Hare's Ear Parachute

I used a Hare's Ear Parachute recently that I kinda liked! It was given to me by a friend some time ago and he doesn't recall what tailing material he used. Looks a bit like very fine deer hair, as it does not splay much. I suppose it could also be hare's mask guard hairs. Anyway, here's my question....

Assuming you tie this fly pattern, what do you like for tail material?

Is there an "original recipe" somewhere that calls for a particular tailing material?

Thanks.

Peter F.

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Peter F
www.fishingwithflies.com
pfrailey@hotmail.com

Peter,
In John Geirach's book Good Flies, he says that Ed Schroeder's original pattern called for a split tail of elk mane or elk hock. When Geirach started tying it he used a straight tail of black moose body hair, but later switched to a tail of bleached moose body hair because he just liked the way it looked. He says the key to the fly is to make the body of hare's ear as thin as you can dub it to help the fly float, because hare's ear fur will absorb water.
Joe

Peter - I usually tie them with squirrel tail (red squirrel). Dunno why, probably closest tail material at hand. Ties nicely and doesn't flare much.

darrell,

I LOVE a good hare's ear parachute, I find them a tremendous March Brown imitation as well as generally buggy all round fly. Sort of my own personal version of the Adams, I guess.

I just use brown dry fly hackle fibers for the tail. Or grizzly. Or the Leon chickens. Maybe calf tail. That is to say..."yes"......

I fish these a lot.

I use black moose body hair most of the time for tails. Slimmer and more durable than deer or elk hair.

Lately, I've been using rusty orange thread which shows through the hare dubbing when wet. I kinda like the red head.

I am a fan of calf tail, it flairs out a little to give it more of a wing look, it is light, and stiff.

Joe Fox