[greggie195]

Hello all, this is an extremely informative forum and I appreciate all the info given. I recently began pouring my own lead heads and tying bucktail on them to pass the time until fishing season rolls back around. I have a question that maybe someone out there can help me with. How do I dye the hair so that not all of my bucktails are white? I tried food coloring and unless there is a special trick to it, the hair did not hold the color. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks
Greggie

 

[617400]

Greg, food color is a water soluble pigment, it won't work for your purposes. You could find hair dye in those funky colors that kids use to make their hair look stupid Isn't it easier to just buy bucktails that are already dyed? That's what I do.

 

[Jerryvov]

Greggie,
Next time you're in the supermarket check in the housewares dep't for the stuff they use to dye clothes (I think one brand is called something like RIT, if I remember right). Anyhow, that stuff will not come out in water and you can control the shade by repeated dipping until you have it the way you want...

Jerry Vovcsko,
moderator
East Bridgewater, Ma

 

[617400]

Jerry, isn't that the stuff they use to remove head lice?

 

[614772]

Greggie195,

RIT is the right stuff, but it is less exspensive to goto you local fly shop and buy a colored bucktail for $3.00. i have only died bucktails once it is really not worth it unless u get them by the bulk. If you have by the bulk , let me know.



always gottafly

 

[Jerryvov]

[b[Jerry, isn't that the stuff they use to remove head lice?[/B]

BA, now why would anybody want to get rid of head lice...they're pleasant little fellows, quiet, make nice company and don't take up much room...can't ask for more than that...

Jerry Vovcsko,
moderator
East Bridgewater, Ma

 

[615410]

I gotta go with the crowd here. You can use hair dye if you want but for the price I now buy colored bucktails. I tried bleaching out the brown hair that was left after I used all the white. I figured bleach it white then color it. Well it worked, but the bleach made the hair very soft and limp. Good for some applications but not bucktails.
teachfishes

 

[greggie195]

Hey guys thanks for all the responses, I think I will go out tomorrow and buy some allready colored bucktails instead of dying them and my hands! Does anyone have any suggestions as to lesser known bucktail colors for attracting big bass and fluke? By the way I think Rit is the fabric dye and Rid is the lice killer!
Greggie195

 

[greggie195]

I just remembered I had another question for you guys Has anyone used nylon instead of bucktail? Does it get the same motion? It seems to be cheaper and available in a wider color selection. Thanks again all
Greggie195

 

[615114]

greggie195, I get my buck tails from hunting so I don't pay for them. I use the hair dye and it works fine. As far as nylon, it's been my experience that fur works best. At least for me.

CaptSteve

 

[617400]

Jerry, I never thought about lice in quite that way, winter starts early up there huh Jerry

Greggie,I do not like synthetic bucktail, it does not have the same action at all. It often get frayed at the ends and just looks awful as well. It just ain't the same.

 

[Jerryvov]

***winter starts early up there huh Jerry***


You can say that again, BA...and the weather guy says we're due for 2 to 6 inches tomorrow...oh well, maybe the ice will freeze enough to make the ponds safe...not the same as chasing stripers, though...
I figure about a hundred days and counting until they come back

Jerry Vovcsko,
moderator
East Bridgewater, Ma

 

[surfeditor]

I make all white bucktails (white powder paint and white hair) then I dye the jigs as I need other colors. The tails I start with come from hunters and are not pre-treated in any way. To dye them, I soak the jigs overnight in water and woolite to get the oils off the hair. Rinse and let dry. Then I boil up a concentrated solution of the powder RIT dye and water with a few ounces of vinegar added. I failed miserably before I used vinegar. I pour the dye into a 1-gallon pickle jar and drop the jigs in on a piece of line. I leave them in for a couple hours while swirling occasionally. After I remove the jigs, I cap and store the dye solution for later use. One of the nice things about doing it this way is that the powder paint and wrapping thread also take the dye, so the whole jig comes out the color you want. This works great except for fluoroescent green. I can't get that one to take. If anyone knows how to easily dye that color. I'd love to know.

I've also tried synthetic hair and wasn't impressed.