Hareline Large Northern Bucktail

Customize Your Order with Our Special Handling Options:

Best Available: We will choose the best available bucktail out of what we have. We will focus on the longest fibers followed by the best overall looking bucktail. This is a service fee that is NOT refundable. Due to the limited number of bucktails in some colors, we do not recommend this service unless the number available is over 10. There is no guarantee that you will get a quality bucktail with this option.

Photograph & Measure: We will select the top 1-3 bucktails and e-mail photos and measurements. Your order WILL NOT ship until you approve the bucktail. If you don't like the bucktail, you can cancel the item, however this fee is NOT refundable. It only covers one round of photographs.

The Hareline Large Northern Bucktail is a premium bucktail fly tying material prized by experienced anglers for its superior quality and performance. Sourced from northern deer tails, it provides an abundance of long, natural fibers—making it an ideal bucktail for fly tying both freshwater and saltwater patterns. Each tail is large and well-furnished, offering more usable hair than standard bucktails. This means fly tyers get plenty of durable, tapered bucktail hair to create high-quality flies with lifelike action. If you’re looking for a dependable fly tying bucktail to elevate your streamer and saltwater fly patterns, Hareline’s Large Northern Bucktail delivers on all fronts.

Features

Long, Tapered Fibers: Hair fibers on these bucktails average about 3" – 4" in length, with some even longer toward the base. This generous length is perfect for tying larger flies and streamers that require extra material. The fibers have a natural taper (thicker at the base and finer at the tip), which creates a lifelike profile and movement in the water.

Premium Dye Quality: Hareline bucktails are professionally processed to be clean and evenly dyed. The deer tail hair is 100% natural and holds vibrant, colorfast dyes exceptionally well. Whether you choose bright chartreuse, deep purple, or natural white, each bucktail features rich color saturation from base to tip without weak or faded spots. The dye process also removes oils and odor, giving you a ready-to-use bucktail fly tying material that won’t bleed color or deteriorate over time.

Hollow but Durable Hair: As with all high-grade deer tail hair, the fibers have a hollow core towards the base, imparting slight buoyancy and excellent tying characteristics. This means the hair can flare under thread tension (useful for building volume or heads) yet remains resilient cast after cast. The texture is just the right stiffness: soft enough for natural movement, but coarse enough to hold shape and not collapse in fast currents. It’s easy to secure on the hook and doesn’t bulk up excessively, allowing for neat, precise fly designs.

Large Hide Size: Each Large Northern Bucktail typically comes as a sizable tail piece (approximately 10" by 5"). This bigger size translates into more fibers and more material for your bench. In fact, these tails have more usable fibers than many standard smaller bucktails, giving you better value and plenty of hair for dozens of flies. **(Occasionally, Hareline packages two smaller tails to ensure you get the same amount of hair as one large tail.)** Every piece is hand-selected to meet Hareline’s high standards, so you get consistent quality in each package.

Fly Tying Applications

Bucktail is one of the most versatile and essential materials in fly tying, and the Hareline Large Northern Bucktail is suited for a wide range of applications. Its long, tapered hairs are a staple for tying streamer fly patterns – especially those imitating baitfish or other swimming prey. In saltwater fly tying, this bucktail is frequently used for patterns targeting species like striped bass, bluefish, snook, and redfish. The material creates attractive, flowing wings and tails on flies that need to both cast well and move enticingly in currents. Because bucktail fibers don’t absorb much water, even large flies tied with it remain relatively light and easy to cast, making it ideal for saltwater baitfish imitations and surf candies.

In freshwater, Hareline bucktail shines for bass and predator flies. The natural motion of bucktail hair in the water entices strikes from species such as largemouth bass, smallmouth, pike, and muskie. Use it to tie big musky streamers, spinnerbait skirts, or bass jig dressings – the durability of deer tail hair holds up well to the teeth and abuse from these gamefish. Even trout anglers find uses for bucktail: it’s great for classic bucktail streamers and larger trout patterns where a bit of extra length and stiffness is needed for the wing or tail. From swift saltwater currents to murky freshwater lakes, this bucktail for fly tying adapts to nearly any environment where a lifelike, mobile material is desired.

Example Flies You Can Tie

The Hareline Large Northern Bucktail opens up a world of proven fly patterns. With one tail, you can tie classics and modern flies alike. For example, the famous Clouser Deep Minnow relies on bucktail for its wing – this material will help you craft clousers that are perfect for bass or stripers, with a sharp color contrast and enticing jigging action. The renowned Lefty’s Deceiver is another pattern where bucktail makes the slender baitfish profile and adds natural movement; these bucktails provide the length and color selection to tie deceivers for anything from bluefish to tarpon. If you’re into advanced techniques, try a Hollow Fleye (Bob Popovics’ hollow-tied streamer) using Hareline bucktail – the hollow fibers flare beautifully to create large yet airy bunker and herring imitations for big saltwater predators. Don’t forget classic streamers like the Mickey Finn, a simple bucktail pattern that comes alive with the bright yellows and reds available from Hareline’s dye lot. These are just a few examples – essentially any fly recipe calling for bucktail can be tied or improved with the quality of Hareline’s bucktail fibers, including surf candies, bucktail jigs, and many custom baitfish patterns.

Why Choose Hareline Bucktail

Trusted Quality: Hareline’s Large Northern Bucktail is widely regarded as one of the best bucktail fly tying materials on the market. Seasoned fly tyers choose Hareline because they know each tail is a premium product that has been carefully selected and prepared. The company’s attention to detail means you receive a bucktail with maximum usable hair, minimal waste, and consistently high quality from one tail to the next. When you’re tying important flies for your next trip, you can trust that this material will perform reliably.

Performance and Versatility: For premium bucktail fly tying, quality and consistency are paramount – and Hareline delivers both. The combination of long fibers, vibrant colors, and just-right stiffness gives your flies a professional edge. Your streamers will not only look more realistic but also fish better, thanks to the natural movement and slight buoyancy of these deer hairs. Whether you’re tying a dozen flies for a saltwater adventure or crafting a single musky fly for trophy hunting, you’ll find that using a high-grade Hareline bucktail makes the process smoother and the end result more effective. This versatility means one Hareline bucktail can cover a broad spectrum of fly patterns and fishing situations, making it a smart addition to any fly tyer’s material arsenal.

Extensive Color Selection: Hareline offers Large Northern Bucktails in a wide range of colors and dye styles, so you can match the hatch or get creative with ease. Choose from brilliant fluorescents for high visibility in saltwater or stained water, subtle olives and tans for imitating specific baitfish, or classic white and black for general purpose streamer work. Each color is deep and vibrant, attracting fish and enhancing your fly’s appearance. Because the dye job is so consistent, if you tie multiple flies from the same tail, they’ll all exhibit the same hue and quality – an important factor for commercial tyers or anyone who values uniformity in their fly patterns.

In summary, the Hareline Large Northern Bucktail is a must-have material for fly tyers who demand quality and functionality. Its technical advantages – from longer fiber length and natural buoyancy to top-notch dyeing – set it apart as a top choice for tying better flies. Whether you’re a seasoned fly tying veteran or a passionate angler looking to build your first bucktail streamer, this fly tying bucktail will help you achieve professional results. Elevate your fly tying with a Hareline bucktail and experience the difference in your patterns on the water.