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Everyone that ties regularly knows how to use buck tail , and prepare it properly. However those that are new into fly tying might not know the simple but crucial steps in preparing buck tail before tying it in. I make these tips and tricks type of video's for beginners, so keep that in mind when watching it. The video is under a minute long, so it won't take too much out of your day. haha

https://youtu.be/glU67iVvkc0

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a decent video but misses a lot of information

 

its not only about clip, strip and snip

 

from the internet

 

The Fibers

 

The common denominator of bucktail hair is its inherent taper. Individual hairs are thicker at the base and finer at the tips. This natural taper allows the bucktail to pulsate or move enticingly through the water. This trait has yet to be successfully copied with any synthetics, so bucktail flies provide impressive action that is still hard to outdo or imitate.

 

Length of hair fibers is probably the easiest attribute to assess at a glance. Long, short, or somewhere in between - there are many different lengths from tail to tail. Most common is 2 to 5 inches, but occasionally you can find tails with 6- or 7-inch hairs, and they are coveted. Normally, a range of lengths can be found on the same tail, with the longest hairs at the base and shorter ones toward the tip. The range on a given tail will not be significant for any one length, so the tier must have an inventory of multiple tails to cover more tying situations. This may seem trivial, but I often see tiers try to tie short imitations with the tips from long fibers. The fly always loses its demeanor in the end. If you want shorter flies, you must use shorthaired bucktail or the fly will suffer.

 

The next aspect of a bucktail to consider is the conformation of the hairs. Some tails possess ramrod straight hairs that make them ideal for very slender bait imitations such as sand eels. In contrast, fuller flies, like pilchard or bunker-style patterns, are more easily achieved with wavy hairs because the kinks create more space between the fibers. The wavy materials are also preferred for use in collars for Deceivers because they give the needed dimension and bulk that contribute to the fly's famous action and visual appeal.

 

Texture is also important. Softer fibers are more desirable because they're easier to work with and yield results that are far more appealing. Coarse hairs are simply harder and more frustrating to control and usually create unsightly flies that defy description. Dividing the tail into three equal sections from top to bottom, the finest and softest hairs are at the top, longer but soft hairs occur in the middle, while the longest but most unruly fibers grow at the base. Some tails may have a section of extremely coarse bucktail right at the very bottom. These hairs will readily flare when tied tightly or spun and compacted for shaping with scissors, and that's not always bad.

 

Maximizing the Tail

 

Outside of choosing the right bucktail for the job, proper handling is most important. Since I use them for my Hollow Fleyes, Bucktail Deceivers and Jiggies, I need to maximize the use of all the hairs on every tail. From the longest fibers near the bottom to the softer ones at the tip, a bucktail can be used until there is virtually nothing left. The bucktail, once deboned, produces the longest hairs directly opposite the brown ones in the middle. The short hairs lie between the longest hairs and the brown ones. About three to four different lengths of hair make up the entire tail, but the shortest and softest hairs will always lie adjacent to the brown ones. They can all be useful for tying if handled properly.

 

Dealing with and saving the so-called short hairs is one key. Commonly, the short hairs get preened away from the longer ones after the bundle of hair is cut. I recommend that you preen them while they are still attached to the tail. Instead of grasping the chosen hairs at their base, grab their tips, pull the fibers straight up, and slide away as many of the short hairs as possible from the long ones. Cut away the long hairs for use in the fly, leaving the short hairs for use in other flies, thus maximizing yield.

 

Select the hairs immediately adjacent to the brown ones for shorthair collars on Deceivers or flies that need volume. These fibers are usually wavy and soft, and the count runs high providing a fuller buildup along the hook shank. As in most tails, however, these fibers exist in varying amounts - some tails have them, while others do not. At the base of the bucktail, there are often some coarse hairs that are good for spinning. I also use them to build density in the collar of my Hollow Fleyes or for soft-spun heads. A judicious tier can even make use of the brown hairs in various smaller flies.

 

Lastly, it is important to note that bucktail is not fully appreciated for its usefulness. Its action goes mostly unheralded while fly-fishermen sing the praises of feathers and rabbit fur. I prefer to think of all those bucktail tips moving in the water currents with every strip. All the action lies in those tips, so the more tips the greater the action. Even sparse flies obtain greater action as the water swims through the hairs. The action of bucktail is subtle, natural and never overstated. When it comes to the best material for fly tying, make mine bucktail.

 

more info

 

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a decent video but misses a lot of information

 

its not only about clip, strip and snip

 

from the internet

 

The Fibers

 

The common denominator of bucktail hair is its inherent taper. Individual hairs are thicker at the base and finer at the tips. This natural taper allows the bucktail to pulsate or move enticingly through the water. This trait has yet to be successfully copied with any synthetics, so bucktail flies provide impressive action that is still hard to outdo or imitate.

 

Length of hair fibers is probably the easiest attribute to assess at a glance. Long, short, or somewhere in between - there are many different lengths from tail to tail. Most common is 2 to 5 inches, but occasionally you can find tails with 6- or 7-inch hairs, and they are coveted. Normally, a range of lengths can be found on the same tail, with the longest hairs at the base and shorter ones toward the tip. The range on a given tail will not be significant for any one length, so the tier must have an inventory of multiple tails to cover more tying situations. This may seem trivial, but I often see tiers try to tie short imitations with the tips from long fibers. The fly always loses its demeanor in the end. If you want shorter flies, you must use shorthaired bucktail or the fly will suffer.

 

The next aspect of a bucktail to consider is the conformation of the hairs. Some tails possess ramrod straight hairs that make them ideal for very slender bait imitations such as sand eels. In contrast, fuller flies, like pilchard or bunker-style patterns, are more easily achieved with wavy hairs because the kinks create more space between the fibers. The wavy materials are also preferred for use in collars for Deceivers because they give the needed dimension and bulk that contribute to the fly's famous action and visual appeal.

 

Texture is also important. Softer fibers are more desirable because they're easier to work with and yield results that are far more appealing. Coarse hairs are simply harder and more frustrating to control and usually create unsightly flies that defy description. Dividing the tail into three equal sections from top to bottom, the finest and softest hairs are at the top, longer but soft hairs occur in the middle, while the longest but most unruly fibers grow at the base. Some tails may have a section of extremely coarse bucktail right at the very bottom. These hairs will readily flare when tied tightly or spun and compacted for shaping with scissors, and that's not always bad.

 

Maximizing the Tail

 

Outside of choosing the right bucktail for the job, proper handling is most important. Since I use them for my Hollow Fleyes, Bucktail Deceivers and Jiggies, I need to maximize the use of all the hairs on every tail. From the longest fibers near the bottom to the softer ones at the tip, a bucktail can be used until there is virtually nothing left. The bucktail, once deboned, produces the longest hairs directly opposite the brown ones in the middle. The short hairs lie between the longest hairs and the brown ones. About three to four different lengths of hair make up the entire tail, but the shortest and softest hairs will always lie adjacent to the brown ones. They can all be useful for tying if handled properly.

 

Dealing with and saving the so-called short hairs is one key. Commonly, the short hairs get preened away from the longer ones after the bundle of hair is cut. I recommend that you preen them while they are still attached to the tail. Instead of grasping the chosen hairs at their base, grab their tips, pull the fibers straight up, and slide away as many of the short hairs as possible from the long ones. Cut away the long hairs for use in the fly, leaving the short hairs for use in other flies, thus maximizing yield.

 

Select the hairs immediately adjacent to the brown ones for shorthair collars on Deceivers or flies that need volume. These fibers are usually wavy and soft, and the count runs high providing a fuller buildup along the hook shank. As in most tails, however, these fibers exist in varying amounts - some tails have them, while others do not. At the base of the bucktail, there are often some coarse hairs that are good for spinning. I also use them to build density in the collar of my Hollow Fleyes or for soft-spun heads. A judicious tier can even make use of the brown hairs in various smaller flies.

 

Lastly, it is important to note that bucktail is not fully appreciated for its usefulness. Its action goes mostly unheralded while fly-fishermen sing the praises of feathers and rabbit fur. I prefer to think of all those bucktail tips moving in the water currents with every strip. All the action lies in those tips, so the more tips the greater the action. Even sparse flies obtain greater action as the water swims through the hairs. The action of bucktail is subtle, natural and never overstated. When it comes to the best material for fly tying, make mine bucktail.

 

more info

 

Ok, first off, the length of your post is the reason I didn't add all that to my video, it would have been 10 minutes long. 2nd, the video was about "preparing" bucktail. Not selecting bucktail. The video's intention was not to give every bit of info imaginable about bucktail. Only to show a beginner how to prepair it when using it.

 

Thank you for demonstrating your knowledge in the subject of bucktail.

 

Btw, you didn't have to tell me this twice. I saw you posted the exact thing in multiple places I put the video... One time of telling me would be enough.

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i will respond on any forum and as many times that i want to respond. you will not change that

 

you have more or less been combative to just about anybody who has offered you an idea, a critique, a thought, a recommendation and you always have an excuse about time, length of video, equipment etc

 

the information i provided may not have been up to your your tying level but it sure can be of help to anybody new to fly tying

 

good luck on your future videos

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Looks like a good video to me. It was clear, concise and informative, especially considering its length. Keep them coming.

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i will respond on any forum and as many times that i want to respond. you will not change that

 

you have more or less been combative to just about anybody who has offered you an idea, a critique, a thought, a recommendation and you always have an excuse about time, length of video, equipment etc

 

the information i provided may not have been up to your your tying level but it sure can be of help to anybody new to fly tying

 

good luck on your future videos

Well I guess two can play the game of copy and paste comments from other posts... here is what I said to you on the other post...

 

I'm not being combative... You come give me advice, and I'm giving you advice back. You can post where ever you want sure, I'm only saying you don't have to... And when someone posts a video on multiple blogs, and you go on multiple blogs to tell them how their video is lacking, in the same exact way, it comes off rude. I was only saying that to you as advice. Take it or leave it, just like I can take or leave your advice. I appreciate all true advice, but I don't appreciate people coming in and being a "know it all" and talking down to others. If you read my description I had explained why I made the video simple and short. I said it was for beginners, and only about "preparing" bucktail.

It's like if you made a video on tying a "black zebra midge with a bead head", and I said "hey you didn't explain that you can tie them in red, or olive. Also you should have told us about the different types of thread you can tie it in and how Danville thread differs from uni-thread. And I know that during the earlier months of the year it's best to tie them without a bead head because the trout are higher in the water column, you should have explained that. And sometimes it's better to use a WD40 instead of a subra midge. this video is better, you should make one like this". Then I post a video on someone from Danville talking about how good the thread they use is comparably to all other... I think I would come off a bit rude, don't you think? Possibly a bit of a know it all? And just maybe seeming like I didn't give you any useful advice? And like I'm trying to help promote Danville? Haha.

 

You once told me to keep my videos short. Now you write a full essay on bucktail and tell me I don't have enough info in my videos. I'm just saying, it's one or the other. Either I make 10+ minute videos and give all info, or the video might not have all info in it, and it stays short.

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Hey man it's what you take from a comment ......if you see the negatives then that's what you will take from it and vice versa.

How about the positive side ....The guy said it was a decent video.... with room for improvement ....isn't that what you been asking for since joining this site? Constructive critique.

That's how I read it ....but then again everything is open to ones own interpretation.

Enough said .

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Hey man it's what you take from a comment ......if you see the negatives then that's what you will take from it and vice versa.

How about the positive side ....The guy said it was a decent video.... with room for improvement ....isn't that what you been asking for since joining this site? Constructive critique.

That's how I read it ....but then again everything is open to ones own interpretation.

Enough said .

Yeah I hear ya... I guess maybe I could have taken it the wrong way. I am in the middle of passing a kidney stone right now, so maybe I am a bit more on edge. But, as you said before in one post. You made one video, and the critics went nuts, and you decided not to do it again. I just really didn't find his "critique" constructive. It did seem a bit like a know it all type of post. In fact a few people private messaged me saying the same thing before I commented back. Saying they had the same issue with that guy a few times. So while I probably took it a little too harsh, I think I'm probably within reason thinking that his reply was not intended to be a helpful critique, but more of a negative statement. However after I pass this stupid kidney stone (worst pain I've ever been in) I am going to come back and re-read this post again. I might owe him an apology after re-reading with a normal brain. One thats not on pain killers and mass amounts of pain. HAHA

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You know what I used to like about this forum, the fact that people were positive and shared ideas in a respectful manner.

 

That's all I have to say about that!

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You know what I used to like about this forum, the fact that people were positive and shared ideas in a respectful manner.

 

That's all I have to say about that!

I apologize if I seemed disrespectful. please forgive, if this was directed at me. Everyone thinks they are in the right, but maybe I'm the one wrong here. Sorry to all if I took the previous statements by that guy incorrectly, and wrongly.

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