Maribou vs. bucktail

[no1son]

Decades ago a local farmer we fished with got his white hair from the mane on his farm collie. Softer than bucktail more like kip, but tending to be longer. A Scotch collie has a real nice mane for that. That worked real well as long as we were trolling spinners and streamers tipped with minnows, although most of the streamers we used were bucktail that we bought. The guy who made them told us that he used a thinner amount of bucktail for his own use, but a thicker amount sold better, so that is what he put on what he offered in his shop. IIRC the whole spinner. streamer set up was a buck and a half which was a pretty good bite back then in the 50's and 60's.

When we switched to jigs they were mostly bucktail or marabou. Back then none of us had a fly vise. You put a vise grip in the shop vice to hold the hook.

Looks like you trimmed some of the bucktail to length after tying it on the hook. If so, IMO that gives a bit too much of a flat end and loses the tip softness. I like a little softer and more variable end so that it waves easier. Like other posters here I prefer the tips to be intact.

[Tracker12]

One comment you will see is that the jig was all tore up and seemed the worse it got the more I got. The was a sign! Don't overload your jigs with to much hair. Keep it light and let it be more translucient.

[skiptomylu]

I too like Southern buck tails if I tie a buck tail jig. I got a lot of natural ones sometime ago and they are so much easier to tie and even make me want to try them so I just bought a lot of them in good colors to use!

[no1son]

One comment you will see is that the jig was all tore up and seemed the worse it got the more I got. The was a sign! Don't overload your jigs with to much hair. Keep it light and let it be more translucient.

A lot of times that goes for plastic tails, too. I have seen it often enough when there is an active bite that a tube continues to catch as it gets more and more roughed up and continues to be hot as long as there are any legs, but when you switch out to a shiny new tube of the same color and pattern, the bite slacks off. I have also seen it where to get any bite you have to remove some of the legs from the tubes. I have also seen it the reverse, but generally less is more.

[Fatman]

As the rest have said bucktail in the cold weather works, but I'd still tie both!!!

[Shallow Runner]

Great info guys I am new to tying as well and was going to ask the same question.


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