Hare Mask Guard Hairs

[Bob Wyatt]

Fred,

As for eating hares, you're right, but when I suggested it those Kiwi boys just looked at me like I was nuts.  Might as well have suggested eating a rat.

[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 then up to the eye.  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.

[Wildfisher]

Thanks Bob, some great tips there.

[rabbitangler]

I've been using the DHE for several years but in smaller sizes - 14, 16 & 18 use a wing tied with snowshoe hares foot in place of deer hair, its finer than deer hair and is much easier to clean and refloat than CDC.

tight lines

Peter