Jimi, Looks like you are eithr going to have to give up some of your larger sized dry fly hackle or else look for a tailing substitute. Take a look at your material inventory to see what you have in black (or a dark color) and thin stiff fibers. You don't have to limit to feathers though. Take a look at moose mane (or body), horse hair, or even fine fibered deer hair that you can hit with a permanent black marker. Hope that helped a bit.
Dave Wilson http://www.wilsonsworld.org -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Desert Eagle Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 7:11 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [VFB] Tail Problem ? Evening folks, Seams kind of quiet and thought I would toss out a problem I am having and see if anyone can give me a fix for it. I am working on my "Black Gnats" and have a problem. The recipe calls of "Black Hackle Barbules" for the tail. Now I assume they are referring to just pulling some of the side off a black hackle and using it. What I have tried, ( "Not" getting into the few actual dry fly hackles I have), is not at all satisfactory. Even on a #14 dry fly hook the finished product collapses the tail and just "Mush's" it out. It will not stand straight. I do have "some" pheasant hackle that is soft but at least it is a "Bit" stiffer than this other stuff. Problem is, it isn't black and still not as stiff as I would like. I have gotten up to 12 segments, ( 16 on one), rope dubbing the body on a # 14, dry fly hook and the hackle actually looks very good. "But" the tail ruins the whole appearance. Dose anyone have a suggestion as to how to maybe stiffen up the hackle, or something else I can do to make these look as good as the rest of the fly, or something else I can use ? I thought of Biot but don't have any black in that either. I want these to be the best I have done yet, ( Except for my "Prize" winning flies for the Rope Dub Swap). Any suggestions or help would be appreciated. Working smaller and smaller, Jimi
