The Hares Ear

Hares Ear flies are a classic pattern that has been around forever. Of fly patterns still popular today, I would say the Hares Ear is one of the oldest. It was originally created back in the 1800's according to what I read online. Some sources state it's been around since the 1880's and created by George Leonard Herter, some say earlier and created by David Hemming in 1832. Either way, it is old and not a whole lot has changed since tying. Of course a few new techniques have been used, like the addition of a bead, and of course I added UV resin to the wing case which they definitely did not do back in the 1800's since UV resin wasn't around back then. But, largely the fly has remained the same for a very long time.

I really like fishing the hares ear because it's so easy and quick to tie, yet is also very effective. It's simple enough to tie very small, in fact with the use of some other finer dubbing, I can get these tied down to size 24. You probably could do it with a rabbit mask as well though with a little effort. Not only can you tie these extremely small, but you can also tie them large as well. It's not unheard of to tie them in size 10+, which is huge for a nymph. Not only can you tie them in a wide range of sizes, but you can also change up the colors as well. Hares masks can come in a couple different died colors, like black, chartreuse, orange, gray, bleached, etc... This means you can mimic almost any aquatic bug nymph or pupa. Tie a very small black one, and you can mimic a midge, go large and black or orange, and you have a stonefly (especially with that UV resin wing case). Mayflies, scuds and even more can be represented by this fly. The most common however is the natural color like I tied today, and I find this mimics a caddis very well.

As I mentioned in the video, using the hares mask is very beneficial. You can get a wide range of different dubbings from it. Use the fine underfur without guard hairs for the abdomen, then add some guard hairs for the thorax to give the impression of legs. This gives a nice natural taper to this fly. However there are some really great pre-packaged rabbit fur dubbings available now on the market. While you will have to use a different fiber for the tail (like pheasant tail that was used for the wing case), you can get a decent looking fly from these packaged dubbings. Regarding that wing case, I think many people use mottled turkey tail feathers for the wing case, which could work great as well. I always have pheasant tail on hand though so I generally use that more often.

Make sure you check out my sponsor Risen Fly. They have amazing deals on hooks and beads, but also sell some of the best fly rods Ive ever used, and at a price that is very reasonable. Best off they are offering all of you a discount just for being my subscriber. So go to www.risenfly.com and type in McFly at checkout for 15% off your first order with them.

Also dont forget to pick up one of my fly boxes. I have both magnetic backed and silicone backed, if these sell well I plan on getting more styles as well and maybe even bringing back the shirts that everyone loved years ago. Check out my amazon store front to pick up the boxes. - www.amazon.com/shops/McFlyAngler

Materials Used:
____________________
Hooks: Risen 9231 (size 16) - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/hooks/products/barbless-nymph-9231
Bead: Risen Brass Bead (gold/2.8mm) - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/beads-and-weights/products/brass-b…
Weight: Lead Wire (0.015") - https://amzn.to/3FQAWcf
Tail/Dubbing: Hares Mask (natural) - https://amzn.to/42fOwyK
Ribbing: Gold Oval Tinsel - https://amzn.to/42fRXFE
Wing Case: Pheasant Tail (natural) - https://amzn.to/42f0UyT
Resin: Solarez Medium Viscosity - https://solarez.com/fly-tie-medium-viscosity.html

Tools Used:
____________________
Vise: Renzetti Traveler - https://amzn.to/2t2FFmo
Bobbin: Stonfo Bobtec - https://amzn.to/2YWOf39
Scissors: Risen Spring Assist - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/fly-tying-tools-and-accessories/pr…
Whip Finisher: Dr. Slick Brass - https://amzn.to/2tGYwDW
Fly Tying Bench: Oasis Walnut Compact Bench - https://www.oasisbenches.com/oasis-benches/compact-bench/
UV Light: Solarez High Output - https://solarez.com/uv-cure-flashlight-high-output.html

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ My Fly Boxes▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Magnetic Fly Box - https://amzn.to/3DBwPQl
Silicone Fly Box - https://amzn.to/40haoIX

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow Me on Social! ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcflytier/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcflyangler/