Hare's Ear Nymph

Versatile nymph, imitates many aquatic insects. Confidence fly.

Printed on the 6 of diamonds

Where the Pheasant Tail is slim and precise, the Hare's Ear is deliberately messy. It is dubbed from the mask of a hare, guard hairs and all, and the whole point is that the guard hairs stick out at every angle. Underwater those fibres move constantly, and that suggestion of legs and gills and general life is worth more than any anatomical accuracy.

Its ambiguity is a feature. Depending on size and how you fish it, the same fly reads as a mayfly nymph, a caddis pupa, a scud, a sowbug, or a small stonefly. On unfamiliar water where you have no idea what the fish are eating, a Hare's Ear is a reasonable first guess and a hard fly to be badly wrong with.

It is at its very best during caddis emergences, fished with a swing at the end of the drift. The buggy silhouette rising through the water column is close enough to a pupa struggling toward the surface that fish commit hard. Old, simple and still one of the best nymphs in any box.

What does a Hare's Ear Nymph imitate?

Mayfly nymphs, caddis pupae and scuds — deliberately ambiguous.

How do you fish a Hare's Ear Nymph?

Dead drift under an indicator, or as a dropper below a dry. Deliberately swing it up at the end of the drift during caddis activity. Do not be afraid to let it tumble along the bottom.

When should you fish a Hare's Ear Nymph?

Year round. Particularly good in spring and during caddis emergences, and as a searching nymph on water you do not know.

What are the quick tips for fishing it?

• Pick out the dubbing with a needle after tying — scruffier fishes better.
• Carry it beaded and unbeaded; they fish like two different flies.
• A superb dropper behind an Elk Hair Caddis in summer.

How is a Hare's Ear Nymph tied?

• Hook: standard nymph, #10-#20
• Bead: gold, optional
• Tail: hare's mask guard hairs
• Body: hare's mask dubbing, picked out
• Rib: fine gold tinsel or wire
• Wing case: turkey or pheasant tail

Dressings vary by tier and region. Treat this as the common recipe, not the only one.