Marabou patterns?

[SpeyrodMike]

i just bought some spey marabou and have been experimenting with using it. My flies look pretty sparse. How do i get the fly to look fuller?

[mike doughty]

i think buying spey marabou is a waste. it doesn't seem to be anymore then the tips of a marabou feather so to get a fuller look take a big fluffy marabou feather, cut out the stem about 1 1/2 inches from the tip, stroke the feather going with the grain to get rid of the loose stuff, place the marabou feather on the shank where you want to tie it in, make a loose wrap, just like tying deer hair and spin the marabou around the shank. make sure you place your wraps roughly where you cut out the stem at. for my bigger flies i will do this with 2 or 3 marabou feathers. i save the tips that i cut out and use them as marabou spey feathers.

[SpeyrodMike]

Do you need to strip one side of the marabou of the stem completely? What do you mean by cutting the stem?

[mike doughty]

if you hold up a marabou feather, go to the tip and follow the stem down to about an inch and a 1/2, don't cut all the feather with it, just the stem. you will see that it is the same thing as a spey marabou feather. for bigger patterns you need a big fluffy feather.

[SpeyrodMike]

thanks a lot i think i got it down now

[Coastalc]

That sounds pretty cool. Any tips for tying good Marabou tails for Wolly Buggers. Mine seem to be sparse. What is the easiest way to line up the tail portion evenly ?

Thanks CC:confused:

[sixfinger]

Any tips for tying good Marabou tails for Wolly Buggers.



place plume in right hand

take left hand place on plume fibers

grasp left hand and rip

place fibers on hook

wrap thread around fibers and hook


dont make things harder than need be

[earlsmith]

Wet the marabou! I find that about three good feathers tie a great tail, one thing I do struggle with is the bulk of this bundle when fastened to the hook, and carefully starting and wrapping your cheniel (sp?) from aft to front also hides the transition of materials, but you will fight the bulk, I am intrigued with the "spinning" of the feather fibers, but dont quite understand it, I use the tips of the marabou, usually three, stroked wet as to gather as much of the feathers together as possible before actually cutting the stems, the fly looks a litte funky at first, and it may throw your sense of proportion a bit, but wait till it dries and let me know if you aren't more satisfied with your result. I also find using a longer hackle feather and tying it in at the tail, tip of the feather first, and carefully teasing the hackle as you palmer forward, give the bugger a real swimming effect in the water. The palmered hackle naturally "cones" as it broadens out to the front of the fly with the longer fibers at the head of the fly, if they are semi soft, not partridge soft, but long, they will swim as well when wet, I will try and post a bugger in my gallery that gives an idea of the effects I am trying to describe =)

Earl Smith

[Nooksack Mac]

It's hard to describe maribou in terms of "suitable bulk" since it changes more dramatically than anything else.
(l) Obviously, dry, loose maribou is at maximum bulk.
(2) Dampened maribou, done by licking your fingers and stroking the maribou feather, is much easier to handle while tying in.
(3) The wet maribou on a fly that's just been fished under water is at minimum bulk, with a "drowned cat" look. However, that is not the way the fly looks under water
(4) Maribou while being fished is slightly inflated by the water flowing through it. This is what the fish see, and the degree of bulk that you're trying to achieve. Experience will teach you how to tie maribou to look slim, fat, or inbetween while in the water.