Bodkin / Patterns

Soft Hackle Hare's Ear

Wet Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard wet/nymph (bead optional), 10-16
  • Thread tan or brown 8/0

Materials

  • Rib Gold Ultra Wire (Brassie) or oval tinsel (1)
  • Body Hare's-mask dubbing (with guard hairs) (as needed)
  • Flash Pearl Flashabou (optional wing case) (few strands)
  • Thorax Peacock herl or darker hare's-mask (as needed)
  • Hackle Hungarian partridge (or grouse) (1)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a thread base and tie in the gold wire rib at the bend (add a bead first if desired).
  2. Dub a shaggy, spiky hare's-mask body, use a dubbing loop to leave guard hairs standing, over the rear two-thirds.
  3. Counter-wrap the wire rib forward in 4-5 evenly spaced turns for segmentation and durability, then tie off.
  4. Optionally tie in a short pearl Flashabou back and dub or wrap a slightly darker/peacock thorax, leaving room behind the eye.
  5. Tie in a partridge feather by the tip and take 1-2 sparse turns as a soft-hackle collar, sweeping the mottled fibers back so they pulse.
  6. Whip finish a small head; pick out a few body fibers to make it buggier.

Other versions

1 more in the app: BCFlyguys.

Tying videos

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