Tails: Dry Fly (Deer Hair)
Moose-hair and deer-hair tails are associated with fast water patterns where more floatation is required to avoid the fly becoming quickly swamped. Their length is a little shorter than a traditional hackle tail. I'd suggest 6/0 tying thread is about right for their dressing, though you might prefer 3/0. Look for fine straight hair. If you can't stipulate to your supplier the exact hair you require, like for instance, deer-hair from the centre of the animals back, or moose-hair from the animal's neck, then ask for hair suitable for tying tails on coachman and wulff patterns, and wings on comparaduns and caddis patterns.
 | 1. Start the tying thread and make touching spiral wraps stopping just before the bend. Then take the thread back toward the eye by three or four touching wraps. |
 | 2. Cut, de-fuzz, and stack a small amount of hair. Then measure for length.[1] |
 | 3. When you're happy with the length, swap the tailing material into your opposite hand ready for tying in. Pinch the hair, putting thumb tip to thumb tip. |
 | 4. Now place the hair on the near side of the hook and angle down at approximately 45 degrees and make one wrap of thread loosely around it. |
 | 5. Pull the thread down firmly and make a second and third wrap to secure the hair. Do not release your grip on the tail ends. The butts of hair will flair but you'll gather those in a few moments. |
 | 6. Now make less firm 'gathering' wraps of thread over and behind the securing warps, before returning the thread to the front of the securing thread wraps. |
 | 7. You can now release your grip on the tail which should be only slightly flared. |
 | 8. Now make firm thread wraps forward to the front of the intended body section of the fly and make three or four final overlapping wraps |
 | 9. At this point you can either double the hair back for increased volume and bouancy or you can cut away the waste material. |
 | 10. Here moose is used in a green drake pattern. |