The Woolly Gentleman

Broad sourceStrong match

Fly Fish Food

Matched on nymph flies, trout, caddis. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.

nymph fliestroutcaddis

Broad sourceStrong match

Fulling Mill Flies

Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.

nymph fliestroutnymph

Broad sourceStrong match

Big Y Fly Co.

Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.

nymph fliestroutnymph

Regional shopStrong match

Dette Flies

Matched on nymph flies, trout, caddis. Catskill lineage fly shop with deep dry-fly, wet-fly, and Northeast trout relevance.

nymph fliestroutcaddis

The Hare's Ear is the fly equivalent of mumbling -- it does not say anything specific, but somehow everyone understands it. The dubbing is scraggly, the profile is vague, and the gold rib catches the light in a way that suggests 'food' without committing to a particular species. Trout eat it because it looks like everything and nothing, which on a spring creek full of a dozen different insects is exactly the ambiguity you need.

Quick Facts

TypeNymph

Difficultybeginner

SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Target SpeciesBrown Trout, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout

Sizes#12 - #18

Best LocationsCurrent River, MO; Eleven Point River, MO; North Fork White River, AR

Where to Fish It

Current River

MO · Ozark River

Eleven Point River

MO · Ozark River

North Fork White River

AR · Ozark River

Map unavailable. Locations for Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear: Current River, MO; Eleven Point River, MO; North Fork White River, AR

Related Reading

region guide

Driftless Area: Spring Creek Paradise

Tucked into the unglaciated hills of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa lies the Driftless Area — a landscape of cold spring creeks, limestone bluffs, and wild trout that rivals any destination in the country. This is the complete guide to fishing the Driftless.

seasonal playbook

The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send

Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.

hatch guide

The Complete Guide to Mayfly Hatches

Mayflies are the foundation of trout-stream entomology. This guide covers every major hatch — BWOs, PMDs, Green Drakes, Sulphurs, Tricos, and Hendricksons — with the biology, timing, and fly selections you need to fish them effectively across the country.

hatch guide

Caddis: The Underrated Hatch

Caddisflies outnumber mayflies on most trout streams, yet they receive a fraction of the attention. From the explosive Mother's Day caddis hatch to the giant October caddis of the Pacific Northwest, understanding Trichoptera transforms your fishing from spring through fall.

technique

Reading Water: Finding Fish by Reading Structure

Every river tells you where the fish are, if you know how to listen. Reading water is the fundamental skill that separates productive anglers from persistent ones. The ability to look at a stretch of river and identify the handful of spots that hold fish — and dismiss the vast majority that don't — is worth more than a lifetime of fly pattern knowledge.

Driftless Scud

Find a tier or trusted source

Midwest & Driftless

#14 - #18

Curved-hook scud pattern for upper Midwest spring creek trout, from Wisconsin and Minnesota Driftless water to Iowa limestone creeks. Olive or pink. The daily bread of Driftless brown trout.

OlivePinkTanGrayOrange

Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Sow Bug

Find a tier or trusted source

Midwest & Driftless

#14 - #18

Isopod imitation for spring creek trout. Flat, segmented body with antennae. A staple food source in limestone-rich waters.

GrayTanOlive Gray

Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Zebra Midge

Find a tier or trusted source

Midwest & Driftless

#18 - #22

Simple thread-body midge pupa with a bead head. Deadly in winter and early spring when midges dominate the drift.

BlackRedOliveCopper

Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Pheasant Tail Nymph

Find a tier or trusted source

Midwest & Driftless

#14 - #20

The universal mayfly nymph. Pheasant tail fibers over copper wire. Imitates Baetis, PMDs, and most small mayfly nymphs.

NaturalFlashbackOlive

Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Mop Fly

Find a tier or trusted source

Midwest & Driftless

#10 - #14

Chenille mop strand on a jig hook with a bead head. Controversial among purists. Devastatingly effective in stocked and wild water alike.

CreamChartreusePinkTan

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Black Hills Pheasant Tail

Find a tier or trusted source

Midwest & Driftless

#14 - #20

Pheasant tail nymph adapted for South Dakota's Black Hills spring creeks. Tungsten bead and slim profile sink quickly in the fast-flowing freestone runs of Rapid and Spearfish creeks.

Natural Pheasant TailFlashbackOliveCopper

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin