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Yak hair

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Sean Juan 
#1 ·
With the holidays almost gone it's time to start tying for the Cape in May. I have a couple of questions..First does anyone have any experience, good or bad using saltwater yak hair? Is there a problem with it fouling? I am considering using this material on clousers and Rays flys.

Earlier this year there was a discussion on ways to minimize fouling on tying Ray's fly. Any further advice or suggestions?

Walt and the West coasters will be out the first part of May to start our annual trip to the striper grounds. Looking forward to the clave and seeing our Cape friends.

Tom
 
#2 ·
'Never met a YAK I didn't like...

But most of them are made out of roto-molded tupperwear and bred to be hairless... :confused:
Oh!? You meant the OTHER 4-hoof-drive variety... :roll:

Tom...
Personally, I much prefer the qualities of premium bucktail...
Easier to colour blend, natural taper, splays nicely, and length/flow is well suited for the classic non-fouling Spring Clouser and Deceiver phlyz...
Hollow style is always in the phracas...

I've used yak hair to enhance the illusion of fill and body in larger herring insinuations...
Keeping it very sparce with a minimal phlash, a few hackles and mega peacock herl to complete the package...

It gets really trashed after being assaulted and fouling is also an issue with shocky, high speed line casting...
A stiff hair brush becomes a required accessory to make it right again...

Last year I was playing around with cutting crinkled yak hair down and using it for a phishy looking shrimp but pheathers and bucktail won out in the end...

If you come up with a proto-type, please post it for general consumption...

See you in a few months! :D
 

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#3 ·
My experience with Yak hair is just the opposite of Penguin's. I love the stuff. I feel that it more durable than bucktail for both fish chomping and casting. I also think that you get more "opagueness" with Yak hair than you do with bucktail. My first trip to Harker's way back when, the money fly was the size 2 "Yaketty- Yak" All white with pearl angel hair clouser. Laid them to waste. That is also my go-to florida beach fly. Lately, I have also been using the synthetic polar bear hair for my clousers and like that a lot as well.

My $0.02:smokin:
 
#7 ·
Guernseybass said:
i have been thinking about this myself. apart from a short shnk hook, I wondered if a short (2/3") white hackle tied on top of the shank curve up would ruin the action ?


anyone tried that ?
For the Ray's flies I tie them bendback on a 34011. Just a slight bend behind the hook eye is enough. Wrap the shank with bodi braid to form the belly and tie in the bucktail and herl from there. That fly won't foul and hides the hook.


I like the yak hair clousers as well but only tie them Kreh style with all of the material on top (opposite the clouser eyes) to help prevent fouling as well. I do keep a comb handy just in case.

Sean
 
#8 ·
I love Yak hair its my favorite material.

But I think that it makes a poor substitute for bucktail. It will work of course but bucktail is generally better at being bucktail.

What it excells at is being a natural alternative to synthetics, I use it in a lot of Mushy-style patterns and I like to mix it with synthetics.

Yak hair is the best material for clear-water situations.
 
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