The Joy of Fly Tying: Gold Ribbed Hares Ear

After learning how to dub on our previous fly, the Partridge & Orange, we are going to up the ante on our next fly, the ubiquitous Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear (GRHE) nymph. We will be using the same type of dubbing that we used on the Partridge & Orange, rabbit fur, but we will be using a whole lot more of it on the GRHE.

Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph

As you might deduce, the original GRHE nymph used fur from the ear of a hare. Hares have slightly longer and spikier fur than a native bunny that you see running through your neighborhood, but bunnies are more abundant. Instead of going out and harvesting a bunny on my own, I rely on the good people at Hareline Dubbin Company to supply me with some fur. When I get it from Hareline it comes in convenient little zip-lock bags, which might not seem like you are getting a full bunny's worth of fur, but it will be enough to last several years, unless you tie a million GRHE's every year.

I sometimes use the bunny fur they mix with Antron, too, which is nice because it adds some sparkle to my nymphs, and it's almost impossible to harvest your own Antron. Believe me, I've tried...

The GRHE is one of the most important nymphs you can fish. When wet it looks like pretty much every mayfly nymph known to man. You can tie it in any size you want, but sizes 8-20 would be a good start. Don't forget you can always add a bead if you'd like. I don't teach my students about beads until the next fly, but feel free to add one here if you think it might help catch more fish (HINT: You would probably be correct...).

Let's watch how to tie a Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear nymph, shall we?

Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Pattern Recipe

Hook: Standard nymph hook, size 8-20
Thread: Tan or brown 8/0
Weight: Lead wire to suit
Tail: 6-12 pheasant tail fibers
Rib: Small gold oval tinsel
Abdomen: Hare fur
Wing case: 6-12 pheasant tail fibers
Thorax: Hare fur