Guides Choice Hares Ear Nymph
Similar to a traditional hares ear nymph, but with an additional collar of peacock herl and soft hackle. The tutorial shows the pattern in natural colors, olive is also a very popular alternative. A Hungarian partridge feather is called for, but any soft hackle such as a feather from a hen cape would work fine as well.
- Submitted By: Fly Tying Guide
Materials
1
Slide a bead on the hook and then place it in the vise.
2
Secure bead with wraps of lead pushed into the cavity and then start the thread behind the bead. Secure the lead wire and then position the thread at the start of the bend.
3
Snip a pinch of fur from a hare’s mask, separate the guard hairs from the soft underfur. Secure the guard hairs to form a tail the length of one hook gap.
4
Secure the ribbing material at the tail.
5
Cover the tag ends of the guard hairs and wire with thread to form a even under body, and then return to the start of the bend.
6
Create a dubbing rope with hares ear fur to prepare for the next step.
7
Create a tapered body along the shank, leaving a gap about the width of the bead for the thorax.
8
Wrap the ribbing material forward, tie off at the end of the body and snip off the excess.
9
Optional, tease out the dubbing using a dubbing needle or piece of Velcro to give the fly a buggier profile.
10
Optional, using a soft bristle brush, such as a toothbrush, stroke the hairs back for a uniformed profile.
11
Tie in strands of peacock herl, I used two here but you can use more or less depending on how full your herl is. I prefer to tie in by the tips so that the quill is smaller.
12
Take wraps with the peacock herl to form a thorax and fill in the gap, secure the ends and snip off any excess.
13
Prepare a partridge feather by removing the fluff and stroking the longer feather fibers back from the tip. Catch in the tip of the feather with the back, or dull side, of the feather away from you, secure and then snip off the excess.
14
Prepare for the next steps by wetting your fingers and stroking the feather fibers towards the back of the fly, dull sides together.
15
Take one to one and a half turns and then secure and snip off any excess. The hackle should be sparse.
16
Form a thin band directly behind the bead, whip finish and apply head cement.