muddler heads or patterns where reverse tie-in is required.