Originally Posted by Hans Weilenmann
Mark,
Not all Marabou is created equal.
The marabou feathers you describe, with the stiff quill and relatively short (compared to quill length) barbs. While one can use these for tails on buggers, as described in previous posts in this thread, they are not generally recommended for use as tailing material.
Look for marabou described as Marabou blood feathers. These are much shorter feather plumes, without any noticable stems. The tips are already evene, and tying them in as the tail to this pattern is very easily accomplished, with minimal bulk at the tie-down point.
Cheers,
Hans W