The Mess as photographed by Al Beatty:
The Mess as photographed by Al Beatty:
Tight Lines,
Kelly.
"There will be days when the fishing is better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse. Either is a gain over just staying home."
Roderick Haig-Brown, "Fisherman's Spring"
Thanks Kelly
Here is a photo of the photo in LaFontaine's book. I think the photo is credited to Doug Olooney, and I presume it was tied by LaFontaine or at least to his specs.
The space between the "reverse hackle collar" and the hook eye seems different from the illustration in his book, but, it's his book.
Last edited by Byron haugh; 08-20-2014 at 08:04 PM.
I am a big fan of LaFontaine's Duck butt dun. I tie it with a biot body but that fly catches more fish for me than any other. Of course a regular old sparkle dun may do just as good, but I like his CDC tails.
Very nice!!
He details that pattern in his 1993 book "Trout Flies-Proven Patterns".
He says that he tried several shuck materials including Antron. Says he rejected Antron as being too bright for a mayfly shuck.
I am not sure of the timing of this fly compared to Craig Matthews and John Jureck 's Sparkle Dun? I think Matthews Sparkle Dun came about during the late 80's - early 90's. Not sure about the date of origin for the Duck Butt Dun, although it is in the 93 book.
I find it quite interesting, though, that my recollection is that Matthews selected Zelon for just the opposite reason. As I recall, when they were crossing a fence on the Henry's Fork, he and Jureck glanced back at an eddy and saw "glistening" material on the water which was determined to be the shucks of crippled mayflies on the water. So, they selected Zelon for its sparkle....just the opposite of LaFontaine's thinking.
Certainly, both patterns have proven themselves. I would guess that the Sparkle Dun has been the more popular overall....??
Last edited by Byron haugh; 08-21-2014 at 06:43 AM.
Very cool to hear some of the history of the fly Byron. I will have to pick up that book. To me the main advantage of the sparkle dun is durability as I have had those CDC fibers break off, especially after a few trouts teeth have tangled with it. And if I am fishing rougher, faster water I will often choose the sparkle dun. But on lower gradient streams, and the spring creeks that I mostly fish I definitely prefer the more subtle shuck that the Duck butt dun provides.
I also tie my X-Caddis with a CDC shuck. The Duck Butt X-Caddis if you will. It works well.
A Duck Butt Dun I tied this morning, trying to stay "true" to his instructions.
Very simple, short instructions of his. However, one intriguing thing I find in them is the length of the trailing fibers. In nearly every other similar pattern I have found, the trailing material is shorter. Perhaps, he intended it to be tail fibers PLUS shuck material........He does say not to try to even the fibers............
Last edited by Byron haugh; 08-21-2014 at 07:51 PM.
Beautiful tie!
Thanks,
Here is a version mixing CDC butt with a little bit of shorter Zelon. Sort of a CDC Sparkle Dun...
Has the bubble caddis been photographed in detail yet? You know, the "trigger" that makes trout attack caddis pupa? I heard a photo in a california lake was taken a few years ago.
Great idea Byron. Mixing the best of both worlds. I wold think that would work very nicely.
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