A.P. Hare's Ear

[Rac]

Im looking for a recipe for an AP hare's ear formerly tied by LL Bean. I was asked to duplicate the fly and cant get it quite right. Tailing and wing case material is a mystery. Both light tan colored feathers. Any info would help

[RonMT]

The Ap flies were out of Englad. They are called "All Purpose Nymph's". The thing that was so neat about them is that you used the same material to tie the tail, legs and wing case with and you do not cut it off until you are done with the whole fly. That is why you need long fibers. I have tied them for years and they are good nymph's.

For the hare's ear I use woodduck flank feathers. Use a section of a real long fibered one. You can use light mottled turkey or bleached pheasant tail fibers and get the same effect. The fish do not care. and they look just about the same. If you need me to I will tell you how to tie them as I learned from the article that I first read in an English Fly Fishing Magazine when they first came out many years ago. Ron

[hurly]

Ron
I can figure out the tail and wing case from the same feather, but how do you get legs from the same feather?
Hurly


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A foolish consistancy is the hobgoblin of small minds

[RonMT]

There are two ways to do this nymph. One you use the feather for the tail then cover the feather fibers under the dubbing and then it comes out and goes over the thorax as a wing case.
You start the fibers that will be used for this fly in the middle of the hooks shank. Wrap them down with your thread and take severl wraps back toward the tail. Before you get to the tail area cut the excess fibers that are in the bunch to be used for the wing case and legs. This will leave say 3 to 5 for the tail. Wrap these down ending at the back of the hook. Now fold back the fibers that will be used for the wing case and legs wrapping them back over the tail with a couple of wraps of thread. Tie in the goldwire then dub the abdomen up to the thorax area. Bring the feather over the top of the abdomen of the fly and wrap it down at the back of the thorax with the thread now come over the feather fibers with the goldwire. Tying both off right were the thorax will start. Now dub your thorax making sure is is a little larger around than the abdomen. Bring the tail and back fibers over the top and tie them down just behind the hooks eye. Now take two or three fibers and pull them back toward the rear on the sides of the fly and take a couple of wraps with your thread tying these fibers down on the sides, now do the same on the other side. Dub just a little dubbing for the head and whip finish your thread. Now go back and cut the fibers that you pulled to the rear and on the side of the fly to the right length and you have your leggs. I normally cut my leg length right at the back of the wingcase.
You can use many materials to tie this fly with I use Moose maine, Elk maine, feathers such as turkey, goose, woodduck, mallard and so on. As long as the fibers are long enough they will work well. It just takes a little time to learn to get the right ammount of fibers with the right length to start with.
If I can I will tie this fly for the Fly of the week in the near future. I think it is one that people would like to see and learn as it fishes well and is nice looking when finished. Ron

[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 28 April 2005).]

[Hans Weilenmann]

Hi Ron,

Are you certain the AP Nymph (name and concept) originated in England? The way I understood it the AP Nymph name and approach were coined by Andy Puyans, where AP was used both as All Purpose and Andy's initials.

Cheers,
Hans W


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=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier

[RonMT]

Positive. I know Puyans and he did come up with some of the different patterns but the idea for the way it is tied came from England. I will tell you more later LOL Ron

[Breeze]

Ron, you seem to know a lot about a lot. I am reading JAck Dennis's Western Trout Fly tying manual Volume II and on page 64 he identifies the AP Nymph Series developed by Andre Puyans, a talented professional fly tyer from Wallnut Creek CA. Could there be two Puyans?
Breeze

[RonMT]

Nope just one. Been in this business for better than 40 years now. Been an outfitter and guide and done some shows around the country. Also tied for a living most of my life. I won't say more on this on the net but The pattern in question was an english pattern. Just because it say's it in a book does not make it so. I know Puyan's and he is a very good tier, one of the best I have seen. But I will again say that I saw this pattern in an English Fly Fishing magazine it was called the All Purpose Nymph in that magazine and this was long before anyone here came out with it. Now could a person come up with the same fly and not know it? Sure could it has happened before. I am just saying that the fly was in an English magazine long before I saw the fly done by anyone here.

Just as an example. I came up with a pattern some years ago while working as a consultant with a large fly fishing company. I did some show's in the midwest and showed people how to tie this fly at those shows. A fellow called me after I got home that was at those shows he was in the business and said he would like to tie them for his shop and asked if I would help get the materials for these flies as it was a new materal at the time and the company I worked for was the only one carrying it at the time. So I got the materials for him and sent them to him. Some time later he came out with a tying tape with this fly on it. But he also said it was a new pattern that he came up with? He also had an article in TU magazine on this same fly and again it was "His" pattern.
I really don't care much one way or another about this the only thing that really bothered me was that he took advantage of me in getting the materials for him when he didn't have an account with the company that I worked for. I think you get the picture. At least I hope so. Ron

[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 29 April 2005).]

[Bob Widmaier]

JC & LF:

Could we get this pattern on an upcoming Fly of the Week??? Sounds like the article is already written here, all we need is the tying sequence. Looks like RonMT could do it. I would like to learn to tye some.

Dr Bob

[RonMT]

Dr Bob- I said I would go it for the board but it will take me a little bit to do. I have a rush order I am working on right now that has to be done by this coming Wednesday for 53 dozen flies. After that I will be glad to do it for the site. Just can't stop to do it right now.
I will do one pattern of the AP nymph and tie several others with different materials so people can see what you can do with them. Ron

PS: Get your camera out JC LOL