Hare’s Ear

A shaggy, natural nymph with a gold rib and mottled wingcase. Let the guard hairs do the work.

The Hare’s Ear gets much of its character from the mix of soft underfur and stiffer guard hairs. A tapered abdomen, a fuller thorax, and a mottled wingcase suggest a range of aquatic insects. The finish should look a little untidy, but the underlying shape still matters.

At the vise: Beginner friendly
Common sizes: #10–18

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From hook to fly

At the vise.

6 illustrated steps

Work through the numbered steps in order. Use the written materials and proportions as your guide; select an image for a closer look.

Lay the foundation
Clamp the hook level. Start thread behind the eye and wrap an even base to the bend, preserving room for a small head.
Bench note Decide where the abdomen ends before adding materials.
Tie tail and gold rib
Secure a small guard-hair tail on top, about two-thirds of a shank long. Trim and bind down the butts. Tie gold wire along the shank to the tail base.
Bench note Remove soft underfur from the tail bunch so the tail stays defined.
Dub the abdomen
Twist a tiny pinch of dubbing onto the thread. Wind a slender abdomen that gradually widens forward and occupies the rear two-thirds of the shank. Add fur sparingly.
Bench note Start with less dubbing than you think you need; add another tiny pinch if necessary.
Rib and attach wingcase
Counter-wrap wire in four or five evenly spaced turns and tie it off. At the abdomen front, attach a flat turkey slip pointing rearward, wide enough to cover the finished thorax.
Bench note Keep the turkey fibers aligned in a flat strip.
Dub a fuller thorax
Use slightly darker, spikier dubbing to fill the front third with a rounder thorax. Overlap the wingcase’s tie-in point so no bare gap remains. Stop short of the eye.
Bench note Save the spikiest dubbing for the thorax.
Fold, finish and tease
Draw turkey over the thorax and secure behind the eye. Trim, whip finish and cement. Gently tease a few guard hairs from the sides and underside for legs, leaving the wingcase intact.
Bench note Tease a few fibers free without cutting through the rib or wingcase.

Beyond the bench

On the water.

Use it as a general searching nymph when you want a natural, textured profile. Match the size and fishing depth to what you see in the water. The loose guard hairs move around the body; the unweighted recipe can also be adapted with a bead when a faster sink is needed.

Tied by independent makers