The DHE has been around a while now and very, very well publicised. Reading this and other fly fishing forums, it's not a fly that a lot of folk use. Why not? It's easy to tie once you have got the hang of it although fair to say many folk have bugger of a job getting it to float on anything but its side! Let's be honest, it's not a really popular fly, at least not as popular as one may have though it would be.
Could it be that its main failure in becoming popular is that it attempts to oversimplify? Might it be that for many (if not most) anglers having and using a variety of flies is part of the fun of the game? Personally I have had far more success with klinks and particularly standard parachute patterns (which are also easy to tie once you get the hang of it) but that might just be because I use them more and have far more confidence in them. I have a box of DHE's in various sizes and I can't recall having tied one on the whole last season.
What do you think?
That might be part of it George, but I don't think it's a big factor. Even amongst fly fishers who tie their own it's not hugely popular – or at least does not seem to be.
The DHE is not a fly I have used a lot, but I did OK with it on rivers this season on a couple of days. I tend to use it in a size 12/10 when there are bigger flies around like March Browns. The deer hair wing is a bit bulky and chunky to my eyes for imitating the smaller olives. I prefer a snowshoe hare emerger or a sunk body F-fly or a Klink on a smaller hook for that job.
I do tend to try other flies first and mainly resort to the DHE when I'm fishing NZ style with a nymph tied off the bend of the dry. I find hanging a nymph off it forces the fly to sit right.
Like any fly, it is not always the answer. It is just another weapon in my armoury which gets occasional use.
Alex
Cant tie DHE - can never get them to sit right - what I can tie though is a mean comparadun, which is essentially the same but on a straight hook - seems to do the job. If I need an emerger I use a klink.
Quite fancy seeing a walkthrough though of using snowshoes hare as a wing on an emerger though - if someone fancies doing it I would really appreciate it :)
Anyway, I think it is possible to fish with half a dozen flies on a river for the season and get away with it.
Alistair,
Just follow this, http://www.danica.com/flytier/steps/dhe/dhe.htm
but substitute snowshoe hare and you should hopefully :) end up with something better than this.. http://www.wild-fishing-scotland.co.uk/flydatabase/locationdetail.php?loc=1871
I'll bet you like I, have more than 6 patterns in the various boxes that we all own? :P
Alex
Quote from: aliferste on November 15, 2007, 07:59:41 PM
Cant tie DHE - can never get them to sit right - what I can tie though is a mean comparadun, which is essentially the same but on a straight hook - seems to do the job. If I need an emerger I use a klink.
Quite fancy seeing a walkthrough though of using snowshoes hare as a wing on an emerger though - if someone fancies doing it I would really appreciate it :)
Anyway, I think it is possible to fish with half a dozen flies on a river for the season and get away with it.
You might like these;
http://www.spooled.com.au/article:2:Ash_'Snowshoe'_Emerger
http://www.crosscurrentguideservice.com/rosenbauer.htm
http://www.orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=3197 ( I have done very well with this one! )
http://hipwader.com/2002/bunny-foot-emerger
TL
MC
Size 14 dark hares mask snowshoe emerger was far and away my river fly of the season this year. Stripped quill version an alternative. Caught fish on chalkstreams like the Meon, Dever and Itchen. The Barle and Little Dart in the South West and on the Merkland and Caithness burns. Barely tied anything else on before lunch and not a lot after.
I've never had an issue with getting them to float right. My theory is that the more wing there is the more likely you are to have problems. Mine tend to be skinny and scruffy with not much wing (certainly less than Alex's) and plenty of spiky thorax.
I've only ever had sporadic success with the DHE on lochs and have never been as convinced of it as I am on rivers...and confidence is everything. I'd take a dark claret sedge most times.
Tim
:wall2
The F Fly is simple to tie (as said already) and popular. The various hackle-less versions of the Elk Hair Caddis do the same job for people who don't like CDC. And it doesn't make a lot of difference if some of the floatant leeks onto the body :wink:
Both of the above options are as simple and effective as it gets, and accordingly popular.
I'd say the main reason the DHE isn't that popular (though it seems pretty popular to me :?) is that there are plenty of other flies with a sunk abdomen that do the same job at least as well.
For an allegedly simple fly a lot of people do have problems tying it and getting it to fish right. All that stuff about only greasing the thorax, and spitting on the abdomen etc.
It isn't a great floater either.
Not a fan.
Whatever works for you though :D
:devil;
.D.
Quote from: aliferste on November 15, 2007, 07:59:41 PM
Cant tie DHE - can never get them to sit right - what I can tie though is a mean comparadun, which is essentially the same but on a straight hook - seems to do the job. If I need an emerger I use a klink.
Quite fancy seeing a walkthrough though of using snowshoes hare as a wing on an emerger though - if someone fancies doing it I would really appreciate it :)
Anyway, I think it is possible to fish with half a dozen flies on a river for the season and get away with it.
Just tie a Usual on a curved hook, but without a tail :). Don't make the abdomen too "buggy".
( I think it's only flies with semi-upright deerhair posts that people have trouble getting to sit right - hare foot fur tends to give a bigger spread of supporting fibres "off upright" on the "other" side if it does try to lean over).
Cheers,
.D.
Quote from: Ardbeg on November 16, 2007, 08:19:43 PM
.D. the DHE is by far the easiest sunk abdomen flee to see from distance. Even in small sizes it is fairly easy to spot from afar.
......................................
Cheers
Ardbeg
Ardbeg,
How can that be so?
You can use just about any material you like for the post on a klinkhamer style fly( including flared deer hair, ) - there are even variations on the theme using split bunches of calf tail. Or any colour of yarn you like.
I'm just using the Klinkhamer as an arbitrary example.
Best wishes,
.D.
Quote from: Ardbeg on November 16, 2007, 08:19:43 PM
the DHE is by far the easiest sunk abdomen flee to see from distance. Even in small sizes it is fairly easy to spot from afar.
Can't agree with that Steve. I see the post of a klink far more easily. Mind you, my eyesight is not the best, but it's still a fair comparison of two flies
Quote from: col on November 16, 2007, 08:38:06 PM
Does anyone use cdc shuttlecocks for brownies?
I do it's very good on some waters. The CDC shuttlecock buzzer was the best fly on Caladail by a mile the last few times I was on it - sizes 16 and 18. Tremendous fly on Loch Dee and Watten too. Doesn't work as well for me on most wild lochs as flies like the hopper.
Malcolm
Quote from: col on November 16, 2007, 09:12:28 PM
I think it depends on the light /reflection/shadow (trees etc), sometimes i find cdc with its smoke grey wing easier to see in certain lights than a white posted klink and vice versa.
Col
Absolutely so! Sometimes a black posted Klink is surprisingly easy to see.
.D.
Quote from: .D. on November 16, 2007, 09:19:02 PM
Absolutely so! Sometimes a black posted Klink is surprisingly easy to see.
Agreed. Often I'll fish with 2 f-flies, one with white cdc, one with really dark grey. I can then be sure to see one of them.
emmmmm....well, sometimes! :D
QuoteI've tried incorporating Krystal flash into the wing posts of klinks but it doesn't seem to help me much.
Me too, but I much prefer white "Wing n' Flash" which shows up very well in most lights as it has so many surfaces to reflect the light. http://www.fishingmegastore.com/acatalog/Synthetics.html
Alex
Quote from: wee bri on November 16, 2007, 09:54:31 PM
I dont think the DHE is an oversimplification.
I personally don't think there is such a thing as oversimplification as far as flies go.
Just to be clear: when I say oversimplification what I mean is that it might not be popular because anglers just like things to be complicated – lot's of choice - browsing the box at the waterside - it's not a derogatory remark against the DHE.
Quote from: Ardbeg on November 16, 2007, 12:43:42 AM
...............
As for why they are not more widely used, considering how successful they can be; I think it is down to deer hair and people not wanting to use this material. I shyed (sp?) away from it for years but Swithun's continual success with the DHE and a DHE in one of Steve's flee swaps had me giving them a bash.
.......
Cheers
Ardbeg
I'm not sure how well that tallies with the popularity of the Elk Hair Caddis, and its hackle-less derivatives . The CDC & Elk appears to be the most popular dry about if other internet forums/ fora are anything to go by.
Why is it so popular? "Internet presence"?
( :( not that I'm stalking you or anything, Ardbeg - you just mentioned it first :))
Cheers,
.D.
QuoteCheers Alex. Have you tried mixing the colours or is it pretty much as easy to see in all light conditions?
No I haven't tried mixing it up. Until I did the google search for the link I didn't know Wing n' flash came in any other colours, Steve. I've found the white shows up very well.
Alex
Quote from: haresear on November 16, 2007, 10:06:48 PM
Me too, but I much prefer white "Wing n' Flash" which shows up very well in most lights as it has so many surfaces to reflect the light. http://www.fishingmegastore.com/acatalog/Synthetics.html
Interesting, do they have a blend for auld 1/2 blind blokes? :D
QuoteInteresting, do they have a blend for auld 1/2 blind blokes?
Well,
I can see it :lol:
Alex
Quote from: Ardbeg on November 16, 2007, 11:03:02 PM
Mmm, I was just beginning to enjoy the experience too .D. :lol:
The Elk Hair caddis and its derivatives can be shop bought can they not? Or is it just the original EHC that is readily available?
Also, I think that even a poorly tied EHC will sit the correct way on the water whereby the DHE will not. Shop bought EHC's that I've had spin around the hook but still catch :shock:
..........
Cheers
Ardbeg
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u178/_d_07/psycho-shower-curtain-sm.jpg)
I don't buy flies so I'll have to take your word on that, perhaps more so for the african sweatshop import business. Fred did mention popularity even among tiers though.
Can't, and wouldn't argue with your second point.
Cheers,
.D.
Quote from: admin on November 16, 2007, 10:12:53 PM
Just to be clear: when I say oversimplification what I mean is that it might not be popular because anglers just like things to be complicated ? lot's of choice - browsing the box at the waterside - it's not a derogatory remark against the DHE.
Hard to tell if the DHE is a better fly than the Klink type. There are certainly more anglers using Klinks, but I doubt if that is based on results as opposed to fashion. To me there is no real better or worse in this case, effectiveness wise. They are both great flies that catch lots of fish.
The reason I lean towards using DHE's is that it ticks a few more boxes for me than just effectiveness. The fly is easy to tie. It can be tied to cover numerous hatches. It is bulletproof. It makes sense.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you fish what you have confidence in. My confidence has certainly been built up in the DHE.
I am aiming to tie a few up in smaller sizes for this season coming. Anyone have a preference over what colour of Snowshoe hare to use. Natural? Light dun? Dark Dun?