Hares Ear Nymph 11/18/2025 Photo Album

This fly is a perennial workhorse fly among my collection. It is a classic for a reason; it produces. Here is a link to last year’s post, as I have little to add. You can also search on hares ear nymph for historical posts, and if you go back far enough, I am certain you will find a materials table.

Left Side View

There are tons of fly tying videos and materials lists online for the hares ear nymph. I am sure my version is a variation, but I suspect they all work equally well. I use actual fur from the mask of a rabbit that a friend shot many years ago. In spite of tying hundreds of these flies, I suspect that I have a supply of hares mask that will last my lifetime. I like using the real hares mask because it contains a dense amount of guard hairs, and I suspect that the stiff protruding hairs account for much of the fly’s effectiveness. The combination of the soft fur and the spikey guard hairs creates an irresistible buggyness.Sixteen New Hares Ear Nymphs and Necessary Materials

I felt like I utilized the hares ear less in 2025, than I did in previous years. This suspicion was supported by a reduced shrinkage in flies compared to normal. I counted eighty-four flies in my storage containers; and, therefore, I tied sixteen additional versions to bring my total to one hundred for entering the new year. One explanation for the reduced usage may be the ascent of the olive perdigon in popularity as a weighted top nymph that also attracts trout in a major way.