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
I agree that not all marabou is created equally. I strictly use bloods for all flies calling for marabou tails, and I inspect the packages before I buy them. If you make the mistake of buying marabou from craft stores, you'll quickly learn that they have the absolute lowest quality feathers, and the most mismatched, hodge-podge of junk I have ever seen (this is my experience only, you may have better luck, but I doubt it). This is another of those items best purchased in fly shops where you can inspect it before purchasing it.
Joe
Joe Valencic
Life Member FFF
Rod Builder in Chains