Natural Gray Gold Bead Headed Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph Fly patten is ideal for fishing as a dropper on lakes and other areas of open water on days when the water tempeature is warm. This encourages the trout to rise nearer the surface.

GOLD RIBBED HARE'S EAR FLY PATTERNS. Hook size 10 12 14 16 18 20 - $US each

On cold days of fast sinking epoxy buzzer is ideal for getting down to the depths quickly to whether trout feeding. But when the water warms up the choice of using a slim line epoxy nymph may not be the best option for still water fishing on lakes and reservoirs. Trout and other fish move closer to the surface when the water heats up in the summer months. Yes, you can use an epoxy buzzer on a smaller, lighter hook to slow down the rate of descent, but a better option is to use a fly pattern that has a fatter dubbed body like the gold ribbed hares ear on a dropper.

They are perfect for fishing near the surface. To explore different depths of the water column, experiment with slightly heavier gold bead head versions of the same pattern on another dropper or as the point fly. They are also good in shallower water where the slim line epoxy buzzers often get snagged in the weeds and vegetation on the bottom. Pull out some of the hairs from the body of your GRHE nymph to make it have a scruffy appearance. I use the hook point from another fly to do this.

The shaggy appearance helps slow the descent of your fly and also gives the appearance of lifelike movements to your artificial offering. The fibres move on the retrieve and suggest little moving legs of a natural insect. If I am fishing on open water from the bank, or in a boat, I will fish the standard three flies on the floater. In areas of weed, I will fish a single fly to avoid losing the trout, because of entanglements, caused caused by the other flies with nearby vegetation.

THE WASHING LINE RIG
I like using this set up of buzzers and Gold Ribbed Hares Ears on droppers when other tactics are not working. Rather than have the point fly at the end of your leader, the largest and heaviest fly to help the leader sink, I tie on a very buoyant booby nymph. This keeps the end of the leader up near the surface. I then tie on a mixture of three buzzers or Gold Ribbed Hares Ears each on their own dropper. They dangle down in the water, off the horizontal leader, just like clothing hanging down from a washing line. It simulates buzzers that are nearing the surface just before they reach the top and emerge into adults. I tie the leader onto an intermediate or slow sinking line.

In August during a heatwave I went to a local fishery in Southern England. Talking to a few of the anglers on the lake they said that the fishing was slow as expected. They were all fishing deep with three buzzers on droppers tied to a long leader. If I did the same I would get the same results. It was too early for a hatch but I believed that the nymphs might be getting ready for the hatch and moving up through the water. I tied on a 'washing line rig' and sent out my first cast. I caught four times the amount of fish as the other stillwater fly fishermen.

CUSTOMER'S COMMENT
A long time ago, when I used to fish our lovely English reservoirs, the Hog Louse was a popular early season aquatic insect to try and imitate. Once on Blagdon, which is not the deepest of them, there was NOTHING happening! Almost in frustration, I threw out the anchor and dredged up the weeds from the bottom. They were teaming with Hog Lice (if that's the plural!). I put on a beaded gold ribbed hare's ear nymph, which was a close resemblance, and fished it slow and deep. I enjoyed great success, losing a very good fish as my tippet was too fine. - Matt Wilson, Leeds, UK.

CUSTOMER'S COMMENT
I fish the Pequest River in New Jersey. It is the stretch that flows from the spillway that leaves the Pequest hatchery. One of the top trout catching early season flies are your beaded natural gold ribbed hare’s nymph in hook size 12-14-16 for the deeper stretches and the unbeaded versions in the same hook sizes in the shallows. Tight Lines Dude, Fred Ungaretta NJ,USA

CUSTOMER'S COMMENT
My number one Stillwater trout fly has to be the Goldhead Natural Hare’s Ear Nymph in hook size 12. I think it is a pattern that all anglers can rely on. It represents everything from caddis pupae to shrimps and I guess that is why so many fish fall for its charms. It shouts out "I am food come and eat me". Cathy Tebay London.

CUSTOMER'S PHOTO
I took this beauty on a number 12 beaded Hare's Ear at about 7:15 pm using a 9 foot 5 wt with floating line and a 12 leader. The hook was barbless and the fish was released unharmed. Sorry about the camera shake. - George Marks, USA

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