Deer Hair Challenge. Black tips v non-black tips

[Allan]

Byron,

It seems we are conflicted in our definition of 'comparadun' and also in the rationale we both may have been given for the use of coastal deer hair. Now I say this in a good way. First, I consider a comparadun as what you've tyed but with either hackle fiber, microfibbet, or similar singular hair type tails. I view your tye, with a tail(shuck) made of zelon, antron, hi vis, etc. as a 'sparkledun', per Craig Mathews. Here's a way I consider viable in determining what a fly pattern is or how to quickly identify what it looks like (of course this method assumes the person hearing the information is familiar with various flies).
You're on the water and your friend is about 75 yards away and he's getting hit after hit while you're getting stymied. You yell out to your friend, nicely of course, "What are you using?" He yells back, truthfully you hope, "I've got on a size 14 olive comparadun". That information alone allows you to go to your fly box and pull out the same fly pattern that your friend means. Now, if after he said that, you switched and continued to get stymied while he continued to pick up fish you may wade over to look at his fly and see if you matched his description. If you see a 'zelon shuck' in the tail position, you now know he meant an olive sparkledun. For whatever reason, the fish are keying in on that specific pattern style with the shuck and not the comparadun with the 2 tail fibers you've attached to your tippet.
Now, as to the black tip vs. no black tip - I have no idea if one works(and even the word 'works' needs to be defined) better than the other. I believe the non-black tipped hair has a shorter taper whereas the hair with the black tip has a longer taper. Again, which is better I can only guess, although IMHO the non-tipped hair handles more easily. I have a feeling that deer from the same location that have been killed at different times of the year have different hair textures and characteristics.
I won't (can't) post photo of comparadun but PM me your snail mail and I'll send you a small piece of coastal deer. You can tye a nd post side by side.

Allan