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Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear
There is something about the fur from a hare's ear - or hare's mask, more strictly speaking - that when tied onto a hook, just seems to attract fish. Whether it is to do with the colour, or the texture and the way it moves in the water I don't know, but it works. That is why as a material it has found its way into so many different patterns.
The Gold Ribbed Hare's ear is a classic pattern and is suggestive of many forms of insect life. Fish it in the surface film and it can be taken for an emerger, or tie it on a heavier hook and fish it sub surface and it will be taken for a nymph. Tie it down to very small sizes 20 - 22 - and it can even take those illusive fish when they are 'smutting'.
If you look carefully at a hare's mask, there is a lot of variation in both the colour and texture of the hair. Be aware of this and you can tie flies that look very different from the same mask. Then try to match the size and colour to what you find on your water, of course. You can also vary the ribbing - try either flat gold tinsel, or wire if you are tying on a heavier hook for sub-surface work.
You can buy all the materials you need to tie this fly here.
Hook: Kamasan B401, here tied on a size 14
Thread: Brown
Thorax: Fur from a hare's mask
Abdomen: Fur from a hare's mask
Rib: Gold oval tinsel
Tail: Few guard hairs from Hare's mask.
The Gold Ribbed Hare's ear is a classic pattern and is suggestive of many forms of insect life. Fish it in the surface film and it can be taken for an emerger, or tie it on a heavier hook and fish it sub surface and it will be taken for a nymph. Tie it down to very small sizes 20 - 22 - and it can even take those illusive fish when they are 'smutting'.
If you look carefully at a hare's mask, there is a lot of variation in both the colour and texture of the hair. Be aware of this and you can tie flies that look very different from the same mask. Then try to match the size and colour to what you find on your water, of course. You can also vary the ribbing - try either flat gold tinsel, or wire if you are tying on a heavier hook for sub-surface work.
You can buy all the materials you need to tie this fly here.
Hook: Kamasan B401, here tied on a size 14
Thread: Brown
Thorax: Fur from a hare's mask
Abdomen: Fur from a hare's mask
Rib: Gold oval tinsel
Tail: Few guard hairs from Hare's mask.
1: Wind the thread in touching turns down to the hook-bend
2: Cut some guard hairs from the 'face' of the mask. That is the longer, stiffer hairs. Bunch them, and tie onto the the hook-shank as a tail.
3: Tie on the gold rib, then form a dubbing rope using fur from the hare's ear. Mix a blend of hairs from around the ears and face, and make sure there are plenty of spiky hairs in it. These hairs will pick out after winding the body, and it is these spiky hairs that move in the water and suggest something alive and nourishing to the fish.
4: Wind the body to the thorax
5: Wind the rib to the thorax and bind down with two turns of thread. Try to evenly space the ribbing - you are looking to make about four turns before binding down at the thorax.
6: Snip off the excess ribbing and form another dubbing rope with the hare's ear. Make this rope a little thicker by using slightly more hair - we want the thorax to have more bulk to it. Wind the thorax region to a point just before the hook eye and remove excess dubbing.
7: Tie off with a three turn whip finish, and pick out the hairs along the body so that there will be plenty of movement when in the water.
8: Go out and catch a fish with it.
Next in the series Gold Head Hare's Ear
8: Go out and catch a fish with it.
Next in the series Gold Head Hare's Ear