Bucktail brands

[txedo 0]

Hello!

 

I am going to buy some bucktail to tie some pike streamers, but I have to choose between three major brands:

• Hareline
  
• Cascade Crest
  
• Wapsi
  

 

What brand would you recomend me according to hair length, mobility and color quality? Feel free to justify your answer!

 

Thank you in advanced!

[tidewaterfly 0]

All three have very good quality materials. Since bucktail is a natural material, and since these folks all are dyeing in bulk, there will always be some variation in the material & color. You can buy 100 tails from each and find as much variation in one brand as another, simply because natural materials vary that much. Whenever possible, bucktail, and most any other natural material, should be selected by hand, looking for qualities that you need to tie the patterns you're interested in tying. When hand picking is not possible, try contacting your supplier & letting them know what you're looking for & why. Most of the time you'll get what you need if they want to retain you as a customer. If not, then keep looking!

 

When I tied commercially, I bought a lot of bucktail in bulk, often 50 -100 at a time. For example I tied a lot of hair jigs for bass fishing, and preferred small to medium size tails, which often had finer textured hair, and were cheaper than the big tails so often sold for flies. Some would not be usable for my purpose, but most were fine. When I found a supplier who had what I needed I stuck with them. I bought from several sources too, as some had better colors than others.

 

Hair length on a tail does not mean it will be suitable for a specific type of pattern either. I prefer finer hair for the majority of my tying. Long, yet course hair is usable, but for me is best for tying big flies where you only need bulk, or big jigs.

 

Mobility is also a function of texture. Finer hair will have better action than course hair. Again, it will depend on the pattern, which hair type hair will be best. For example, when I tie Lefty's Deceivers, and I often tie them very large, I don't mind if the hair is a little course & stiff, as it helps maintain the profile, and will be less likely to foul in the bend of the hook. If I was tying a Black Nose Dace, I like finer hair, since I tie them primarily in smaller sizes, such as down to a size 12. I tie a lot of Clouser Minnows too, but in a range of sizes, so the type of hair I use will vary depending on the size & how I intend to use the fly. I tie some sparse & some more heavily dressed.

 

Economy is also important to me when buying bucktails. I see little value in buying tails that have 4-5 inch hair & tying patterns that only require 3 inches of length. One size does not fit all!

 

BTW, when buying "bucktails" your actually buying "deer tails", as they are from both the buck & the doe.

[ashbourn 0]

I would go with Hareline. The last 100 tails we received were all very nice.

 

Joe

[streamcaddis 0]

When I buy buck tail I always take them out of the package and inspect them to make sure it is right for the streamers I will be tying. My local shops handle Hareline only however.

Remember, any time you need feathers, necks, deer body hair etc always take it out of the package and inspect it.

[txedo 0]

Thank you very much for your fast and good replies.

 

Since there is no fly shop in my city and I have to order the materials online, I will go for Hareline and send a message to the seller telling him that I want to tie pike streamers such as clouser minnows.