There’s a bunch of great new synthetic materials available these days that we just didn’t have access to a few years back. One such material is the Flymen Fish-Skull Faux Bucktail that allows you to tie flies of all types and sizes from nymphs to Clousers to T-Bones. It’s a tapered synthetic multi-use fly tying fiber designed to imitate typical premium-length natural bucktail. But, it has a much tougher, more resilient structure to the real thing.

Fish-Skull Faux Bucktail fibers have the same basic diameter, gentle crinkle, and taper as natural bucktail. In appearance, it looks almost identical and has the same distinctive bucktail fly or lure action in the water. However, the fibers are not hollow (which helps your fly sink faster) and will not “flare” in the same way as regular bucktail while tying. This means you will need to tie with slightly different techniques to achieve the same effect.

FLYMEN FISH SKULL FAUX BUCKTAILS TROUTLORE FLYTYING STORE AUSTRALIA FLY TYING MATERIALS

I have found that sometimes it doesn’t bind down as easily as the real thing, since your thread will not crush the fibers as they flare. So, a spot of Zap glue, at the tie in point secures them in place. Or, a folded placement that starts with the fibers tied in reverse, then folded back and tied down ensures they will not slip from the tie-in position. But, you can put more pressure on them for security and still retain a slim, elongated profile as the flaring simply doesn’t happen to the extent of natural bucktail fibers.

Every Faux Bucktail fiber is premium 6” (152 mm) length, giving you more than twice the amount of usable fibers per tail and eliminating the headache of sorting and searching for ideal strands. Plus, they are all vibrant, solid colours. There are no lost fibers from the center section, as is the case with the real thing.

FLYMEN FISH SKULL FAUX BUCKTAILS TROUTLORE FLYTYING STORE AUSTRALIA FLY TYING MATERIALS

The fibers can be used in a wide range of fly or lure types.

  • Trout flies: Beautiful tapered wrapped “quill” bodies, nymph wing cases, Mayfly tails and legs.
  • Streamers: From tying typical Clouser Minnows or Deceivers right up to large, “bite-proof” Pike, Musky or Golden Dorado flies.
  • Poppers: Tie simple and durable tails on foam poppers
  • Bucktail Jigs: Tougher, longer lasting fresh and saltwater bucktail jigs.

I highly recommend keeping a second pair of scissor (or an fifteenth, if your desk is like mine) to be used just for the Faux Bucktail fibers. They can be pretty harsh on your good scissors, and it would be a shame to see a pair of Petitjeans go blunt from synthetic fibers abuse.