Hare Mask Guard Hairs

[Wildfisher]

I guess this  question is aimed mainly at Bob Wyatt, but I would be very interested to read anyone?s views on this. Looking at Bob?s now famous emerger patterns, some  call for spiky hare mask guard hairs to be incorporated in the dub for the thorax.  I just cannot get this material to stay on the thread at all.  Any hints?

[Wildfisher]

When you've reached the thorax stage Fred then try a wee rub with wax just before you apply the guard hairs.  Are you taking them off the mask or pre packaged ones?

Allan.

Taking them off the mask

[Bob Wyatt]

Uncleboo's tip is the way I do it, and I also wax the thread like Allan.  

I cut the best fur and glossiest guard hairs from the ears, front of the face and top of the head (the poll) off the mask and mix it with a coffee grinder.  There's usually enough underfur to keep the guard hairs together. I save this spiky stuff for tying the thorax. I use the rest of the mask for dubbing the abdomen, sometimes mixed with seal's fur for colour.  I never use synthetic dubbing for the abdomens, since some synthetics float.

[Wildfisher]

I cut the best fur and glossiest guard hairs from the ears, front of the face and top of the head (the poll) off the mask and mix it with a coffee grinder......

Bob, run that by me again ? you use a coffee grinder?  Are you  mixing a big lot in one go? Perhaps this is where I am going wrong, only mixing enough for a few flies.

[Bob Wyatt]

Yup, a coffee grinder, Fred.  Give it a try.  Works great.

I shot a big bunch of hares on my last trip to NZ and cut the best fur off the masks.  (They are a pest down there, millions of 'em).  I washed the fur and brought it back with me in a bag.  Here I put it in a coffee grinder and gave it a spin.  Beautiful dark dubbing.  I pinch a few extra guard hairs off a mask and mix it with my fingers if I want a particularly spiky thorax.

Who says fly fishing isn't a blood sport?

[Wildfisher]

Who says fly fishing isn't a blood sport?

Thanks for that  Bob,  

I believe hares make good eatin? too! Never tried that particular rodent myself, but maybe some day.............. :wink:

[Wildfisher]

Another point Bob, you mention that the emergers are tied for robustness. How do you achieve that?

[Wildfisher]

Ah Fred they're pretty tasty things.
By the way they're Lagamorphs not rodents, get with the species thing Fred :!:
Next you'll be telling me stockies are real troot :wink:

Ardbeg

No need to get all  lagamorphic Ardbeg. Hell, one buck toothed scruffy  long legged creature is much the same as another.

But enough of these wild nights in Forfar 1972.  :lol:

[breac]

 Try pritt stick in stead of wax, If I can find Yor Adress  Fred I will send
you some sticky wax that I had made for me, it works on rod ferrules too
but Pocaman put me onto the Pritt stick( not Literally!) and it works well, working it into the thread like the wax, I use both for different applications
Breac

[Bob Wyatt]

Fred,

The DHE is extremely durable.  If you leave a long tag end of tying thread when you first tie in, then wind it counter-wise up the abdomen as a rib, it will not only give a nice 'segmented' effect but the dubbing will not come loose.

I also wind the tying thread back through the thorax dubbing, a couple of turns back from the eye then up to the eye again.  It flares and binds the spiky guard hairs.

The deer hair wing is pretty durable too, and washes out better than CDC, which gets 'slimed' quickly and loses its value.  The DHE wll last through dozens of fish.  Toughness is really what the DHE has going for it over other sunk abdomen energers, apart from the upright wing, which I think is a significant trigger.

Tough as old boots.

The Dirty Duster is almost as tough if you do everything as on the DHE, but use a badger saddle hackle.  I tie in at the eye and wind the hackle back a couple turns through the thorax, then forward again, criss cross.  Then I take the tying thread back through the hackle a couple turns, and forward again.  Lashes everything down and lasts forever.  No more sprung hackles after a fish or two.