Spinning Deer Hair

[BucktailJiger]

Couple questions , do you have to use the body hair only or can the tail hair be used ? Does Kevlar thread need to be used to do this . Found several youtube videos sure make it look easy , ya right , . Have been attempting this off and on all day ,feel like a beat dog ! The only deer hair I have is the tail just dont seem to be working , or maybe I just need to keep plugging away at it . Do have a large piece of cape coming from a friend . Thanks

 

[redman]

I have used the top of the tail the hair that was Hollow. as you get down it isn't hollow and is hard to use. Back when I did alot of spinning we didn't have Kevlar and used A thread. Pull it tight and keep some pressure on it. Don't feel like a beat dog you got to crawl before you can run. IF it's your first day your learning and there will be a learning curve. Don't give up it will come to you and fall in place.

In thinking back I would wrap two loops of thread roll the deer hair around the hook and start on the next wrap. The first loop was to flare the hair and the second would be tighter to hold in place so I could wrap it around the hook. To be honest it has been a few years and I would have to learn all over again myself. Fun to think back on those days and yes it was frustrating to learn back then too.

Redman

 

[papaperch]

If you would have seen me trying to learn how to use a whip finisher you would never feel like a beat dog. In fact you would have thought I wasn't as smart as a dog and thats the truth.

 

[quivira kid]

Get some deer belly hair. Spinning hair is tough enough...starting out with the wrong material will just make it worse. Bucktail doesn't flare enough to do it well, in my opinion.

 

[AtticaFish]

...I have used the top of the tail the hair that was Hollow. as you get down it isn't hollow and is hard to use....

Yes, the closer to the base of the tail has some hair that will flair/flare. I have had some B. Tails that flair half way down to the tip and others that don't flair at all - depends on each individual tail. As Quivira said... get you some belly hair if you want to really get the hair to stand out!!! Thats what is used to make the 'slider' and 'mouse' flies. There is a BIG BIG difference. The Belly fur will flair and hold alot of air in the fibers.

....In thinking back I would wrap two loops of thread roll the deer hair around the hook and start on the next wrap. The first loop was to flare the hair and the second would be tighter to hold in place so I could wrap it around the hook....

^^^ That is the way i do it as well. 2 (or so) loose wraps of thread over a clump of deer hair split over each side of the shank and then 2 wraps pulled tight to get the hair spread around the shank and flair. You have to 'pack' the hair fibers with a tool or fingers if you want a really solid body... but i seldom do that and am not very good at that step to be honest. You can get hair mice to float for a long time on light wire hooks without packing it down the shank. On jigs - they will release all those air bubbles and sink nearly normal if you give it a quick jerk. If you plan to use it to slow the fall of your jig for shallow water spawning crappie.... learn to watch you line for strikes so you don't 'jig' it at all and release any of that air.

 

[Fatman]

I gave up on it till I can find someone to give me some lessons

 

[BucktailJiger]

Found some back hair at the tail line , and tried some of that . Funny part of it , some of it popped up perfect , like it was doing in the tutorial video's I was watching and part of it didn't . The deer hair is unique to work with as I am finding out . The cape I'm getting is the belly and part of the side , so should be good to go . I will not be beat up by deer hair !!! Thanks for the help and advise gentleman .

 

[StumpHunter]

The southern deer hair will not work as it isn't long enough to spin. Hope you have a northern deer hide coming or you are going to pull your hair out.
I worked with spinning when I first started tying, my very first jig was a stacked hair jig. Wasn't the best jig to start out with but I learned a lot about tying while spinning deer hair. I made some hard body poppers for bream fishing so I have not worked with stacked hair lately.
Quint you are in deep like the rest of us Tye's! So many different materials and so little time. Try to never work with a material so long that you get mad with yourself. Lay it down and walk away, you will get it right as you have with your other tyes

 

[BucktailJiger]

Deer here are huge . Doe can weigh 100 plus lbs and bucks even more . Here is a tail off one from last weekend .

 

[Fatman]

Is that tail boned out???? I've never used a tail in just over a week after getting it. De-boned, washed, combed out and then tacked out with Borax over it.

Gotta be careful with fresh materials so you don't contaminate all your other stuff.

 

[BucktailJiger]

Is that tail boned out???? I've never used a tail in just over a week after getting it. De-boned, washed, combed out and then tacked out with Borax over it.

Gotta be careful with fresh materials so you don't contaminate all your other stuff.

Boned - scraped - combed - washed - salted - scraped - salted going back on the board just wanted to picture it .

 

[Fatman]

Just didn't want to see you get any infestations