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Posts: 388
| Flash:
I'm used to fly tying where a bundle of flashabout lasts foreer. When making a bucktail, a bundle barely gets one tail done! This is the most expensive component! has anyone found a bulk source for flash? Best price I have found so far is Anlger's warehouse with price between $3.30 and $3.75 per bundle depending on type.
Blades:
There are 0.040" blades and 0.025" blades. Not sure how much difference it makes but there seems to be more color and finish type options with the thinner blade. Any thoughts on what kind of durability or vibration difference exists with the 0.040 blades?
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Posts: 97
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan | not much difference between the blades; the .040 probably has a little harder pull than the .025. As for flashabou I buy mine from stamina for 3.49. One 100 straind package makes one good skirt. Again for the blades there isnt much difference; i used to use the .040 but am switching to the .025 due to more colors. |
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Posts: 2378
| .040 blades will spin closer to the shaft and pull easier. Great for when extra speed!
.025 blades spin further from the shaft and pull harder...meaning more thump.
Both blades have their time and place |
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Posts: 388
| After doing more digging, found holographic flashabou for $2.84 a pack at Thornes Manufacturing and Sales. Best I have found so far.
Thanks for the info on blades. |
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| I just found some through a flyfishing supplier at $1.00 for a 10" bundle. It looks like pretty thick bundles, probably enough for one bucktail? I won't know for sure until it comes in the mail, tho. You might try some places like that.
They also something called "Fire Fly Tye" flashabou?
How does that stuff look in the water? It was a little more expensive.
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Posts: 162
Location: Bemidji, MN | I like the fire fly tye, it is pretty much the same as the stuff used on the inhaler bucktails. I haven't tried it on a really huge bait yet though. |
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Posts: 2024
| Fly Tie,
Care to share that supplier with us? |
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| my buddy (big gun) and i have decided to play around making up some bucktails to while away the hours this winter...plus it's cost effective compared to buying them at retail of like $25 a piece.
we ordered a couple hundred bucks of supplies from Moore's, but before diving in with the "real" stuff (more expensive) and the big blades i've been practicing by using old wire, blades, and beads off of bucktails that were beat up or i didn't use, etc.
i've just been using plastic quick-ties on the skirt material...will that hold up ok once they're in the water?
we're calling them "Bell Ringers", using clapper bells for a different sound than most of the big double-10 bucktails that're flying through the water.
thoughts?
(of course, i HAD to make a Green and Gold one!)
-m
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Posts: 457
| Wire ties might work, though I would think you are going to lose material faster than with thread wraps. The successive compression of thread wraps is what keeps things on the shank/shaft.
I like the KrystalFlash, I use a lot of it myself. Firefly works alright, its thinner than saltwater flashabou. My preferred flash is that which Spirit River sells and manufactures. http://www.spiritriverflies.com/materials/flash_products.php
Its thicker and wider than Hedrons.
I also like some of the mylar/filament wrapped holo-flash products that are available. |
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Posts: 388
| Found an unbelievable deal on flashabou last night in the Christmas section at WalMart. They sell tinsel called 500 CT ICICLE which is saltwater cut holographic flashabout in bulk form. The package contains 500 strands that are 18" long. The silver, gold, and pearl are just as you would buy from any other source for a fraction of the cost. The colored strands unfortunately are a different color on each side and you wil find combinations of fushia, green, red, gold, and blue. Some of the strips are the same color on each side but you will have to do some sorting of the material by separating the colors which are organized in bands. Each package costs $1.50. Merry Christmas! |
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Posts: 457
| You will also find that that particular material isn't what you are looking for with use in water. Most tinsels like that are very lightly surface coated, and they lose the color rapidly, almost as if it just washes off.
(If it is the same stuff I tried a year or two ago for some salt flies, you are going to regret it if you bought a bunch.) |
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Posts: 388
| Hope not! By visual appearance it seems to be a perfect match to flashabou only a slightly mor course cut to the strands. The holographic pattern is identcal. I'll soak some in water overnight and see how it holds up.
Thanks |
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Posts: 457
| Please do, and let me know. If it works, I'll snag up a bunch myself. |
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Posts: 388
| Soaked the stuff in water overnight and also cast a few into some open water (in a section of river that does not freeze below a local power dam) to see how well the stuff holds up and can't find any isseues with it. Looks like the real deal. Also it is now marked down to $0.70 per bundle so you don't have much to loose if you don't like it. I attached a photo of some bucktails that I tied with it over the holiday weekend.
Edited by Pete Yake 12/26/2007 5:34 PM
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Posts: 238
| Pete,
Nice looking tails... I love the way you think, too. I might need to run over to Walmart tomorrow to see if there's any of this stuff left. Thx for sharing the pics and the info.
D2bucktail |
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| i'm heading to Wal-Mart tonight for sure...hopefully there's some left. should be, since i live in a smallish town.
i tried the KrystalFlash out first since it's cheaper to learn on than the Flashabou. little different look, i'm curious to see how it runs.
i got excited today when i found Flashabou for 30% at the local Gander Mtn that's closing...but there was only 1 pack (gold) left as everything else was cleaned out. oh well, maybe Wal-Mart will still have some...
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| nice pete very nice |
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| Wal-Mart had some left, so i picked up 10 bucks worth to see what it was like.
thanks for the tip!
it's definitely cut different than the Hedron brand stuff i picked up at Gander.
each strip is probably 3x-4x wider. when you shake it in the air, the Hedron flows more smoothly, probably because of the big difference in size. the Wal-Mart stuff still has a nice action, but not as "silky" as the thinner Hedron stuff.
of course, the thicker Wal-Mart kind actually looks more similar to what is used on the ubiquitous Cowgirls...the Hedron stuff i got seems very thin?
i'm purely guessing, but in the water i would imagine the Wal-Mart stuff will offer a bit more resistance and "puff" a bit less behind the blades???
frankly, i don't think the fish will care much at all (it offers a flowing profile behind the thumping blades either way), and if the Wal-Mart kind holds it's color, the cost savings is well worth it. i got 15 packs of 500 pieces each 18" long material for $11. they had gold, silver, multi-color, and pearlescent. for comparison, the single pack of gold Hedron from Gndr Mtn is normally over $3.
the rest of my bucktail components will be here any day so it should be fun to start building some "toys"...
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| wow nice stuff |
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| how long of pieces of flashabou do you like to use on XX bucktails?
that Wal-Mart tinsel stuff is 18" long, so obviously i need to cut it shorter?
do you generally tie it half-way, or like to have one end shorter than the other above/below the tie? if so, which end do you leave longer?
(i know, i know...experiment! just wondering what others prefer?) |
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Posts: 388
| I have tied with it both ways. The tails that are attached were tied full length then cut to size to barely cover the treble hook on the bottom of the bait. They are also long enough to split in half length but you need to be careful to line everything up as it is too short to trim and hide your sins. |
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| thanks for the tip, i tied this Bell Ringer long, then cut the flashabou right near the hook. i like how this one turned out, getting a bit better each time with practice.
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| What do you guys tie the flashabou on? |
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Posts: 2024
| Bucktail coils (Moore's Lures, Stamina, etc.) or brake cable (which can be bought at your local hardware store for a lot cheaper than standard bucktail coils). I think James/Tacklebooty from Tackle Industries ties his flashabou onto silicon skirt collars. Looks like Lambeau is doing that as well (?). |
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| Thanks for the info |
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Posts: 291
Location: Madison, WI | esox50 - 12/18/2007 6:46 PM
Fly Tie,
Care to share that supplier with us?
Anglers Workshop.....its called Firefly Tie, same stuff used on inhalers. |
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Location: Right Here | I bought a bunch of the Walmart stuff a couple of years ago at 50% off after Christmas. I only put it on the baits I used myself or for friends. My eyes got HUGE when I seen it for 50% off and I went a little overboard. I have a bunch of the silver left that I'll never use, if anybody is interested let me know. I'll give you a pretty cut rate on it. (Like cheaper than I even paid.) I don't remember how much I have left, maybe around 25 or more.
Just email me at [email protected]
John
Edited by J Routt 6/20/2008 11:14 AM
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Posts: 55
| do you just have silver left or do you also have other colors?
dave |
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| Product looks great how does it hold up when the fish is on also how much is a bundle and how much material is it |
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Posts: 388
| Just made a new double 13 blade bucktail with the Walmart Christmas tinsel. I have another that I have been using quite a bit this spring and it holds up pretty well. Once in awhile a strand will fall off if the lure gets fouled on a cast. Looks great in the water. Strands are 18" long and appx 1/16" wide. 500 strands per bundle. Bought mine for $0.97 per bundle on sale after Christmas two years ago. If you get the colored bundles, you will need to separate the groups of strands that are the same color. Not as tedious as it sounds because the groups can be separated on the top of the bundle which is not cut into strands, just snip at the transition. Some of the colors are different on each side. For example, the lure that you see here is made up of strands that are gold on one side, red on the other.
Edited by Yake Bait 6/28/2009 9:31 AM
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