Cleaning Bucktail

[NE Sportsman]

Do any of you guys have experience with cleaning a natural bucktail? I have an old bucktail in my fly tying bench, but it has become discolored (dirty) with age. I was going to try some TSP and bleach (it works to clean the house), but I thought that I would check with some folks before I give it a try.

I realize that a bucktail is only $4.50, but I figure anybody who recycles old flies to save the hooks may be able to help me out. :)

ps. I recycle my hooks too.

thanks,
NE Sportsman

[zippy]

I don't know how you would get the poor deer to sit still long enough to clean his tail but scott tissue paper would work fine...

I would say baby shampoo or something gentle but not sure how the water will affect it or you could try dryel the home dry cleaning stuff... but if you just use it as is (unless it's grease stains not dirt) it will come out in the wash... when you fish it

[lemaymiami]

Haven't done much of this in years now since I've been buying properly processed tails in bulk, but here's the drill we all used to follow to clean a tail properly for dying.... The best detergent to use is Dawn since it's very effective on natural oils. Use warm, not hot water, soak for thirty minutes or so then work the tail thoroughly in the soapy water, finally rinse several times in cold water. Once you're through with the cleaning process, shake off as much of the water as you can, then dry skin side up on newspaper and alternate with skin side down after a day, then again skin side up to thoroughly dry the item before storage. I've also had great results just clothes pinning the item to a chain link fence during daylight so the wind and sun can accelerate the drying. What this procedure won't do is remove stains or bleach the white back to the clear white you see in properly processed tails. I've never gotten a straight answer about the bleaching process for bucktail, but it isn't anything simple and ordinary bleach won't work (ask me how I know....). Good luck. The best book on the subject that I've read is by Eric Leiser, FLY TYING MATERIALS, not certain if it's still in print.