I am on a bucktail streamer kick. I just wanted to know what was your favorite bucktail streamer for warm water?
It would be the same one I teach new tyers to tie…the Mickey Finn. Can’t begin to tell you how many fish I have caught with it over the years.
That is a personal favorite of mine too. I have caught more fish on ones with calf tail for some reason though. It is a great streamer to have in your box.
My favorite streamer is not bucktail but it sure is effective. It’s polar fiber - chartruese over olive over white with a little flash tied in along the sides. It’s a killer for LM bass and crappie when tied in smaller sizes. Also, much more durable than bucktail (IMHO)
Jim Smith
The only thing I really use bucktail for is bigger Clouser minnows… I know that’s not the type of streamer you’re looking for, though.
For a straight bucktail I agree with DaveMac but if you don’t mind adding some feathers then I find that a small deciever can be effective.
Thanks for everyone’s thoughts. I made some Deceievers a while back. I have so many flies in my boxes that I forgot to try them out. James, I got a free thing of Polar Fiber…I have not tried it yet.
Bob Popovics Hollow Fleye and Bucktail Deceiver.
Hi Kilkay,
I am with DaveMac, it was a surprise to see the first two name my favorite bucktail too, the Mickey Finn.
Regards,
Gandolf
Good deal. I love the Mickey Finn as well. It isn’t the easiest to tie, because of the separation of colors aspect. But I think it is also one of the best looking. I did a Liggett Special that had 3 layers of colors yesterday. I stacked the bucktail on my streamers though. Last night I made a Waterman’s Silver Outcast , actually two of them. But I was getting tired, and not sure they came out very good. I may post a pic of one today. I stacked them too, before Dave said they work better unstacked.
Hi Kelly,
Your Liggett Special is all you need, it is an upgrade to the Mickey Finn
All around hard to beat. For years thought it was likely an attractor streamer/bucktail but once I found the Gilt Darter it seems as if someone was matching the hatch!
I love the Thundercreek series - I figure anything that can invove esentially bucktail and a hook and acts like a minnow can be considered a bucktail “streamer” for this discusion. Otherwise the Mickey Finn and the Blacknose Dace are two classics that I like to use as well.
I tried to look up a Gilt Darter, but could not find one. Do you have a pic and recipe?
Yes, I love the Thunder Creeks as well. It has been quite a while since I tied any. I was fairly new at tying when I attempted them.
The Gilt Darter is the little Minnow I posted above. The Mick Finn is a close copy but were I tying it for a better match I’d add a bit of olive green barring via magic marker and a tuft of olive buck tail in the mix.
I probably caught more brook trout out of beavers ponds on a sparse fox squirrel streamer size 10 with an embossed gold tinsel ribbed body. It was not very fancy but it worked. The operative word is sparse. When I move out west I put very small bead chain eyes on it so the hook was inverted and it was still a killer near the inlet of lakes
Here are some other choices from a streamer fanatic: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/bucktails/
Thanks for the ideas guys…much appreciated.
Here is a bucktail Gilt Darter, I will take pictures of the featherwing streamer this weekend
GILT DARTER BUCKTAIL STREAMER
[ul]
[li]Hook: Tiem300 Size 2[/li][li]Head: Shiny Black thread laquered[/li][li]Body: Yellow floss[/li][li]Rib: flat Gold Mylar Tinsel[/li][li]Tail: Green Hackles[/li][li]Underwing Wing: Sparce yellow bucktail[/li][li]Wing: Green Krystal Flash, topped by Green Icelandic Sheep Hair, topped with Black Icelandic Sheep Hair[/li][li]Shoulders: Orange Turkey Flat tips[/li][li]Cheeks: jungle cock nails[/li][/ul]
Dave, that fly is GORGEOUS!!