The Harey Moose - My Favorite Nymph

So after having the photo's to post this recipe for 3 weeks, I'm finally getting around to posting it. This is a self creation (IMO), although I'm sure someone out there has tied something like this before, but I like to think I have an original thought from time to time. It's a variation of a hares ear and maybe a birds nest. If you have any comments on the design, feel free to share. If you tie it and catch fish on it (which you will!), you must pay homage to me with some photos. : )


HareyMoose
Hook: mustad 9671 1x or equivalent size 8-20
Head: brass bead
Thread: tan or gray
Tail: moose mane
Body: rabbit dubbing/ mostly guard hairs
Wing: mallard flanks

Step1:
Slip the bead over your hook and push to the eye. I then place 5 wraps of weight on the shank and push the end into the hole at the bead.













Step2:
Begin at the base of the hook with your thread. Wrap it up over the weight to secure and wrap back down to the base of the hook. Take a small clump of moose mane, proportional to the size of the fly. I like 1 1/2 times the length of the hook. Wrap the thread loosely around the mane at the hook base and slowly increase the tightness as you move towards the weight.









Step3:
Now this is looking like something! Trim the extra mane and wrap the cut ends for a clean underbody. Wrap your thread back to the base of the hook to secure the mane. Be careful not to use too much pressure near the base, or it will cause the tail to flair out excessively. I like to take the extra step of adding glue to my underbody to make it durable and last longer. With the thread hanging off the rear of the hook, begin dubbing rabbit fur onto the thread. I use as much gaurd hair as possible and make the dubbing thicker and bushier the farther down the thread as I progress.












Step4:
Begin wrapping the dubbing up the hook over the under body. Stopping about midway through the weight, you want to leave enough room for your wings and the head. Next, prepare the mallard flank by pulling off the fluffy stuff at the bottom and cutting as small v in the top of the feather.

















Step5:
Place the mallard flank dull side towads the hook and wrap it in with the cut just a little more to the head than the thread. Use a fair amount of tension, you want the flank to flair out some, but not too much. The end of the wings should extend just past the base of the hook.









Step6:
Cut off the exess mallard flank and dub a small amount of rabbit guard hairs to the thread. Wrap from the mallard to the bead, leaving enough room to tie the whole thing off.











Step7:
The fly is pretty much done. Whio finish the head and cut the thread. Now the most important part. Take a bodkin and begin picking at the fly to make it bushier and buggier. Be careful not to pull too much hair out and try not to get the thread underneath.












Viola! The HareyMoose!

How to fish it:
Anyway you want! My fav is as a dropper below a thunderhead. Sometimes I'll use a big ol' size 8 with some weight and maybe a size 18 pheasant tail tailing 6" behind it to get at bigger fish on the bottom. I've fished it as a wet fly, even as an unweighted emerger in the film. I don't know what it looks like, but ALL fish seem to like it. Don't just use it on trout. Bluegill love to nibble on this, and smallies will slam some of the larger versions. I tie it a multitude of colors. The most common is natural, olive, and a dirty yellow. My most used size is probably 12 or 14, but I do take it down to a size 20.
I hope ya'll enjoy the pattern, this is by far my #1 confidence fly and usually my go to. If you flip through the blog, you'll see this hanging out of ALOT of fishies mouths! It's an easy tie once you get used to the pattern and I can usually tie about 1/2 dozen an hour. At any given time, you can find a 50 or more of these in my main box on a multitude of colors and sizes.

Now quit reading and start tying. Springs comming and it's time to get those box's loaded!