squirrel tails

[TAMU84 0]

Hey guys,

 

I live in an area with an abundance of squirrels.

 

Occasionally, they fall dead in my yard ( don't ask ).

 

I need a good pattern that will use some of my squirrel tail supply.

 

Any ideas?

 

TAMU84

 

[flykid 0]

How about a rusty rat? Or some other hairwing flies. Or you could probably use some grey squirrel tail for wings on large mayflies or you could use some squirrell tail for parachute posts.

[Hairstacker 0]

That's odd that only the tails fall in your yard. . . . In any case, the hair on squirrel tails is often used as wings on various baitfish-imitation streamers. If indeed the whole squirrel is falling in your yard, then you could trim the belly fur and use it as dubbing for the abdomen and thorax section of mayfly nymph imitations and use the fur on the back of the squirrel for tails on these nymphs. For example, check out the fox squirrel nymph.

 

-- Mike

[tidewaterfly 0]

If they're red or fox squirrels, the tail hair works well on crawdad imitations or crawdad colored Clouser Minnows. Grey squirrel works good on Clousers also. They take dye real good too and can be dyed with Rit dye most any color you like.

 

There is an old hair wing streamer pattern that was simply called "Squirrel tail". It was tied on a long shank streamer hook, usually in sizes from 4 down to about 10, the tying thread was black, the body consisted of flat silver tinsel ribbed with oval silver tinsel. Squirrel tail fibers over white calftail or bucktail was the wing, and there was a yellow & black painted eye. It was a decent basic baitfish pattern in the same style as the Black Nose Dace. I used to tie & use this pattern quite a bit, but I added an orange hackle fiber tail most of the time, and ribbed it with silver wire instead of the oval tinsel. Good trout & Smallmouth fly on small streams.

 

Squirrel tail works good for small hair jigs too.

[Al Beatty 0]

Hi TAMU84,

 

I find the stacked hair makes really good (and durable) wings on adult stonefly patterns. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com

[morfrost 0]

Grey squirrel is used as underwing on Muddler Minnows. Likewise on Ally's Shrimp. If dyed, they can be used on pretty well any pattern that calls for a hairwing material.

[Worstcaster 0]

Bob's Bluegill Fly

 

Hook: Wet 12-16

Tail: Grey Squirrel

Body: Orange floss

Wing: Grey Squirrel

Thread: Orange

Weight: To preference

 

Tie in squirrel hair equal to or 1/2 the shank length (your preference, it like it at 1/2). Tie in floss and wrap forward for body. Just short of head tie in wing sweeping back over body. Wrap head and whip finish.

 

Picket's Pin

 

Hook: wet 10-14

Tail: None

Body: Peacock Herl

Rib: Thin Copper

Wing: Grey Squirrel

Head: Peacock Herl

Thread: Olive or black

Weight: To preference

 

Tie in peacock herl and copper rib and wrap forward 3/4 shank. Tie down and cut off remaining rib material, leave remaining herl. Tie in wing sweeping back over body. Wrap rest of herl forward making a tapered head. Whip finish.

[JackScott 0]

A few thoughts on squirrel tail: I agree with all of the above posts. I would add only this: Squirrel tail has two characteristics that set it apart from other winging hairs. 1. It is rather slippery and 2. It is doesn't "compress" very well under thread pressure. Both these traits can make it a little frustrating to tie with,as far as the wing "pulling out" from the thread wraps. I would suggest that to avoid this,that you make the wings sparse or,if your pattern is calling for a heavy wing,apply it in "stages". You can also employ a trick used by Lefty Kreh...put a small dab of cement on the butts of the hair prior to tying them in.

Jack