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bigsky2

Wiggle Tails - Pike Flies

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Does anyone know where you can get wiggle tails in the US? I can only seem to find them on European websites and would prefer to not have to buy them from overseas.

 

Also, does anyone have any experience with them? I think they would be deadly when used with a tube fly rig.

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I bought them directly from Paolo about three months ago, at that time there were no US distributors. Shipping was very quick, I think I had them in a week after placing the order. I used my AMEX card for PayPal and there was a small surcharge for overseas exchange.

They are a sick addition to tube flies and have some great looking action in the water. I bought some different sizes and colors but I think the best size is the Jumbo Slim in gold and silver. I also purchased the snap clips for both the tails and hooks, but you could probably improvise something else to use. I just figured that it would be easier to use what he had.

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And I live in perpetual (amazement) how flytire can google things I can never find...

 

Anyway, you're again bridging carefully the gap between fly and lure and flure. I know a few fly only sections that SPECIFICALLY mention no rubber. Fur and feathers only. Also, if you did use the bass and panfish market ones (which I do), you again are treading on troubled waters since even if the specifics don't rule out rubber items they almost always rule out scented item, and everything in the market carries their "special" scents. I used to buy Culprit unscented worms years ago and keep them in baggies with garlic salt or coffee grounds and other assorted things thru the winter. Garlic definitely would outfish everything I tried.

 

Don't mistake me for a preaching purist since I've probably caught more fish on worms, leeches, minnows, and spawn bags than most ever will. I haven't fished anything alive for many many years now but don't look down on a person fishing what works, and the wiggle tails do for me, and some of mine have little props in front of them to boot. Never in the "hallowed waters" though.

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I'm going on a fly in trip to Manitoba, so I'm not worried about bridging the gap between fly and lure, as long as I'm catching fish haha. Plastic grubs would be a lot cheaper but would probably only be good for about one fish before they were bit off. The wiggle tails I am talking about are very durable. Thanks FIN-ITE 34, I'll probably just end up buying them directly from him like you did.

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I believe at least some of these new tails are not made of rubber...I recollect the ones FIN was talking about are made of a much tougher material. They also are pretty big and can be modified by trimming, punching holes, etc. They also appear to have better action than rubber. They seem to need to be set back pretty far from the tailing so the tail doesn't interfere with the action. FIN let us know how they work, or if they dry out and get stiff...that kind of thing. Cheers, Ed

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They are available (or similar) from Amazon, Anglers Workshop, Wapsi, Spirit River, Bearsden, etc. They are sometimes called "curly tails" or" fly tails".

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Heavynets- they are similar in shape but the material is totally different.

 

Goose- up to this point, I have not had any drying out or change in the flexibility or change in the "glitter" or shine of the tails after a couple of months use. I did catch one pike of a little over 30" and missed a few others on a mostly black body tube fly with a gold jumbo slim tail with the holes.

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I picked up something similar at the Somerset, NJ Fly Fishing show back in January. One pack was "Curly Tails" the other "Worm Tails put out by Eastern Trophies Fly Fishing. As usual, I tied up a couple of flies then forgot I had the stuff until this thread came up. Here are the two I tied.

 

The Crease Fly is tied with the "Curly Tail"

post-309-0-14210700-1450219598_thumb.jpg

 

The Calcasieu Pig Boat is tied with the "Worm Tail"

post-309-0-14694200-1450219561_thumb.jpg

 

Always did have luck with the curly tail grubs. A lot of new stuff shows up at the January Somerset show maybe the Wiggle Tails will show up. Just playing with the ones I have they do have a bit of stretch to them. Might wet one twist it and see if I can get a cork screw shape to it.

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