[HOOK]

ok i just tied this up and have a couple questions on how i could make it better. keep in mind this is my FIRST one that i have ever tied. I just want to perfect it more before i tie lots up.

#1 how do i get the rabbit dubbing to wrap tighter so you can see the gold rib better?

I tied this using the dubbing loop method Professori showed us with a video. perhaps i missed something therefore it being slightly off



#2 Whats the best way to tie down the turkey so it stays wide and flat because i would like it to be wider across the fly?



#3 HOW the hell do you get the Turkey to stay together for when you wrap it over to tie it off?

I had to gather the tips because they split apart when i went to do this.


any tips or tricks will be greatly apprectiated because this is one pattern i use alot. with and without legs :thumbup:

 

[11th Warrior]

Nice first try HOOK!!

I'll try to give you some tips I use, but keep in mind I'm still a beginner as well (although I can read and watch videos with the best of 'em, lol)

1. I don't use a dubbing loop. I do it the 'normal' way. Personally, I think the wax makes all the difference in the world. At first I was using cheapo wax and then bought some good stuff....big difference in my dubbed bodies. As for the rib, I would suggest either going with a med wire (looks like you used fine), or trying the medium mylar tinsel, which is what I'm using now and is gold on one side and silver on the other.

2. I've never had a problem keeping my feathers flat. I use the 45 degree method (tying the feathers in @ 45 degrees to the hook shank) and it keeps the feathers flat & fat for the wing case; speaking of which, I think your thorax could be a tiny bit thicker, but it's still a good tie.

3. Again, I've never had a problem with my feathers splitting either (I guess I'm just lucky, because really I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time). Something you might try instead of the turkey for the wing case is brown raffia (that crafty crepe paper stuff which is rolled into a rope). I saw it on a video the other day and it looked quite good. Something else you could use is FlashBack, which gives a nice iridescent look to the wing case.

I'll see if I can take some pics here in a few minutes after I eat something and show you what I've done.

 

[professori]

1. For a hare's ear, you don't need to use a dubbing loop if you don't want. It is a nymph that you want to be fairly "hairy" looking. I ussually use a dubbing loop only when I wanta sleeker looking fly (often dries).

2. Warrior is right about the gold wire, especially if you want it to stand out for you. The fish are not looking for a "rib", the glint is what they nare attracted to. Another thing that will really help your wire to stay on top of the dubbing is to counter-wrap it (wrap it in the opposite direction as the dubbing).

3. Try spraying the turkey flat or quill with Krylon fixative, or paint it with any of the flexible glues on the market and let it dry before you cut out a strip for the wing case.

4. I have never tied a hare's ear with rubber legs, but if I did I would tie in the legs first then dub the thorax around them.

5. You might consider using about 1/2 as much deer hair on the tail. You will get better movement out of a thinner clump of hair than out of a thick bundle.

 

[11th Warrior]

Here are the instructions I used when I first started tying the hares ear: Instructions

The pictures are probably the best I've seen online, as far as detail.

 

[Flyfishin Magician]

Good points prof. Hook - is that deer hair for the tail, or longer guard hairs from the hares mask? Btw - the hare's ear is supposed to be one of the finest searching patterns - but I've only had limited success with this fly (for stillwaters). Anyone else had success with this fly in our local waters?

 

[Flyfishin Magician]

Here are the instructions I used when I first started tying the hares ear: Instructions

The pictures are probably the best I've seen online, as far as detail.

Cool! Thanks warrior. I noticed that I use the exact same dubbing wax (Loon Outdoors High Tack SWAX).

 

[professori]

Good points prof. Hook - is that deer hair for the tail, or longer guard hairs from the hares mask? Btw - the hare's ear is supposed to be one of the finest searching patterns - but I've only had limited success with this fly (for stillwaters). Anyone else had success with this fly in our local waters?

It is a great pattern for rivers and I have taken many fish from the Skagit, Similkameen, Horsefly, etc. on them. They are impressionistic rather than imitative, which I think explains the better success in flowing water than in stillwater (less time to examine and offering in the rivers than lakes).

 

[11th Warrior]

I've had moderate success using it on stillwater but I haven't done any river fishing (yet). Fishing it on a WF6ST usually works for me on my local lake. I've seen guys troll them as well (didn't think it was a trolling fly).

As for the dubbing wax...Swax is great stuff!! I also have a tube of WASPI super-tack which is also pretty good (depends on what I pull out of the desk first, lol)

I've used both hare's mask and deer hair for the tail and for me, I like the look of the hare's mask better. I like the color HOOK used.

One other thing HOOK....don't forget to pinch the barb before you start tying. I'd hate to see you break a hook AFTER you're tied up issed:

 

[mcallagan]

Hare's Ear is one of my go to flys but, that's a different thread.
Anyway, I usually use hare's mask for all of the body. The tail, then spinning the hair on the waxed thread for the abdomen and then using a dubbing loop with it and lots of guard hairs for the throax.
Usually I find that if I don't use a wide enough turkey quill patch for the wing casing it tends to split into the individual strands.
Also works well with a gold bead head.

 

[HOOK]

the tail is guards hairs from a Hares mask and im not really wanting to play around with Wax to get dubbing to stick LOL I tied another one after i posted this and it came out alot better but i still need to work on getting the body thicker. I painted some "hard as nails" on the turkey and let it dry while i started the fly and it worked very well to keep the feather together. and mine is tied with a Gold beadhead :thumbup:


i have a question about this fly. If this was tied basically the same way but with 6legs and the entire fly tied in Black or whatever could it represent a Stonefly?

thanks for the tips. and thank you especially to Prof. for letting me know it works good on the Skagit cause i planned on trying it up there ;D and thought it would be a decent moving water fly. I ahve done good with this fly with and without legs HOWEVER usually i do the best when the wind is howling pretty good. i just cast it toward the wind blown shore OR from the wind blown shore and retrieve, the fish hit it pretty hard most of the time and destroy the turkey quickly as well :naughty:

 

[11th Warrior]

Here's what I've tied for a stonefly (although this is not my picture, it's the instructions I used and mine is pretty close). The thorax is peacock herl, the wing case is deer hair and I used silver mylar for the ribbing. The body is angora dubbing.

 

[ed fisher]

Fuzzy flies are fine. I prefer my hare's ear nymphs to be fuzzy. During a caddis hatch, you can take your fuzzy hare's ear and treat it with some spray floatant, then add a split shot to your line (might not be necessary with a bead head). What this does is it allows tiny air bubbles to become entrapped within the fuzz, emulating an ovipositing caddis or a hatching mayfly. Dead drift the fly as usual, followed by a swing. Trout LOVE bubbly nymphs (don't we all? )

For turkey tail, use Krylon fixative as another poster already suggested. Personally, I find pheasant tail to be easier to work with for the wing pads.

 

[Fish Finder]

Good points prof. Hook - is that deer hair for the tail, or longer guard hairs from the hares mask? Btw - the hare's ear is supposed to be one of the finest searching patterns - but I've only had limited success with this fly (for stillwaters). Anyone else had success with this fly in our local waters?

The Hares Ear is my top producing May Fly Nymph Pattern in my box. Actually it's the only one I carry, : just in various sizes and colors. ;D Rest assured if you witness a good Calibetis hatch coming off, this little guy the retreived under the surface should bring a few fish to the boat.

Finder