Flymph Challenge - Rabbits Foot Dubbing

[William Anderson]

Bill, thanks for the variety and the comparisons. I like the second pattern for its aesthetic. Thanks for the discussion on the source material. Lots I hadn't considered. Not being a hunter, I rely on the the final product for retail. I have a bunch of these things, but hadn't realized the background.

Eric, this is what I had in mind when I heard of the challenge. You've really nailed it. When I say it I recalled the White Miller's you tied in Montana with the cream dubbing spun on green thread and the cream/white hackle. This would have been a strong pattern at the time.


w

[Mataura mayfly]

Okay.... time for me to do some research.... 'what is a usual?"

[redietz]

Okay.... time for me to do some research.... 'what is a usual?"

One of Fran Betters' more famous patterns:

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/ol ... art439.php.

[Mataura mayfly]

Kind of what I thought, thanks for the link.
Sure not a common pattern here- common style, but not that particular way. Mind you, fly down here and see if you can buy Shoeshoe Hares feet anywhere in a hurry.
But, it is kind of the same as our Hare & Copper nymphs- apart from copious amounts of heavy copper wire. The Hare & Copper I learnt, had a tail of Hare guard hairs, body of Hare fur and wingbuds pointing back over the thorax of Hare guard hairs. Be the easiest way to get a wet usual- not a flymph, but a nymph.

[fly_fischa]

It seems like an eternity since I tied a soft hackle. Felt inspired to shave a rabbits foot and have a go. Here a couple of straggly misfits snapped on the phone

[letumgo]

Karsten - That bug will hunt! Man, it's nice seeing you back at the vice. Your phone photography rivals the stuff normally requiring a DSLR camera. Impressive.

Now you have a perfect excuse to go fishing.

[Smuggler]

Eric, this is what I had in mind when I heard of the challenge. You've really nailed it. When I say it I recalled the White Miller's you tied in Montana with the cream dubbing spun on green thread and the cream/white hackle. This would have been a strong pattern at the time.

Thanks William. Incorporating the snowshoe into the collar seemed essential for me. After all, it is a Usual Flymph!

[tie2fish]

Some flies just look like they will attract fish, and this is definitely one of them. Very nice, Karsten. I am especially impressed by the shot from "down under" .

[fly_fischa]

Thanks Bill and Ray, it was fun tying a couple of flies for a change. I never thought of using ssrf as a dubbing material, but I like it. Nice and buggy, difficult to tame...

K

[Mataura mayfly]

Okay, more nymph than flymph....... but this is basically how I would tie an NZ style Hare & Copper, but without the copper wire underbody and ribbing.
Kind of an unusual usual.



Above is tied on a Mustad 1575 #13, Pearsall's hot orange (well waxed), tail is European Brown Hare foot hairs from the underside of the foot, dubbing loop formed with the tying thread, more wax, shorter Hare foot fur applied and spun- wound forward to the "wing bud" area. Another clump of guard hairs as per tail tied on top of the shank, thread waxed and noodle dubbed with Hare foot underfur.

Then there is this one.



Much the same, except the tail was tied in and the thread bought forward over the tail butts in more open turns- the abdomen is not dubbed at all.