Bucktail alternative

Those of you who tie and use the Clouser minnow; what alternative materials do you use instead of the traditional bucktail? On their Bass tape, Lefty and Bob suggest using a “translucent” material for more action and flash, but don’t say what that material is.
Any ideas?

Jim

Jim i have used yack hair when i want a larger pattern. Chuck

Hi Jim;

I they’re using polar fiber, at least that’s what Bob uses in his book. An inexpensive alternative would be “Congo hair” available from Fly tiers Dungeon. Any of the synthetic baitfish materials would work, they just give you a different effect depending on amount used and “bulkiness” of the particular material.

Wayneb

Jim:

I like and use Thompson’s Ultra Hair.

It comes in great translucent colors and it is kinky and somewhat stiff so it stands out almost as good as bucktail. It also has a nice action and look in the water.

The only negative to using synthetic fibers is losing the raggedness of the fiber ends that you have with natural hair. I remedy this by using a pair of barber’s thinning shears on the ends of the fibers to get that uneven look. BTW - coarse thinning shears seem to work better than the fine ones they sell for fly tying. I got my thinning shears at Wal Mart.

For small streamers you may want to try Possum guard hairs. The length of the hair is cream and has a short black tip. The hair itself is soft and transluscent. Usually very inexpensive if you can find a source.

Dub

You could use the REALLY GOOD craft hair that Punisher Lures use on their Float-n-Fly. Just go to Punishers site and if you want lot’s of colors they have a pack for $30-35 dollars that has all of them in one pack. Really nice to tie with too.

Fatman

Hi Jim

I really like Polar Fibre or craft fur for my Clousers. It’s easy to tie and has great action in the water. As an added bonus, you can save your trimmings from the wings, pop them in a coffee grinder and have a great dubbing material. There are also lots of other types of material like Ice Fur Polar Dubbing, Iceabou, Mirror Image, Super Hair and probably 20-30 other synthetics that make great Clouser. The sky and your pocketbook are the limit. 8T :slight_smile:

I use guard hair from squirrel, fox and coyote.

I tie some long surf flies from halloween wigs that I pick up at discount sales after the holiday
This year I got myself a nice glow-in-the-dark white one that That I’m looking forward to trying
:stuck_out_tongue:

I haven’t used it, but some of the really good fly tier’s / fishermen I’ve watched at demos do - EP fiber. Looks like it is very easy to work with, just about any length and color you could want ?? My recollection is that it seemed a bit pricey when I looked at it at the fly shop after the demo, but I really don’t have a point of reference on that.

Try this link -

http://www.flytyingforum.com/materialEP_Fiber.html

John

That largely depends on what I am going to use the fly for. There are hundreds of materials one may use. On many smaller Clouser minnows I like to use arctic fox. I also use a fair number of variations on the Clouser minnow, because it is such a versatile basic dressing.

The texture and mobility of various fur varies widely, and can be suited to specific actions, or fly sizes. Bucktail is not really very good on smaller flies, as it is then relatively stiff and immobile, although of course bucktail also varies in texture.

I even use ordinary wool on some flies. A few Clouser variations ( although some may seem only vaguely related they are all based on the Clouser principle);

This is goat hair with a Waggle-tail of polypropylene cord, and a “belly” of crystal chennille

This is a woolly bugger style Clouser with a waggle tail and chenille body

This is just a waggle tail of polypropylene cord with “gills”, and no other embellishments. It may not seem much like a Clouser minnow, but in fact the design is very similar.

This is just ordinary wool;

TL
MC

This is bucktail and white goathair

This is squirrel and Arctic fox tail;

This is just mohair wool again; ( It is tied in as strands of wool, ribbed with the wire, and then brushed out with velcro to give the effect).

the possibilities are more or less limitless.

I also have a range of the “standard” Clouser deep minnow dressings in various sizes and colours. All these flies have different actions and applications, depending on the materials used, and the dressing variations.

I’ve played with lots of ‘alternative’ materials for Clousers. Craft furs, EP fibers, Superhair, Yak, squirell tail (smaller flies), wig fibers (like the chartruese halloween wigs), even some really long rabbit hair from an acquaintenance’s dead show bunny.

Bucktail is hard to beat.

Cheap.

Looks right in the water. Stiff enough without being too stiff. Some of the more ‘limp’ fibers may move more but tend to fold up as the fly drops…if the fibers are too stiff, it drops like a stick…and it’s how the fly ‘falls’ that makes it so effective.

Comes in lots of colors.

Fish like it.

I can tie a 7 inch long Clouser with ‘premium bucktail’. That’s as long as I’ll ever need.

Good Luck!

Buddy

If you can get it legally, which is not a problem in Canada, try polar bear. If you can find some legal sources try that out. But be cautious of the legality of it.

Phil

Thanks for all the replies, guys; now I have a good idea of availability, and some food for thought about even switching.

Jim

Hi Mike-Connor;

Interesting flies with the poly rope tails, is that a foam paddle tail on end?

what’s the action of the fly/tail like?

Wayneb

Jim:

Try giving Bob a call over at the shop 717-944-6541 and ask him directly.

I’m sure what ever he and Lefty like is for sale there too!

wayneb,

"is that a foam paddle tail on end? "

I could be wrong, but, I would say that the tail was formed by heating the poly and when still hot, smashing it with pliers or something. Much like heating the end of a poly rope to keep it from coming apart.

That’s what it looked like to me and what I plan to try when I get home.

Bear in mind that I could be wrong because I am usually more wrong than right!!:smiley:

No, the paddle is formed by melting the polypropylene cord. It is very very strong, and practically indestructible in use, I like my flies to last a long time :slight_smile:

Here?s how it?s done;

I designed quite a number of these cord flies using polypropylene and nylon ( polyamid) cords for different properties and actions ( Polypropylene floats and is intrinsically waterproof, nylon sinks, and also absorbs water).The waggle tail is formed by melting, folding, and flattening the soft braided cord, this time a nice green coloured cord which approximates very well to the colour of a sand eel.

These photos show detail of the “waggle tail” shovel.

Use a piece of metal or similar as a base, and a knife or whatever to flatten and shape the shovel tail, as you will otherwise burn your fingers! The butane gas lighter ( or other clear flame)should be held some way away from the cord and the cord should be rotated while heating. The cord will be seen to clear and soften. Once flattened in this state it is welded together into a solid but still flexible piece of plastic. The rest of the soft braid remains flexible of course.

In the meantime I use an electric hair crimper ( ladies beauty equipment) similar to these;

http://www.hktdc.com/sourcing/product_searchresult.htm?locale=en&bookmark=true&query=hair+crimper

for melting the cord. I picked the one I have up in a discount store for five Euros ( about ten dollars maybe?), but this is only worth it if you intend making quite a few such flies.

One can form lots of things like crab claws, frogs legs ( with paddles), shrimp tails, etc etc in the appropriate colour and size of cord. One may also use a hot air gun or similar. One may also weld various pieces ( of the same material) together if desired. Note that various types of cords soften or melt at various temperatures. Polypropylene is the easiest to work with, and I use it on a lot of my flies.

The action of the paddle makes the fly “wriggle” at various speeds, depending on the size of the paddle, the angle, the length of the tail, and the speed of retrieve ( or the speed of the current). There are other actions one can obtain with various paddle forms. All the flies I have designed up to now using this cord have been very effective, and this is largely due to the “independent” intrinsic action, which is just not possible with simple fur and feather.

TL
MC

Quite a few people asked about this after seeing one or two of my other patterns using various materials. The waggle tails may be used on many flies to improve the action. This fly has been a great success especially for trout which feed on bullheads etc. as it mimics the action almost perfectly.I have also used some similar flies for various things with great success.

It is once again quite simple. Make up your waggle tail in the appropriate size and colour, by melting, folding and flattening the tail. I have used a 4mm brown soft braided polypropylene cord here ( this is often sold as macrame cord and similar in handcraft stores and similar). To test if it?s polypropylene, just place it in water. If it floats, and also surfaces again after being sunk,it is polypropylene. If it sinks, or stays sunk after being pushed under water, it is something else, probably nylon. (Note that there are other materials in use as cord which wont melt properly either, so try a small piece first).

For floating /buoyant patterns use polypropylene cord. This floats well and is intrinsically buoyant and waterproof. For sinking patterns use polyester ( Nylon, Polyamid) cord. Both can be heated and manipulated easily to form the shovel tail which causes the ?waggle? motion. You will need to experiment a little to find the action you require for a particular pattern, and then simply reproduce it as desired. For a number of patterns which sink I use the buoyant polypropylene anyway, because of the extra action. One needs more weight to overcome the buoyancy on such patterns of course.

Cut to length and fray the other end of the cord. Attach the tail to your hook of choice by binding in the frayed end, here I have used a Gamakatsu LS-5213N. Size 1. Tie in firmly,and then merely complete your choice of Woolly bugger variation!

I have used a dark olive green chenille, a cheap cree hackle, and a copper rib here, but of course the combinations are endless!

The bead chain eyes are tied in last here. So make sure you leave enough room at the eye to do so!

You may of course use dumbbells, or even lead under the body, But the front weight combined with the waggle tail gives this fly a most amazingly lifelike action. In my test tank, it is hard to tell it is not a real fish! If you want to try it, just attach it to a piece of line and pull it through some water in your bath!

TL
MC