Tail Material

[carpflyguy 0]

I'm looking to make a variation of John Montana's hybrid (carp fly) with a tail that has more action. The tail on his is a piece of pink chenille, but I am looking for something that will move around freely as it sticks up, and will have good action in the current. Something that will wave around and attract more attention. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I could use?

[Kentuckysteve 0]

I'm thinking a piece of a thick rubber band or some thick leg material?You may be able to glue a couple strands of the leg material together to make it the thickness you need.I have never tried this but hey....you never know.

[carpflyguy 0]

I'm thinking a piece of a thick rubber band or some thick leg material?You may be able to glue a couple strands of the leg material together to make it the thickness you need.I have never tried this but hey....you never know.

That might just work! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try it out.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

Piece of large rubber leg with a tiny piece of foam glued to the end maybe?

[Philly 0]

Years ago a popular set up for weakfish, sea trout for those of you south of the Mason-Dixon line, in South Jersey was a red and white buck tail jig with a 6 inch purple/pink fire tail plastic worm on it. I had just switched over to fly fishing and was trying to come up with a fly that would imitate the jig and worm combination that had worked so well for me. I settled on a red and white Clouser with a body of wrapped purple estaz, with a 5 inch piece of the purple esatz trailing behind. I wrapped some hot pink marabou on the end of the estaz.

 

Put a sewing needle into the vise. Make some wraps of thread on the needle. Not to tight, you want to be able to slide the finished tail off the needle.

Lay your chenille on the needle. Wrap it down. Take a some marabou, wrap it down. Whip finish it. I use a floss threader and make a three or four wraps and pull the tag end under the wraps. I put a tiny drop of super glue to secure the knot, then slide it off and trim any marabou sticking out from under the wraps and if you want trim the end of the marabou to the length.

I checked my box and the two I have left are tied with the estaz tail. This picture is of the one I submitted to the FFF Fly Pattern Encylopedia. Different materials but it will give you an idea of what it looks like.

 

[mikechell 0]

If it's chenille with the thread core, I don't see you finding much that will move better. But attaching foam to the end could make it stand up when the fly is sitting. It would wave in current, and undulate if you jigged it. I think you just need to redesign the tail, rather than finding a new material.

On the other hand, furling some threads can make a very soft, flexible tail.

[troutguy 0]

Go to a Dollar General or Family Dollar store and look at the squishy toys.

[heavynets 0]

Thin strips of closed cell foam. Or you can put some small foam discs on a string like this: http://www.flycarpin.com/2011/03/mctages-foam-head-stand-carp-worm-final.html

[utyer 0]

You could try furled rubber leg or silicone legs. Tie in and twist the material like winding up an airplane propeller. Then fold the material over in the middle, and let it untwist (furl) onto itself. Tie down the other end of the rubber legs, If you want it to float fold a piece of foam between the twisted legs as you fold them over. Make a few wraps or super glue the foam together behind the rubber after you fold it.

[portlyjoe 0]

what about using a small thin piece of chamois? kinda like a pork rind if you know what i mean.

[Gramps50 0]

Put some floatant on the last 3/4" of the chenille tail, that will make it float around when the head is dosn

[vicrider 0]

I've been tying and hoping to try something like that but I tied a marabou on one version and rabbit fur on another and figure that would give it some extra action. I like the idea of soaking some floatant on it to lift it, I tied a couple of versions of it for tie swap and one was a copy of the fly the won a big carp contest. Doesn't look like much but supposed to look good to ring nosed trout.