Using calf tale for wings

[pennscreekrules 0]

When using calf tail for your wing on a dry fly, should I stack it firs? If so how? I can't seem to get the tips to even up no matter how long I tap my stacker. The reason I ask is I'm having problems with my flies with calf tail wings tipping to one side or standing up with the tail in the air when I fish them. I usually end up cutting them off on stream. What am I doing wrong?

[mgj 0]

read this.

 

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum5/HTML/004049.html

 

should prove to be helpful.

 

timely question you asked.

 

mgj

[pennscreekrules 0]

Thanks mgj that link had some great advice.

[Joe Hard 0]

I clean out the under fur then place the clump on the table, break it in half, stack each clump, removing more of the under fur and unwanted fibers, line up each clump somewhat then stack them bowth together, if they dont look good by then I will remove more stray fibers and stack again. Some clumps will just not stack no mater what you do. I have found that too much hair and too many thread wraps cause the fly to be heavy at the head.

[Fly1 0]

I tie a lot of flies with calf tail and I don't even own a stacker. I just cut some off the tail and pull off any under fur and re-trim the end with scissors so it's all even before I put it on the hook. I've never had any problems doing it that way.

 

Ken

[troutslayerny 0]

I use antron body wool. It allows me to vary the color for different light conditions. White is tough to see during dusk, so I use black antron. Also, try flourescent orange...

[appalachian angler (tn.) 0]

I'm finding that calf body hair is much easier to deal with for split wings on conventional mayfly dries. I generally do like calf tail for wing posts on parachutes. you can always trim the para-posts anyway. If you must use calf tail, try shortening the stack. It may be the reason your flys are tipping(wings too long).

 

A.A.

[Violator 0]

Calf body as mentioned ... unless you are tying bug dries like hexagenia .... then use calf tail.

[Robert_S 0]

Sounds like the fly is not balanced right and would not be helped by stacking the calf tail. One of my favorite patterns is the Wulff and when my eyes were younger never had a problem seeing them, but things change. I started to make the wings real heavy so I could see it better and had the same problem with it flipping the tail up and rolling onto the eye. Cut back on the amount of hair your using, make sure your not to close to the eye, make sure your wings are not to long- for hair wings I keep it at the hook shank lenght. Watch that your tailing material is heavy enough to counter balance, on a Wulff I like the hair in the tail to equal one of the wings. You can use a hair stacker, comb out the under fur and make sure you have a very large stacker about the size of a quarter, anything smaller will not allow the hair to slide down the tube and even up. Rolling to one side is hard to contol without split or fan tails, your hackle can effect this also, I wouldn't worry to much about the rolling try to make your divided wings equal and evenly spread to the hook shank.

[mgj 0]

good advice.

 

I also think it's pretty helpful to splay your tails and even tie them a bit long. I use moose body splayed by a thread bump and about a full hook long. not only does splaying the tail make it more resemble a mayfly (or whateverthehell it's supposed to imitate), the width of the tail acts like outriggers helping the fly land and ride upright. plus those splayed tails look cool. like you know what yer doing. even better put in a jaunty little upward tilt.

 

mgj

[dontheo 0]

A lot of good suggestions and I just wanted to add I am a huge fan of Wullfs and all hair wing flies. However, I neverr combed out the hair first until tonight. I always thought that by fluffing, tapping, blowing on it, I got the big stuff out and it was no big deal. Then by dumb luck I had a mustache comb I got with a trimmer for Xmas laying around. I used it on the hair and it was unreal what came out. But the real payoff was that I no longerr had to fight with the bulge where I tied it in. This made life a lot easier particuarily when I got into size 18 Haystacks.

 

The other point was thatit made stacking it a breeze I guess cause the little fibers were gone that kind of binded it.

 

Also, on parchutes and wullfs I don't bother stacking anymore. I just shear it even. It's not purist but the fish can't see it.

 

Ted