The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Nymph

Gold Ribbed Hares Ear

Insect Species Icon Hendrickson, March Brown, PMD and 6 others
Difficulty Icon Easy - 3-5 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

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Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Dai-Riki 285 or Equivalent
  • Bead: Cyclops Brass or Tungsten Beadhead
  • Thread: 6/0 Uni Thread or 70 Denier Thread
  • Wire: Gold Brassie Wire
  • Lead: .015 lead free wire
  • Tail:  Pheasant Tail Fibers
  • Dubbing: Hares ear dubbing
  • Wing Casing: Pheasant Tail Fibers & Thick UV Clear Finish
  • Tool: Velcro on a Emery Board
  • Wire: Gold Tinsel
  • Tail: Hungarian Partridge Fibers or Coq de leon saddle fibers
  • Dubbing: Hares ear dubbing

The best variations come by mixing color with some flash material.  You can also add a soft hackle to the fly to add even more movement to the fly.  Common colors are listed but I like to tie these in olive, black and natural tan.  Half of them I’ll tie in as seen in the video, the other half I’ll add a step and put the flashback material over the wing case to add flash.  Then a few of them I’ll tie with red or orange thread to create a hot spot collar at the point of the fly.  Common variations are:

  • Color Variations
  • Flashback Variations
  • Rubberleg Variations
  • Soft Hackle Variations
  • Any Combinations of the Above

This is the standard of all search patterns in my opinion. It’s overall buggy appearance and ability to be tied in a variety of colors, weights and variations makes it a highly versatile pattern that catches fish anywhere there are trout. It’s simple to tie for beginners, and intermediate tyers can take it to the next level with a bunch of different variations. It’s really a must have for any serious angler.

This is a great fly to start out with at the beginning of the day or on any river where you’re unfamiliar with what the trout commonly eat.  Because it looks a little like everything, but imitates nothing directly, it fools trout that are eating a variety of insects fairly easily.  This is a spring to fall pattern and pairing this fly as a dropper to a dry fly like a stimulator is a recipe for success on small creeks and freestone waters where fish are looking for a summer meal.

Brown Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: East
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14

Caddis

General Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Caddis
Sizes: #10 - #22

Golden Stonefly

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16
Region: Northwest
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16
Region: East
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16
Region: Midwest
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16

Hendrickson

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Midwest
Hendrickson
Sizes: #10 - #16

Isonychia

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Southeast
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18

Light Cahill

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Midwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Northwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20

March Brown

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, East
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14

PMD

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
PMD
Sizes: #14 - #20

Skwala Stone

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Skwala Stone
Sizes: #12 - #16

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