Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
I have booked a trip in the Smoky Mountains for Labor Day weekend. I told the guide I wanted to use flies I tied myself and he recommends that I tie some sulfer comparaduns, yet I can't find a recipe. What makes a comparadun, or any other fly, sulfer? Is it the color?
Thanks,
Alan
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
This guy knows a thing or two about comparaduns:
http://www.mayfly.com/articles/Sulphur.html
This one looks pretty much like what I tie - sulphurs vary in color from stream to stream, but I always have both yellow and orange comparaduns with me at sulphur time from sz 14 to sz 18. YMMV....
http://danica.com/flytier/swilliams/sul ... aradun.htm
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Sulfer is a very general term for alot of bugs. For our sulphur comparaduns we use a microfibbet tail, with most species a deer hair that is dyed light dun, and a sulphur body to match the natural.
Joe Fox
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Mine's simple:
Dun Hackle for tail
Orange or yellow Biot for body
Suplhur dubbing for thorax
Cdc tied in comparadun style
Hope it works for you.
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Alan:
While I don't dispute the expertise of the guide; I'd call a fly shop or two and ask them some questions as well regarding hatches.
Sulphurs up here in Pennsylvania are as described by the other posters but they are a mayfly that has LONG finished hatching by Labor Day so possibly a Smokey Mountain Sulphur is a totally different critter. I have also heard locals in North Central PA refer to a small yellow stonefly that most folks call a Yellow Sally; as a Sulphur.
In regards to Comparduns; they aren't the greatest floating flies in the world and were really designed for smooth water and fussy trout. While I have never fished the Smokey's; I have a feeling a more tumbling stream environment is what you may encounter. You MAY want to tie a more heavily hackled fly in the "sulfer" color you discover is the right one.
Good luck!
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Thank you for your replies and advice. I spoke with the guide Tuesday. He said that we would most likely be going to the tailwaters in the area as they have been in quite a drought. He felt by the time Labor day comes around many streams may be too low to have good flows and as such the water temps may be too warm to safely play and release trout without killing them.
However, if they get good rains in the next six weeks, we will be heading for the wild country.
Either way, it sounds like fun.
Thanks,
Alan
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Alan,
While the Sulphur hatches may have come and gone on the freestone streams they will continue on the tailwaters in good numbers until late Oct or early Nov. They are a very important food source on tailwaters like the S, Holston. I would tie several types of sulphur imitations. Sparkle duns as well comparaduns are a good start. I would also tie some parachutes and some type of flymphs or wet flies. I have also had a lot of sucess with a Klinkhammer style fly. I use some combination of yellow bodies with some orange in the thorax for the fly most of the surface imitations. For the subsurface I use a redish brown dyed pheasant tail for the body and a yellow/orange mix for the thorax. Let me know if you need more specific information on the recipe for any of them.
Parachute
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/n ... 1184695310
Sparkle Dun
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/n ... 1184695951
Flymph
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/n ... 1184696134
Klinkhammer
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/n ... 1184696229
Cripple
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/n ... 1184696296
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
Taz,
Yes, I would like the recipes for all of them. Starting with the easiest ones...
Thanks,
Alan
Re: Recipe for Sulfer Comparadun?
TAZ,
I would also, the flymph is AWSOME! I'm going to get the materials for that this week.
8)