The traditional Beadhead Hare’s Ear is a surprisingly versatile beginner fly.
When tied in large sizes (6-10) it can accurately represent a stonefly nymph, or it can be tied in smaller sizes (12-18) to imitate a standard mayfly nymph. Keep the proportions accurate, but don’t be afraid to vary the thickness of the fly. I’ve always gone with bulkier flies if I’m targeting a stonefly nymph, and thin and streamlined if I’m aiming at a mayfly.
Once you get the hang of Beadhead Hare’s Ear try tying the Zebra Midge Emerger. It’s another simple fly to tie.
Beadhead Hare’s Ear
The Beadhead Hare's Ear is a standard nymph pattern that can be used to represent mayfly or stonefly nymphs.
Equipment
Materials
- Hook: Size 6-16 nymph; Dai-Riki 285, TMC 5262
- Thread: 8/0 Uni or 70 UTC
- Bead: dependent on hook/fly size
- Tail: hare's mask
- Abdomen: hare's mask dubbing
- Rib: small gold tinsel
- Thorax: hare's mask dubbing
- Wingcase: pheasant tail fibers with pearl tinsel
Instructions
- Set up your fly tying vise
- Fix the hook in the vise's jaw
- Push play on the video tutorial