Overview

The Umpqua Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear in its Tungsten version is the fly most anglers learn first and almost none stop fishing. Its effectiveness comes from spiky hare's mask dubbing in natural tans and greys, picked out so the guard hairs breathe in the current and suggest legs, gills and a splitting shuck all at once. A rib of gold tinsel adds just enough flash to draw attention as the fly drifts, without tipping the pattern over into an attractor.

What the tungsten bead changes is depth. The classic dressing is a slow-sinking searching nymph; this version drives down through broken water and reaches fish holding tight to the bottom before the drift is spent. That makes it a natural anchor on a Euro-nymph rig, a dependable point fly under an indicator, and a heavy dropper beneath a buoyant dry. Because the hare's ear silhouette reads as so many different insects at once, it covers mayfly, caddis and stonefly nymphs from a single slot in the box. Tied here in sizes 14 and 16.Read More +