Feather question

[Gator Bait]

OK...got a dumb question. I looked down in my trash basket and saw a lot of feathers...so I wondered.

Let's say you've got a bunch of hackle feathers 5" long.
The hook on the jig head is, say 3/4"...so you let the tail hang out 3/4"...that's 1 1/2".
That leaves you about 3 1/2" of feather after you cut the point off.

What can you use it for...or do you toss it?

[Shoemoo]

I was looking at some of the neck hackle I bought just the other day and thinking the same thing. I bet it you stripped the fibers off, they would make great tails for tiny bluegill jigs.

[Redman]

Use the tips and palmer the rest on the shank. I don't worry about that never did it is just cost of making jigs. If you save too much stuff you will clutter your tying bench and won't be able after awhile find any thing. It will slow down your production. So that is why I never worried about every thing that hit the trash bucket or floor.

Redman

[skiptomylu]

The way I tie tails I use that too. I am guessing you have not seen my little slide show? I even keep what is left after I cut it up like I do and save that for a different kind of tail as I always or almost always leave just a little usable barbules on the end that is left.

Skip

[Gator Bait]

The way I tie tails I use that too. I am guessing you have not seen my little slide show? I even keep what is left after I cut it up like I do and save that for a different kind of tail as I always or almost always leave just a little usable barbules on the end that is left.

Skip

What slide show????

[skiptomylu]

It's a sticky at the top of the board page. Here is a link. It is meant to show how I tie my tails and it's different than most, but some have adopted it too. Notice the little "V's" I cut the feather into and then I use two of them and one tip.
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...tying-jig.html

Skip

[Gator Bait]

So instead of useing 3 hackle feather tips for a tail, you use 2 "V"s and 1 tip (1 whole feather) for the same amount of fill?

[Crappiehappy]

If i understood Skip correctly, he uses 2 of the V's he cuts out of the leftover tipless hackle, and 1 tip.....

[skiptomylu]

I cut every feather so the tip is the right length and then I cut almost all the rest down to almost the fluffy stuff that is like marabou leaving just enough I can use that on a small jig and have some s ticking back. Some feathers you may get as many as 5 or 6 V's and I only use 2, but I have so many from doing this for years I don't necessary use the ones of that feather that the tip I used. I change for if that tip is big and fat or skinny. I will make sure to use bigger V's on skinny tips and if I have a big nice robust tip I will use one long one and one short one to give different lengths, but that is just me being picky.
I believe I get more action from my tails as there is only one stem holding it back and not 2 or 3. My jigs catch one heck of a lot of crappie so I know it works even if I am not right as to why.
Look at my site and I don't think you will find my tails look less than others and I don't think using more than one tip helps. Actually the only time I use 2 tips is if I tie a jig that has two colors in the tail and then I just use one V.

One other little thing is this is also why I like using salt water neck hackle even though it cost more. It's longer and wider on the average so I get more V's. I have sandwich bags full of V's especially one ones more popular I even have a few that I have extra full bags of just V's. I also have a lot of the part left after I cut them up and the ones that still look good I will use on other things, maybe flies or tiny jigs.

Maybe even a few other little things.

Skip

[Gator Bait]

Cool!!! Thanks Skip for the lesson. I learn things about tying most every time I read this forum. I think my grandson in Pensacola is interested and will teach him to tie soon. I've always had an interest but didn't try it till last few months.