# Hare's Mask



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

I bought a hare's mask today to make some hare's ear nymphs, and begin my foray in to tying trout flies (as opposed to warm water flies). How do you guys go about making dubbing with it?
I would rather not have to purchase a coffee grinder specifically for this. I have heard about poking little air holes in a ziplock bag, putting hair in it, and blasting in it with a can of compressed air.


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

just pull the hare from the hide.....I normally just get my dubbing by the bag , and I have a rabbit skin I pull hair from for the tails on nymphs.....The coffee grinder thing is used to make dubbing from yarn .....buy cutting 1/4'' snips of yarn and running them thru the coffee grinder.....I use Aunt Lydia's rug yarn .....the fibers have very rick color and have a nice sparkle without looking flashy....makes very nice nymphs .....But natural hare dubbing like rabbit and squirrel tend to be easier to work with.....I have never tried running the hair from the hide thru the grinder but it is a thought....you would just clip the hair from the hide and run the grinder.....the length of the hair can be varied for the need....a coffee grinder inst very much $ and it is a good thing to have....I mix my own dubbing for certain nymphs I use on the Mad ....I can come pretty close to matching the color of the natural bug that way.....not that it matters that much but what the hell fly tying is fun and I have seen trout refuse a fly for what ever reason...


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## briney dave (Aug 28, 2013)

I do about the same: snip and pinch that is a fun fly to tye as you can get into a groove and knock out a bunch in an hour


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## Rockyraccoon (Jun 19, 2012)

Flymaker said:


> just pull the hare from the hide.....I normally just get my dubbing by the bag , and I have a rabbit skin I pull hair from for the tails on nymphs.


That's spot on advice. 

You can buy very buggy looking dubbing in several colors and thickness for much cheaper than the entire mask. 

And your mask will make beautiful tails on all of them.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

I like to pinch a clumb of hair and cut it as close to the skin as possible. With the pinched cut hair still squeezed between your fingers pull out the underfur with your other hand. This separates the stiff longer guard hairs from the underfur. I'st much like hand stacking bucktail, when you separate the shorter hairs. Now you have a pinch of fuzzy underfur dubbing to twist on the thread for the thorax and abdomen, and a clump of guard hairs for the tail. The fur at the base of the ears is my favorite for this. I just grab a clump per fly as I tie. It's an old school and traditional way to tie this fly, and fun.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tackle-addict said:


> I like to pinch a clumb of hair and cut it as close to the skin as possible. With the pinched cut hair still squeezed between your fingers pull out the underfur with your other hand. This separates the stiff longer guard hairs from the underfur. I'st much like hand stacking bucktail, when you separate the shorter hairs. Now you have a pinch of fuzzy underfur dubbing to twist on the thread for the thorax and abdomen, and a clump of guard hairs for the tail. The fur at the base of the ears is my favorite for this. I just grab a clump per fly as I tie. It's an old school and traditional way to tie this fly, and fun.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Thanks man, that sounds like what I will do. I have also read about leaving some guard hairs in for dubbing the thorax, so it looks really buggy. I will probably try some in every way haha.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> Thanks man, that sounds like what I will do. I have also read about leaving some guard hairs in for dubbing the thorax, so it looks really buggy. I will probably try some in every way haha.


Cool! It always ends up being my goto fly even though I always want to fish something modern and flashy.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tackle-addict said:


> Cool! It always ends up being my goto fly even though I always want to fish something modern and flashy.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


My research keeps turning up the Hare's Ear, both as a simple tie for learning and as a versatile fish catcher. Sounds like a good choice to me!

The plan was to also get some pheasant tail to tie some Pheasant Tails, but Bass Pro didn't seem to have any, so I will need to look elsewhere.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> The plan was to also get some pheasant tail to tie some Pheasant Tails, but Bass Pro didn't seem to have any, so I will need to look elsewhere.


I had a crapload, from a pheasant I hunted, until my cat found the stash! Apparently better than catnip. Also, I was at Field and Stream yesterday and they have some. I'm leery of their private label brand Superfly though. I purchased some Superfly marabou that I'm really unhappy with.



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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tackle-addict said:


> I had a crapload, from a pheasant I hunted, until my cat found the stash! Apparently better than catnip. Also, I was at Field and Stream yesterday and they have some. I'm leery of their private label brand Superfly though. I purchased some Superfly marabou that I'm really unhappy with.
> 
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Really? Hmm, I haven't been there yet. Bass Pro had a whole pheasant skin but I'm pretty sure places sell just tail feathers don't they?

Welp, looks like I forgot to get turkey quills for the wing case, so I'll need to hit the fly shop anyways.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> Really? Hmm, I haven't been there yet. Bass Pro had a whole pheasant skin but I'm pretty sure places sell just tail feathers don't they?
> 
> Welp, looks like I forgot to get turkey quills for the wing case, so I'll need to hit the fly shop anyways.


Yep, you can just but the tail feathers. FYI, if you coat the turkey quills this flexible head cement or spray fix they are much less frustrating to work with a wing cases. It helps hold the fibers together.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tackle-addict said:


> Yep, you can just but the tail feathers. FYI, if you coat the turkey quills this flexible head cement or spray fix they are much less frustrating to work with a wing cases. It helps hold the fibers together.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Do you coat/spray the feather before you cut pieces out for the wing case?


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> Do you coat/spray the feather before you cut pieces out for the wing case?


Yes, at least that's how I do it.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Tackle-addict said:


> Yes, at least that's how I do it.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


That is a good idea. I am also considering flashback material.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> That is a good idea. I am also considering flashback material.


That's cool. You can add a drop of epoxy on top of the flash copper john style.

Along the lines of rabbit dubbing I just chopped up a chartreuse zonker strip with some chartreuse ice dub. I just used scissors. I'm happy with the results.










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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Looks great Tackle-Addict! You are a great fly tier!


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> Looks great Tackle-Addict! You are a great fly tier!


Thank you for the complement!


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

This post about tying non-traditional hare's ear nymphs coincidentally came up on a blog I follow. It ties in nicely with this thread.

http://www.flyfishfood.com/2014/02/tie-killer-hares-ear.html


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## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

kingofamberley said:


> Do you coat/spray the feather before you cut pieces out for the wing case?


I use flex coat and a paint brush. I will use a whole turkey quill at a time and that way I am done doing it for a couple of weeks.

use that whole Hares mask too. if you go somewhere like hobby lobby, get some angora yarn with a little bit of flash material throw it in a coffee grinder or mix it will your fingers and you get some really cool flashy, spiky dubbing. Plus you can make your own blends.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

So it turns out I was wrong, BPS did have pheasant tail, I just didn't know what I was looking for. Got some now!


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

kingofamberley said:


> So it turns out I was wrong, BPS did have pheasant tail, I just didn't know what I was looking for. Got some now!


Nice. I was going to message you last night. I was at Delamere and Hopkins picking up some prism eyes for some poppers. They also have plenty of pheasant tails, along with plenty of other animals tails too.


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