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$1.00 Each
I have been using snowshoe feet to tie flies for about 5
years. I began by using them as a
substitute for more traditional materials in my standard patterns.
In addition, now I find myself tying patterns designed specifically
around hare’s feet. Both endeavors have proved successful.
Lets
begin by discussing the fly tying properties of snowshoe feet.
On the bottom of the hare’s hind foot you will find long (1/2 inch)
buoyant, kink resistant, and non-absorbent hair.
This stuff floats just as well as CDC and deer hair without some of the
disadvantages. Deer hair, when used
as a wing, breaks and frays easily and CDC becomes slimed after a few fish.
Hare’s feet come in various natural colors.
In summer and early fall the foot hairs are dun to tan colored.
This is an excellent natural color as all we fly tyers know.
Hares harvested in early fall have premium feet.
As winter approaches Snowshoe Hares turn white all over and their foot
hairs turn cream to white color. Cream color hare’s feet can be used natural or can be
easily dyed. I have dyed hare’s
feet many different colors using just cheap
department store dye and standard dying techniques. You can also color the hair using permanent marker.
Next I will discuss how I have used hare’s feet to improve some of my old favorites. It all started with the standard issue wet salmon fly. Here on The Rock (Newfoundland) we traditionally tie hair wing conversions of the old salmon classics using moose hair or squirrel tail for a wing. For the throat I have always used the old standard hen neck. One night I was just fiddling with a hare’s foot and wondering how I could use it on a salmon fly. The hair was hardly long enough to use for a wing on a #8 salmon fly so I decided to test the stuff out as a throat material. I dyed a foot kingfisher blue and tied up a couple of Blue Charms. The flies looked fine and the material was easy to work with, but Salmo Salar himself would have the final say. The results were excellent. I have since hooked countless salmon on flies with throats of dyed hare’s feet. Another of my favorite salmon flies is the Brown Bomber. It is traditional tied with a tail and wing of calf tail, a cigar shaped spun deer hair body, and a palmered hackle. I have successfully used hare’s foot as a substitute for the calf tail in both the tail and wing. The wulff series of flies is also quite popular for Atlantic Salmon. These have a calf tail split wing and tail. Hare’s feet significantly improves the floatability of these flies especially when used in fast water. One of my own salmon/trout creations is constructed completely from snowshoe hare (except the thread and hook). It is essentially a grey wulff with a tail and split wing of hare’s foot. The dubbed body is snowshoe hare under fur and the hackle is formed from the hare’s guard hairs.
I
have also dug up a few patterns designed specifically around the hare’s foot.
They are as follows:
·
Da
Usual (I have found this fly very effective for still water trout)
Hook – standard dry fly (size 12 – 22)