Hi Guys,
I've been reading through this thread and thought I might throw in a few remarks that might help sort out some of the tying and fishing issues for the DHE.
Floating: these flies are meant to sink. Or let's say fish in or under the surface, deeper than a Klinkhamer Special. I think of them as floating nymphs, from the same kennel as old W H Lawrie's 'hatching nymph' series. The wing is primarily a sighter.
Snowshoe Hare foot fur really does the job for me on smaller flies. It compresses so well and a wee tuft goes a long way. I never tie them as small as you guys are going, and rarely go below a 16.
If it's genuine snowshoe hare foot fur, you should have no floating issues. The stuff floats like a cork, and if treated with a dab of floatant will float for hours even after many trout. The natural undyed stuff is highly visible at great distances in low light.
Tying: I tie the DHE as shown in Hans Weilenmann's You Tube video, DHE 2.0. This makes for a nice slim abdomen. I no longer tie the wing in first and cover the deer hair butts with the abdomen dubbing. I tie the wing in after the abdomen and trim the butts at a steep angle (slightly more wedge shaped than in Hans' video). I reckon this gives the wing strong support and keeps it upright.
I usually tie the wing in a semi-Comparadun fan shape. But if you like the fly to ride a bit higher in the water, a Comparadun wing will help. I like the fly body to be completely submerged, so a slim wing keeps the fly body running deeper. Just gink the wing.
I notice that a couple of you tyers aren't leaving much room for the thorax. There's no doubt they'll catch fish, but if the wing is set forward the fly will suspend like a shuttlecock pattern, if it floats at all. Spiderman's ties are they way I like them.
A good summer hare pelt has less underfur, so you get plenty of glossy guard hair in the dubbing. The dark hare fur is from the New Zealand hare, just the European Brown hare, but of which there are millions. I keep meaning to be at the head count at the annual Easter Bunny hunt at Alexandra on the South Island, but keep missing it. Lot of dubbing going to waste there each year.
Hope that helps. Tight lines.
Bob