Stacking Calf Tail

[Sutterk]

Any tips on stacking calf tail? No matter how hard I smack it the tips just don't align.

Thanks for any help

[Hairstacker]

What are you using it for? Best solution is to use something else if possible. :lol: Otherwise, keep smacking the heck out of it.

[David Lee]

Did you comb it out ?? I do this w/ both Calf and Deer . Hold the butts , comb the tips , reverse grip , hold the tips , comb the butts ....

Is it clean ?? A rinse w/ a mild soap (Ivory , dissolved in water) and warm water will make it handle better .

Take an un-scented fabric softener sheet - rub the tail with it . Makes it handle a LOT better .

Post your results after trying theses , please .

D.~

[Darian]

While I have used calf tail in tying many Steelhead patterns, I never saw a need to stack the material. Because it's coarse and krinkly, it doesn't lend itself to stacking. My usual method was to pull the hairs out, perpendicular to the bone/skin and trim it off. Then I removed any overly long individual hairs. That resulted in similar (not same) length hair. I didn't/don't necessarily think that all of the calf hair should be the same length. What pattern are you tying with it that requires stacking :question:

Now, bucktail and other fur/hair is another matter.... :)

[Hairstacker]

Well, although calf tail does look best on certain steelhead (e.g., skunks) and trout (e.g., trudes) patterns, my point is I think it has been eclipsed by other materials for certain purposes (e.g., parachute posts).

In any event, whenever I've used calf tail, about all I do is hold the stack by the tips, brush out the shorter hairs thus released, and then stacked the heck out of the remaining hair. I think it also helps to not pack the stacking tube too much so there's room for these crooked hairs to move around.

I'm intrigued by David's ideas, though . . . wasn't aware of the washing/fabric softener ideas -- will have to keep those in mind in the future.

[JD]

A lot of good advice here, especially from David Lee and Hairstacker (sic.). If you are using this for dry flies, my advice would be to either stack by hand AFTER cleaning out the underfur as described. Pull perpendicular to bone, cut, clean, then hold the hair by the butts in one hand, grab longer tips and pull, place even with tips still in hand, repeat until happy. Alternative is to switch to calf body hair which stacks MUCH easier than calf tail in a conventional stacker (smaller sizes best).

Luck.

[Sutterk]

I am using it for tying some "Trude's". I removed the under fur before trying to stack it. It is clean and dry. I will try the fabric softener. I didn't want to use polypro yarn and have thought about calf body hair instead but trying to stay true to the pattern

[jbird]

While I have used calf tail in tying many Steelhead patterns, I never saw a need to stack the material. Because it's coarse and krinkly, it doesn't lend itself to stacking. My usual method was to pull the hairs out, perpendicular to the bone/skin and trim it off. Then I removed any overly long individual hairs. That resulted in similar (not same) length hair. I didn't/don't necessarily think that all of the calf hair should be the same length. What pattern are you tying with it that requires stacking :question:

Now, bucktail and other fur/hair is another matter.... :)

^^^This^^^

[Bob Scheidt]

You can wipe your hair stacker with a cling free, I think that's what David said.

Here's what I do. I wash the calftail with soap and water. Mash it dry with paper towels.

Then I take a hot iron and iron the wet hair from the base out to the tips. I make 2 sides of the calftail. I have an iron the Mrs. allocated me to use for materials. I use a towel to iron the calftail against. Car rag works good.

More trouble than it's worth maybe. The calftail is alot straighter and cleaner. Stacks nice, but still has some curlyness to it as you can't iron out all the krinkly characteristics, but it is straighter. Yeah I know, always taking fly tying too far.

See you at Kiene's expo.

Bob

[Darian]

Bob,.... Your preparation makes organization of the materials easier and the end product good looking. If we tied as many flies as you, we'd probably all try to do something similar or go nuts.... 8)

[Hairstacker]

I am using it for tying some "Trude's". I removed the under fur before trying to stack it. It is clean and dry. I will try the fabric softener. I didn't want to use polypro yarn and have thought about calf body hair instead but trying to stay true to the pattern

I would want to stick with calf tail and "stay true to the pattern" too in this instance. To me, nothing is going to look as good as calf tail for that pattern.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Some Calf or 'Kip' tails can be naturally straighter too.

When I tied flies (in the old days - before computers) I use to hand/finger stack Calf tail by pulling off the longest top ones and laying them next to the shorter ones.

Really curly Calf tail is probably near impossible to stack with a Stacker.

Some are using Calf body hair for dry fly wings which is straighter.

For Steelhead flies for tails rather than Calf tail some use Squirrel tail or even Buck tail.

[Sutterk]

I have to iron some shirts today so will use on my calf tail as well and prep enough for a dozen or so. Nothing like the smell of hot fur. I will also use the dryer sheet as well. I experimented using the hairs closer to the base which was pretty much a disaster started with a big clump and lost half of it before I got it tied in. Trial and error the art of fly tying by Sutterk. Thanks for all the advice.

Brad