Snowshoe Rabbit

[McSneek]

A lot of people rave about snow shoe rabbit foot fur for winging material. Another material that “floats like a cork.” I picked some up and have used it for caddis wings and mayfly wings. I think it soaks up water like a sponge and would say cdc is a 1000 times better. I think I’ve cleaned out enough guard hairs and am using the correct fur and amount on my flies. I’m curious about others’ experience with this material. Maybe someone can help me before the bunny feet get relegated to the junk bin.

 

[Bamboozle]

Other than foam and cork, I've never found anything that floats like the latter...

I use snowshoe for a couple of patterns, most that happen to be emergers so maybe my floating expectations are a bit less than yours. However in these patterns, the snowshoe wing is all that is holding up the fly.

When fishing them, like just any material except foam I absolutely treat the snowshoe wing to aid in flotation. Lately I have been using Liquid Mucilin because I find it is easier to treat JUST THE WING on my emergers with a liquid versus a powder.

When treated the stuff does float well and long, longer that similar emergers I tie with CDC.

I never tried it for caddis or mayfly wings...

 

[afishinado]

A lot of people rave about snow shoe rabbit foot fur for winging material. Another material that “floats like a cork.” I picked some up and have used it for caddis wings and mayfly wings. I think it soaks up water like a sponge and would say cdc is a 1000 times better. I think I’ve cleaned out enough guard hairs and am using the correct fur and amount on my flies. I’m curious about others’ experience with this material. Maybe someone can help me before the bunny feet get relegated to the junk bin.

Only the bottom of the feet are suitable to use for floating a fly. The rest of the foot does absorb waters and is only suitable for dubbing wets or nymphs. Check out this video for some really good info >

 

[JeffK]

I love snowshoe - have to get the right stuff and treat it, but I think it cleans up better than CDC after a few fish. Mostly tie a split wing, but Usuals and Snowshoe hare caddis are also in my box.

I don't like dyed snowshoe hare. Years back I got some early season feet that were a salt and pepper gray and they worked great for early season mayflies and olives. Haven't found them lately. The dyed dun feet aren't close to a natural gray.

 

[Tigereye]

Very informative video. Especially like the idea of compacting the thorax wth thread vs adding bulk.

 

[CRB]

I've used it for wings comparidine style and as spent wings. I really like it for emergers.
You have to watch out what kind of feet you have as there was a shortage of snow shoe about ten years ago and shops subsituted other rabbit feet for them.

 

[McSneek]

Only the bottom of the feet are suitable to use for floating a fly. The rest of the foot does absorb waters and is only suitable for dubbing wets or nymphs. Check out this video for some really good info >

Thanks for the video. I am definitely using fur from the bottom of the foot. Using Frogs Fanny or the equivalent as a float at. Might play around with it some more tomorrow.

 

[nfrechet]

cdc doesnt last very long after getting fish slime all over it

 

[McSneek]

cdc doesnt last very long after getting fish slime all over it

Lasts long enough if you’re willing to take the time to dry it out and retreat it. I often have duplicate flies so if a cdc pattern starts to get too slimed and water logged I just tie on a fresh one. I don’t think the rabbit fur lasts long either.

 

[lprudente]

I am a big fan of the snowshoe foot, find it to be very buoyant and durable. My advice would be to use the "crinkly" fibers. They are typically just long enough that you can grab a pinch and cut off near the skin. Whatever you do, don't let go of the fibers once you grab them. They will go all over the place and will be impossible to pick up and stack.

 

[lprudente]

Here is an example, it is one of my fly swap submissions.

 

[baileyoconnell]

I find myself using EP Fibers in lieu of snowshoe rabbit any more. More buoyan.

 

[mtelesha]

I don't think what we are sold as snow hare they mostly are fine print Jackrabbit or Hare. I would say it has been a decade since I seen a real snow hare in a fly shop. EBay is your best friend.
Side note: My first snow hare leg was from Francis Betters at his fly shop when I was 12. I saved it for decades and then I lost 90% of my material when I moved 🙁

 

[CRB]

I don't think what we are sold as snow hare they mostly are fine print Jackrabbit or Hare. I would say it has been a decade since I seen a real snow hare in a fly shop. EBay is your best friend.
Side note: My first snow hare leg was from Francis Betters at his fly shop when I was 12. I saved it for decades and then I lost 90% of my material when I moved 🙁

I have to agree. Last time I purchased one was 2009 and it was very hard to find.

 

[Sylvaneous]

A lot of people rave about snow shoe rabbit foot fur for winging material. Another material that “floats like a cork.” I picked some up and have used it for caddis wings and mayfly wings. I think it soaks up water like a sponge and would say cdc is a 1000 times better. I think I’ve cleaned out enough guard hairs and am using the correct fur and amount on my flies. I’m curious about others’ experience with this material. Maybe someone can help me before the bunny feet get relegated to the junk bin.

I'll back what most say here about Snowshoe Hare's feet. It IS a bugger to work with; lots of waste. Hard to cut off what you need when you only need a little and shorter hairs and not have a lot of the fibers get mixed, lost, out of place, etc. I have good luck with treated CDC coming back after a fish and sometimes not. Hare's foot fibers pretty consistently recover from a fish well. Plus there's the benefit of using Gink and whatever on hare's foot. For caddis wings, I stick with CDC except when I make caddis for 'blue-lining'. THe CDC caddis wing works well on the swing and is much more lively and flow-y.
But it IS more of a pain to work with.

 

[Cebe]

I begged/got four hare’s feet from hunters I talked with in the field this winter.
Looking for some fly ideas. It was this thread that got me to interested in this forum again.

 

[Facemelted]

The only time I ever buy Snowshoe feet is for when someone wants me to tie Usual's... That is quite rare. Poly yarn is much more viable and you get a ton on a hank/card etc.

It's such a pain to find decent feet this day and age. Not worth it IMO.

CDC/Poly will work just fine if not better.

 

[Billems]

One thing ya'll are missing when it comes to snowshoe feet, is...they attract trout. I think it's because the good stuff is shiny and sparkles like polar bear hair. They don't float as well as cdc, but it has an attracting edge that other flies don't have.