[Ben Dixon]

On the original topic ,i've received the Grey coloured Comparadun hair today, so BWO's here we come

Dude, do you like paying postage? 

[Sandy Nelson]

Dude, do you like paying postage? 

Cheaper than the petrol and much quicker than the last time

Sandy

[Ben Dixon]

Guys sit at a vice and “doodle”  with materials then give it some naff name like “The Cairngorm Killer”  or something equally daft.  

That doodling and thought processes that go along with it can be fun, Dave.  Tonight I've tied up something called the "Upper Deeside Execution, no footprint, dun". Away to doodle some more, very theraputic.

Cheers

Ben  

[Ben Dixon]

Cheaper than the petrol and much quicker than the last time

Sandy

If it's letterbox size it should be next day, if needing couriered  then quicker to get from Andover as something I send to you from Banchory goes via Birmingham  ??? Sorry for logging thread!

[Eddie Sinclair]

Aye, I've been hearing about your tying prowess so I know you will have well stocked boxes.

Iain

Someone is telling porkies, I only have a couple of hastily tied beasties to take with me as number one son has failed to return my fly boxes from his honeymoon, being an auld mannie I cannot tie as quickly as I once could.

Eddie

[Hamish Young]

Never feel the need to go smaller, in fact Hamish proved to me a long time ago that there were much better ways to get a trout to take, when they appear to be taking small stuff, It took a good bit of beating round the head but eventually he got me half canned and i gave in Funnily enough he was right and i've never really looked back and i tend to hook and land the buggers too.

As always there are a couple of exceptions

Sandy

  You'd better come up and try some of the waters up here bonnie lad  the DHE will serve you well... plus some old school stuff too 

H

[Sandy Nelson]

You'd better come up and try some of the waters up here bonnie lad 

Thats a definate Dude, just have to try and figure out when is good

Sandy

[Marc Fauvet]

in fact Hamish proved to me a long time ago that there were much better ways to get a trout to take, when they appear to be taking small stuff,

cough it up !!! (use code words if you feel the need to be secretive...  )

[Sandy Nelson]

Marc

I would but you can never get the grannoms back off them.

Sandy

[Eddie Sinclair]

Folks,
I tied a number of these on SLD's which hooks are you using that give the right shape xxx and profile and are light enough to allow best floating ability.

Eddie.

[Sandy Nelson]

Eddie

Im using B100's in 12-16 and the orvis hooks Ben mentioned in 18-20.
Although the 20 I photoed was on a different hook I think it was a 2487BL.

I like the B100 shape and the orvis hook is very similar, it lends itself to the pattern.

Sandy

[Eddie Sinclair]

Sandy,
Thanks. After fishing these a few times this year I am truly converted. I am going to fish a hares lug and pond olive version on the limestone waters up North next week.

Eddie

[dryfly]

Thanks for that Mike and for any confusion caused. 

[Bob Wyatt]

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

[Sandy Nelson]

Welcome to the Forum Bob

Great to have an opinion straight from the source . I must admit having played with the small DHE's for a few weeks now , i've been finding fishing any smaller than a 16 is not ideal and a small klink or F-Fly works better. So i see where you are coming from. Still can't get happy with snowshoe though But the standard one tied with the Comparadun hair is doing the business so its not an issue. I've been using a wire rib too to help sink the body as i noticed if the body isn't hanging right in the water the fish ignore it until it does.

Cheers

Sandy