MyFishFinder Forum
MyFishFinder Tips and Techniques => Jigging => Topic started by: griff on Dec 20, 2012, 07:40 AM
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I have about 60 deer tails and was wondering if anyone has tried dying there own bucktails?
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I have been told this is not very hard to do. I, too, have considered doing this. I have heard of using Kool-Aid and vinegar??? Probably need to ask either on here or a flyfishing website how to do this. I would be interested in your results.
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Uuum, ya, drink the kool-aid. Dye the tails with this http://www.ritdye.com/ (http://www.ritdye.com/).
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x2 on the Rit fabric dye. I've dyed dozens of tails for tying musky bucktails.
All the colors come out excellent except black . >:( The orange is very bright, the chartreuse is outstanding, brown is deeply fabulous and grey is right where I like it. Even red comes out a nice deep scarlet. Black? A putrid purplish, greenish crappy mess.
Don't ask me why, I've never found an answer. My tails are squeaky clean to start. I've done salt, vinegar and hot baths. I even cooked a batch right off the skin trying to get a nice totally jet black. For cryin' out loud, the standard for musky bucktails is black. I'll bet black outnumbers all the other colors combined and I can't get there. I finally resigned myself to either trading or selling the ones I could color for the commercial black. If you come across a secret and share it with me I'd be forever in your debt.........
That said, just a few of experience points:- Make sure all dirt, fat and blood are cleaned from the tails you want to color.
- Salt will not have a negative effect on coloring with Rit dye. I think there's some salt right in the stuff. Some extra salt helps the tail take and hold color.
- I've used an old Dutch oven (or similar) on a camp stove outside. Heating dead animal parts in the house does not go over well...... ::)
- Don't overcook 'em. Hot water is good, boiling not so much, see above..... I have "recooked" some that either didn't turn out well the first time through with success
- Some vinegar in the solution helps set the color
That about covers it. Hope this gets you going in the right direction. Good luck with your project!
/m