hares mask and fur...which bits to use when???

paulfish_1 · #1 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 10:02 PM

Just bought myself a hares mask and a patch of body fur. Just need to be ask a daft question (or three) before i start tying with it.

What parts of the mask do use for what? What do people mean when they talk about the guard hairs?

I will be tying some GRHE and some deer hare emergers. Which parts of the mask do i use for the body and which for the thorax?

What do you guys mainly use the body fur for?

Cheers
Paul

jindra · #2 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 11:02 PM

No fly tying question is too daft not to be asked

When I tie with hare - and it is one of my favorite materials, together with CDC - I decide on dubbing according to the size of hook I am using.

For the smallest hooks (16-22) I use hairs on the ears. For medium size patterns the hairs from cheeks and for big flies the body hair. Hair from the back is dark and scruffy, good for thoraxes and rough looking flies. Body hair from belly area is finer, more creamy in color and good for smoother abdomens. When tying GRHE you will need some long hairs for the tails; you will find those between the ears and on the back of the head.

Here is a smallish (#19) fly dubbed with short & fine hair from the ears

This buzzer is dubbed with hair from the cheeks

And this nymph has thorax dubbed from the back and abdomen from belly of a hare

This scruffy nymph is dubbed only with back hair

Cheers!

scott123456 · #3 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulfish_1

Just bought myself a hares mask and a patch of body fur. Just need to be ask a daft question (or three) before i start tying with it.

What parts of the mask do use for what? What do people mean when they talk about the guard hairs?

I will be tying some GRHE and some deer hare emergers. Which parts of the mask do i use for the body and which for the thorax?

What do you guys mainly use the body fur for?

Cheers
Paul

I usually mix the guard hairs with the underfur m8. The guard hairs are the ones you can see on the outer fur, the jaggy ones. Depends on how buggy you want the pattern to look, the more guard hair you use the more hair sticks out and suggests movement. If i'm doing patterns with hares fur I usually put more guard hair in the thorax but theres no hard and fast rules, tye them the way you think looks good.

P.S I'm no profesional, other tyers will probably have other ideas on what they like.

Former member 2 · #4 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 11:23 PM

I just want to add its not a daft question, I wish i had asked it when i started tying, it took years to get to the stage of confidently using what, with pheasants tails, is one of the commonest choices of materials in the box.
Its what the forum is for, if anyone makes you feel daft for asking questions like that, it is maybe time that they moved on.... not you!

steveparton · #5 (**permalink**) 25-03-2010, 11:34 PM

The only effectively known use for Hare Body is as the thorax of e Genuine Cove PT.

Forget the Hare's Ears - all the useful fibre is from beteen the poll ( ie top of the head and between the ears and below ) Guard hairs - take a pinch and out out of the ruck of other hair you sholuld have a grip on what you really want which is fur with a black base and paler mid to tips. Now this makes sense to me 96