The Hair Leg GRHE Thorax & Hair Legs
After the abdomen is completed, a clump of peacock herl is tied in to be used to form the covert. The herl is pretrimmed so it can be tied in quickly and accurately. The thread is wrapped forward to the eye and then back to the rear of the abdomen. Dubbing is spun onto the tying thread and pushed up to the hook shank. Don’t worry if it’s a bit loose on the thread. It will be spun in a loop and will be absolutely secure (Figure 1).
Form a spinning loop. The dubbing will be on one leg of the loop. Pull a good sized clump of guard hairs from the back of a cottontail rabbit skin, and insert them into the loop at right angles to the thread. Spread them out along the top inch or so of the loop, and then spin the loop tight (Figure 2).
Wrap the spun dubbing/guard hair legs forward over the thorax, stroking the guard hairs back after each wrap so they are not trapped by the subsequent wrap (Figure 3).
Stroke the hairs that are sticking up out to the sides, fold the herl forward tightly over the top of the thorax and secure them at the head. Tie off the thread in front of the herl. Clip the waste end of the herl to the same length as the hook eye. Stroke the guard hair legs out to sides, and cut off any that are sticking downward (Figures 4 & 5).
Figure 1. Tie in the pretrimmed herl and apply dubbing to the tying thread.
Figure 2. Form a spinning loop and inset guard hairs in the loop at right angles to the thread.
Figure 3. Spin the loop tight and wrap it over the thorax .
Figure 4. Fold the herl over the top of the thorax and tie ti down at the head. Trim the legs off the bottom of the fly.
Figure 5. The completed Hair Leg GRHE, top view.