Hare's Ear Soft Hackle Collection

[William Anderson]

I told Andy I would post a version of a Hare's Ear Soft Hackle and thought it would be interesting to see a collection of H.E.S.H.'s for comparison. You would think that such a fundamental pattern would be pretty consistent, but I've been here long enough to know the variety is amazing. This is one version.

Hare's Ear Soft-Hackle

flymph - hares ear - best 41a copy.jpg

Hook: Daiichi 1530 #14
Thread: Uni 8/0...I think
Body: Silk and Hare's Ear dubbing - medium course - Tied as dubbing loop
Hackle: dun hen cape (Herbert Miner Whiting)

w

[GlassJet]

I'll probably be escorted off the premises for posting this in this thread, but this is just about my best fish catching pattern when there is a hint of olives on the water. It has evolved into this over the last four seasons, and the hackle is a single turn of cock, short, fished upstream damp or wet.


GRHE Spider by GlassJet, on Flickr

Hook: Kamasan B170 #14 Silk: Pearsall's yellow, well waxed. Tail: few hairs from hare's mask cheek. Abdomen: spiky hare's mask mix (lot of ear) twisted into split thread. Rib: fine gold wire. Thorax: same mix dubbed onto waxed silk and picked out a bit. hackle: one turn of furnace cock, short.

Copper rib seems to work just as well, btw... for me anyway.

I fish this on a long leader, 12 ft ish, 7X tippet this season (used to use 6X) as a single fly on the point usually. Caught in just about every situation on the river, but at its best fished dead drift into the head of a narrow tongue of flow on my small stream, and just left to dead drift. Or maybe I just enjoy that best. It really is very effective, again, when olives are around, which is most of the season on my river. There have been times when it has been that effective I've taken it off to try and find something else that works!

Also caught well with it with the local wild brownie population that inhabits the margins of my local reservoir. Great fish catcher, no idea why that hackle seems to work so well, it just does. I've tried a few others, including a mid dun hen, which to my eye should be a much better match for the real thing, but the trout just don't seem to see things that way. I guess that's fish for you...

But there certainly is something about hare's ear....

Andrew.

[letumgo]

Here are a couple of my favorite soft hackle hares ear flies (unweighted and beadhead nymph versions), along with field testing results.

General Materials
Hook - Daiichi 1710/Size 10
Thread - Rusty Brown UNI-Thread (6/0)
Hackle - Blue Grouse
Tail - Blue Grouse
Rib - Oval Gold Metal Tinsel
Body - Hares Ear Dubbing
Bead Head - Tungsten (5/32") (optional)

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The weighted beadhead version fishes very effectively using the Czech nymphing technique (fished deeply through any likely "holding" water). I generally use an open-loop Duncan knot to give the fly more freedom to move during the drift. Deadly!

[kanutripr]

Some more Hare's Ears (dubbing taken from different areas of the ear for a little different look). The beadhead is glass.



Hook size 12 wet fly
camel 8/0 Uni thread
dark brown hen's hackle (white for light one)
mallard flank tail
gold wire rib
hare's ear dubbing (direct from mask)

(edited to say) Sorry the beadhead was a size 14 emerger hook and the others a size 14 1xS hook
Vicki

[letumgo]

Lovely flies, Vicki. I love the look of the mallard fibers for the tails. I need to incorporate that into some of mine in the future. Thanks for sharing.

[DOUGSDEN]

Vicki,
Very impressive! I also like your photographic style. It's impressive too! We would like you to post something every week, all winter long. Now there's an "Assignment America" as they say on the evening news.
Please keep them coming as you see fit dear friend. You are wonderfully talented addition to this forum.
Dougsden

[kanutripr]

Doug you're making me blush

Vicki

[Hans Weilenmann]

Simple does what simple says




SON (Simple Olive Nymph)
Hook: Grip 14723BL #14
Thread: Benecchi 12/0, light brown
Rib: Copper wire, dark
Tail: Pintail barbs, dyed olive
Abdomen: Argentinean hair, amber olive - in split thread
Thorax/legs: Argentinean hair, amber olive - in split thread

Cheers,
Hans W

[Johnno]

From the upcoming swap: "Iron Blue"GRHE.. Pukeko marginal covert hackle

[letumgo]

I can't wait to see your pattern in person, John! That looks lie a terrific fly.