Step-by-Step Guide for Tying a Bead Head Soft Hackle Hares Ear

With: Tactical Fly Fisher

The Bead Head Soft Hackle Hares Ear is an excellent all-around fly pattern, perfect for freestone streams and pocket water. The combination of its lifelike appearance and the motion of the soft hackle makes it irresistible to fish, especially in quick decision-making environments.

Materials:

• Hook: Firehole 633, size 12

• Bead: 3.3mm gold tactical fly fishing tungsten bead

• Wire: .020" diameter lead wire

• Thread: Uni ADOT thread, camel color

• Rib: Uni Softwire, medium, gold

• Dubbing: Trout Line Mad Rabbit dubbing (camel)

• Hackle: India hen back (or your choice of soft hackle)

• Super Glue

Instructions:

1. Start by securing the hook in your vice and attach the gold tungsten bead to the hook. Position the bead towards the front of the hook for optimal weight distribution.

2. Add lead wire: Take .020" diameter lead wire and wrap about 5-6 turns behind the bead to add weight. Adjust wire thickness based on bead size (e.g., use .015 for smaller beads and .025 for larger ones).

3. Secure the lead wire: Slide the wire back to the hook shank and apply a drop of super glue to hold it in place. Slide the wire back up towards the bead and apply a little more super glue to seal the wire.

4. Build a thread base: Using your Uni ADOT thread (camel), create a thread base over the lead wire, wrapping back up to the front of the hook. This will provide a smooth surface for the next steps.

5. Add the rib: Tie in a medium gold Uni Softwire rib by making one full revolution around the hook behind the lead wire. Secure it with thread wraps and bring it to the back of the fly.

6. Dub the body: Using Trout Line Mad Rabbit dubbing (camel), form a dubbing rope and begin wrapping it forward to create the body of the fly. Leave a small gap between the body and the bead to allow space for the hackle.

7. Add the rib: Wrap the gold Uni Softwire rib up the fly in open coils, creating a segmented body. Secure the rib with a few wraps, then helicopter it off to break the wire.

8. Create the thorax: Build up a thorax using additional dubbing. This helps to push the soft hackle fibers outward, giving the fly a fuller, lifelike appearance.

9. Prepare the hackle: Select a feather from an India hen back (or any soft hackle material) with fibers about the length of the hook shank. Strip the fibers from the stem and tie in the feather with the dull side facing the hook.

10. Wrap the soft hackle: Fold the fibers back with your fingers and begin wrapping the feather around the hook. Bind down the stem and trim off any excess.

11. Reinforce the thorax: Wrap additional dubbing around the base of the hackle to reinforce the thorax and give the fly a smooth, consistent taper.

12. Finish the fly: Apply a bit of super glue to the thread and finish the fly by making several wraps to secure everything in place. Trim any excess thread.