Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear

Materials

Hook

3X-long nymph hook (Dai-Riki 285), sizes 12-20, or a 2X-long nymph hook (TMC 5262) 8-18

Beadoptional

Gold, 7/64 in on 12-14, 3/32 in on 16, 5/64 in on 18The Beadhead variant; leave it off for the classic.

Weightoptional

.015 lead-free round wire, 8-10 wraps, pushed into the back of the bead and locked with Zap-A-Gap

Thread

Olive or dark brown 6/0 or 70 denier

Tail

10-12 pheasant tail fibres (Orvis tie); classic uses hare's mask guard hairs or hen back fibres

Rib

Gold Ultra Wire, brassie; classic uses fine flat or oval gold tinsel

Abdomen

Hare's mask dubbing blended with rabbit, natural; olive-dyed hare's mask for the Olive variantUse the finer fur from the face for the abdomen.

Wingcase

The pheasant tail butts pulled forward (Orvis tie); classic uses a slip of mottled turkey tail

Thorax

Coarse hare's mask fur with the guard hairs left in, picked out

Coatingoptional

UV Clear Fly Finish or head cement on the wingcase

Steps

1. 1.If tying the beadhead, slide the bead on small hole first, then wrap 8-10 turns of lead-free wire and push them into the back of the bead; start the thread behind the wire and ramp over it.
2. 2.Tie in the gold wire rib along the near side of the shank and bind it back to the start of the bend.
3. 3.Tie in the pheasant tail bundle as a tail about half a shank long, binding the butts forward toward the bead without trimming; they become the wingcase later. (Classic tie: a short bunch of guard hairs for the tail, butts trimmed.)
4. 4.Dub a tapered abdomen from the tail base to about two-thirds up the shank, twisting the finer face fur tight on the thread so the body stays slim at the rear.
5. 5.Spiral the gold rib forward in four or five evenly spaced turns, tie it off and break the wire.
6. 6.Fold the pheasant tail butts back over the abdomen and take a few wraps at the front of the abdomen so they point to the rear. (Classic tie: tie in a turkey slip here, shiny side down.)
7. 7.Dub a fuller, rougher thorax with the coarse guard-hair blend, leaving room behind the bead or eye.
8. 8.Pull the wingcase forward over the thorax, tie it down behind the bead, and trim the butts.
9. 9.Whip finish. Coat the wingcase with UV resin or cement, then rough the thorax and abdomen with a velcro brush so the guard hairs stand out as legs.

From the tier

• Orvis/Flagler: it does not imitate one insect but suggests many at once; a greased, beadless version fished in the film is deadly when insects are emerging, and a velcro brush makes the guard hairs stand out.
• Trevor Morgan (Global FlyFisher) found that bodies heavy in guard hairs outfished ones dominated by underfur; he dubs fox squirrel in a rolled finger of fur, ribs with three or four turns of flat gold, and picks the body out with a pin.
• Michigan: DIY Fly Fishing lists the beadhead Hare's Ear in 12-20 for resident trout on the Muskegon below Croton Dam.

Hook and hardware

• 3X-long nymph hooks1 pack of 25

  sizes 12-16 · Dai-Riki 285

  Hook

  1 pack of 25

Feathers and fur

• Pheasant tail, natural1 pair of centre tails

  TailWingcase

  1 pair of centre tails

• Hare's mask1 mask (or 1 pack Hare's Ear Plus dubbing)

  natural; olive-dyed for the Olive variant

  AbdomenThorax

  1 mask (or 1 pack Hare's Ear Plus dubbing)

• Turkey tail, mottledoptional1 feather

  Wingcase

  For the classic wingcase.

  1 feather

Synthetics, flash and legs

• Ultra Wire1 spool

  gold, brassie · UTC

  Rib

  1 spool

Thread and finish

• Thread1 spool

  olive or dark brown 6/0

  Thread

  1 spool

• UV Clear Fly Finish or head cementoptional1 bottle

  Coating

  1 bottle

• Zap-A-Gapoptional1 tube

  Weight

  1 tube

Other

• Gold beadsoptional1 pack

  7/64 in

  Bead

  1 pack

• Lead-free wireoptional1 spool

  .015

  Weight

  1 spool