FOOD SOURCES ON SPRING CREEKS (part 9) - EOTG - May 5, 2014

[rtidd]

FOOD SOURCES ON SPRING CREEKS (part 9)


The hatch and presence of Mahogany (Genus Paraleptophlebia) is totally overshadowed by those of Pale Morning Dun as they share just about the same hatch period. The Mahogany duns surely are beautiful mayflies too. Trout may not particularly key only on them but I often find them in stomach samples. It doesn't hurt to keep some of Mahogany patterns in your fly boxes to show something different to the trout.

[Doublehauler]

The photo of the dry fly looks like the hackle has been trimmed to suit either the tier or the hook. I have always understood that trimming hackle to achieve proper size (1-1/2 X hook gap ) was a no-no. My early tying teachers beat this into me for so long that I still , 45 years later, just don't do it. What I have done, many times, is to snip out a V cut on the bottom side of the hook, getting rid of the hackle fibers that make them look too long. I do this on Elk Hair Caddis so the fly will float lower on the surface film. Sometimes, I just don't put any hackle on the EHC, but somehow, a dry fly without hackle just doesn't seem right. But then again, that hackle with the squared off tips just doesn't look right either

[kglissmeyer]

Just to clarify, the fly pictured was not an attempt to trim the hackle to fit the hook. This is a pattern called a thorax-style dry fly. Trimming the hackle allows the fly to ride low in the film and the longer, untrimmed hackles on the sides to act as outriggers to balance and support the fly as well as to give a really good semblance of legs on the surface film. Many patterns are this style and very effective, and I tie and use them often - no taboo if it works.