T.Z. Is torturing us today, with a front page all about flies using a material that is not available to ordinary humans!
http://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/the-hare-affair
Are there any good substitutes for this mythical Jurassic hare? I have used poly yarn, which works OK, especially if it is treated with water repellent before use. Deer or elk hair also works (though that makes them different flies).
I need to whip up a box of callibaetis dries and emergers pretty soon, so this is a good reminder that I should do it with nice, simple, quick to tie hare flies!
Nick.
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Jurassic hare
Moderator: Viking Lars
Jurassic hare
Happy easter!!!
We are just back from a fantastic day on dogsleds. I saw a lot of hare tracks in the snow :-)
mea culpa - I have not written this to torture, but I take it as a compliment ;-) ... I think this material can be obtained when contacting hunters (or me)
I think a lot of natural hair having the right kind of fine structure does work in the way described. Before I tied the wings with the fibres from in between the hares feet I used natural seals fur. Thanks again to Bob Wyatt for the material he once swapped, I think for hare feet actually. I stumbled across this stuff many years ago without really knowing how good it actually is.
Rabbit might work well, but you might into trouble with others living in your household. The feet from rabbits are "meaty" and so bound to rot. The arctic hare can not afford to have blood vessels in the parts of his feet constantly exposed to extreme cold. Here lies the main difference.
But again ... it is rather readily available once you had the chance to talk to a hunter. Most fly-shops though offer furs and feathers from domestic animals, as this offers the commercial structure needed to run a shop.
I keep you folks posted once I have gotten hold of some more hare feet. I think I have some front feet left. One of those paws is good for at least 100 flies. - http://www.outdoorshop.no/?product=jura ... nt-natural
Please do not misunderstand this as an excuse to gain immense richness and tons of "green". There is nothing earned. Each year I drive about 800km one way to get the stuff. Last year I was promised 22 feet by one hunter. When I arrived at his house he told me that his wife has binned the stuff as she thought it was garbage .... crazy.
My mantra is that one should try to get local (I say local as the destination I get this from is my summer fishing ground) materials. I find it very interesting trying to use natural materials one gains from hunting etc. - like "they" did in the old days.
These hares are hunted for their meat. The skin (the white skin is not very useful - I tried it) and the feet are leftovers. However, I think it is right to compensate the hunters for the job of keeping the feet (even hiding them from others - see above), cleaning and drying them.
Cheers,
Thomas
We are just back from a fantastic day on dogsleds. I saw a lot of hare tracks in the snow :-)
mea culpa - I have not written this to torture, but I take it as a compliment ;-) ... I think this material can be obtained when contacting hunters (or me)
I think a lot of natural hair having the right kind of fine structure does work in the way described. Before I tied the wings with the fibres from in between the hares feet I used natural seals fur. Thanks again to Bob Wyatt for the material he once swapped, I think for hare feet actually. I stumbled across this stuff many years ago without really knowing how good it actually is.
Rabbit might work well, but you might into trouble with others living in your household. The feet from rabbits are "meaty" and so bound to rot. The arctic hare can not afford to have blood vessels in the parts of his feet constantly exposed to extreme cold. Here lies the main difference.
But again ... it is rather readily available once you had the chance to talk to a hunter. Most fly-shops though offer furs and feathers from domestic animals, as this offers the commercial structure needed to run a shop.
I keep you folks posted once I have gotten hold of some more hare feet. I think I have some front feet left. One of those paws is good for at least 100 flies. - http://www.outdoorshop.no/?product=jura ... nt-natural
Please do not misunderstand this as an excuse to gain immense richness and tons of "green". There is nothing earned. Each year I drive about 800km one way to get the stuff. Last year I was promised 22 feet by one hunter. When I arrived at his house he told me that his wife has binned the stuff as she thought it was garbage .... crazy.
My mantra is that one should try to get local (I say local as the destination I get this from is my summer fishing ground) materials. I find it very interesting trying to use natural materials one gains from hunting etc. - like "they" did in the old days.
These hares are hunted for their meat. The skin (the white skin is not very useful - I tried it) and the feet are leftovers. However, I think it is right to compensate the hunters for the job of keeping the feet (even hiding them from others - see above), cleaning and drying them.
Cheers,
Thomas
Jurassic hare
I heard rumours that there are quite a few feet on the way to me ... I will let you know when they have arrived.
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Neil Owens
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2016 12:50 pm
Jurassic hare
I have to say it's pretty good stuff. Flies are just so much more 'buggy' with hare as opposed to antron.
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Mangrove Cuckoo
- Posts: 1051
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:51 am
Jurassic hare
FYI...
Today I received my most recent package of fly tying material from Feather-Craft Fly Fishing in St. Louis MO.
It is amazing how small a $100 package can be when it contains fly tying materials!
Anyway, the package contained a Snowshoe Rabbit foot from Natures Spirit.
My cat immediately ran off with it but I managed to save it before it prematurely became dubbing.
Of course, I have no idea how legit it is, but I'm going to review Tz's videos and see if it will catch fish.
The cat approves, anyway.
Today I received my most recent package of fly tying material from Feather-Craft Fly Fishing in St. Louis MO.
It is amazing how small a $100 package can be when it contains fly tying materials!
Anyway, the package contained a Snowshoe Rabbit foot from Natures Spirit.
My cat immediately ran off with it but I managed to save it before it prematurely became dubbing.
Of course, I have no idea how legit it is, but I'm going to review Tz's videos and see if it will catch fish.
The cat approves, anyway.
With appreciation and apologies to Ray Charles…
“If it wasn’t for AI, we wouldn’t have no I at all.”
“If it wasn’t for AI, we wouldn’t have no I at all.”
Jurassic hare
New shipment on the way. Proper stuff in the shop soon. - proper meaning - I guarantee that this is from wild animals having had a healthy good life until they heard the bang (maybe they did not even hear it)
Jurassic hare
new hares feet just arrived .... be quick, it's only 12 pcs. back feet and 20 pc. front ... I said that they are not so easy to get
http://www.outdoorshop.no/?product_cat=flytying-tools
http://www.outdoorshop.no/?product_cat=flytying-tools
- back feet around 17cm
- don't get fooled - the box has double letter size