Ostrich Herl

[Guest]

Tyed my first fly, a bugger, with the material as a tail and couldn't believe the action!!!!!!!

Anyone else use it and on what kind of fly?

[Guest]

i use it for some scud bodies, and as the gills on some hex patterns

[pacres 0]

I use the quill ass a body on a few dry flies I tie, but I haven't used it too much. Do you have a pic of the bugger

[Guest]

I use it instead of chenille. Tie in about four and twist them together and wrap the hook shank. It has better action than chenille but won't soak up the water like chenille to add weight for bottom fishing.

[Guest]

I use it on many types of flies! It's a great tailing material. I like it better than marabou on some flies, especially topwater types like Sneaky Petes.

 

I tie a Clouser Minnow style pattern with it, in dark colors it makes great leeches, and in baitfish colors adds more action than regular Clousers.

 

Good stuff!

[Guest]

I use it for butt on classic salmon flies.

[Guest]

Hey, Manny! Good to see you're still with us!

 

Jim, I like tying Sneaky Pete type sliders too, do you think the herl outperforms Marabou?

[Guest]

Both have great action, no doubt about that! It's a matter of personal choice, this same topic was discussed on Riversmallies awhile back, and some folks like marabou & some ostrich.

I like the ostrich better because marabou seems to me like it mats & tangles more than ostrich, especially on surface flies, and especially as it gets a little dirty. Ostrich also is a little more durable than marabou, but again that's just my opinion.

 

My favorite Sneaky Petes are tied with neck hackle tails, but when I want something with more action it's usually ostrich herl.

[Dble Haul 0]

I use ostrich herl for the tail of Taboury's snake fly pattern.

[Pintsize 0]

In the UK I use Ostrich Herl in the place of red wool for patterns such as the "Zulu" and also for bloodworm / buzzer (midge) patterns. The action this herl makes in the water seems far superior to Marabou and catch rates improve significantly.

 

[RodC 0]

I use the Ostrich for smallies. It has a more realistic swim. [ I think] White Ostrich tail- 5 or 6 strands- Weight wrapped on hook- White leech yarn-- or white chenille body - Black bead for head - Caught my biggest smallie last year on that. - Rod

[Guest]

Yup, like Manny, I use them on classic salmon flies. I also use them on intruders (someone on another site now has me hooked on tying them lol).

[MwM 0]

Hmmm

I actually prefer the chenille..

But that`s me

[mitch 0]

After this first surfaced, I tied some charlies using ostrich herl as the wing. Provides good action as well as wind resistant.

On another note, I am able to put the feather up to the hook on the vise and choose which length I would like. So far, I have used a considerable amount from the base.

Mitch

[osprey 0]

Jim Hester: You say you tie a Clouser Minnow using ostrich herl. Do you add it to the pattern, or do you substitute if for either the top or bottom pinch of bucktail? (Top, here, means the part when the fly is riding hook-upward)

 

-- Paul