The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Emerger

Hares Ear Wet Fly

Insect Species Icon Quill Gordon, Hendrickson, March Brown and 7 others
Difficulty Icon Medium - 3-5 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

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Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Sproat down-eye 3x strong size #14
  • Thread: UTC 70 denier black
  • Tail: Indian hen hackle brown
  • Body: Wapsi natural fur light hares mask
  • Rib: French tinsel small oval gold
  • Hackle: Indian hen hackle brown
  • Wing: Mallard primary feathers
  • Head: Thread head sealed with head cement
  • Hook: Any down-eye nymph hook will work. Use longer shanks for imitating larger bugs.
  • Thread: Thin diameter thread is a must here. Go as thin as you are comfortable with, but try not to go over 8/0 or 70 denier.
  • Tail: If you have a whole hares mask, guard hairs from the mask can make a great tail. Hen saddle feathers can work great too.
  • Body: Use any natural dubbing that you like. Hares mask is the best here, but squirrel and beaver can work as well.
  • Rib: Small round wire can work great here.
  • Hackle: Be sure to use some type of hen hackle here. This will give the fly a more flowy look in the water.
  • Wing: Mallard primary feathers are a must here.
  • Head: Thread head with any head cement will work great.

With most flies, feel free to change up the colors to get the exact look that you want. Unfortunately there is not much room for adding materials, as you want these classic wet flies to look somewhat similar to the original pattern. One thing that you could do is change up the hackle under the wing. If fishing in slower waters, a more supple feather, like partridge may behave a little better than the rigid fibers of indian hen saddle.

This is a classic wet fly that has been fooling fish for years. The busy body with the hackle and wing make for a great emerger style pattern that can resemble both mayflies and caddisflies. Definitely a staple pattern for any swing angler out there!

Fish this fly with a standard down and across swing approach for best results. Cast the fly across the river and downstream at approximately a 45 degree angle, and let the current pull the fly across the river. If fishing across multiple currents, an upstream mend may help keep the fly in line and in the strike zone.

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

Green Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, Midwest
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: East
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14

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

October Caddis

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East
October Caddis
Sizes: #8 - #12

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

Quill Gordon

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Southeast
Quill Gordon
Sizes: #12 - #16

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