Yarn Wing Substitution

[Byron haugh]

My assumption had always been that Borger substituted yarn for the deer hair in Harrop's Hair Wing Dun

Borger writes in "Designing Trout Flies", that in 1982 he was tying poly winged caddis flies. On one, the wing stood up and he thought, if trimmed a little, it would produce a good silhouette of a mayfly. That was in 1982. An "accidental" pattern of 1982.

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[Steven]

If Borger says he invented it independently of the hair wing dun who's to argue (although I'd still be interested in which pattern was introduced first)?

Anyway, it still remains that substituting deer for poly gives an already well established pattern.

[Bruce Norikane]

Thanks for that link, Bryon. I wasn't familiar with this pattern. It has a beautiful wing profile without fooling with fussy quills or wing burners.

Why do you like the hair wing over poly? I do like the way elk hair flares, but isn't it hard to keep it in a narrow vertical sheet?

Borger's bent hook version from Bryon's link:

[Byron haugh]

Bruce,
I don't necessarily prefer one over the other. The deer hair, I think, stands up to water and fish better.

From an old post of mine

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ight=Yarn+wing

It was later that Borger began using an upward curved hook

[Joe Billingsley]

I prefer poly over hair. I think it's lighter, casts better and doesn't soak up water like deer hair will with the cut ends exposed. It will wick water down to where it's tied in, but a few false casts and it's dry again. However, if you are relying on the wing to float this pattern then it won't be a dun imitation.

Joe

[NJTroutbum]

Right, Ralph

I actually only tie the Hair-wing for 2 hatches....The Light Cahill and March Brown. Both with a light elk wing. Not fond of the pattern otherwise. Prefer a Haystack or comparadun over it in most occasions.

[Byron haugh]

I prefer poly over hair. I think it's lighter, casts better and doesn't soak up water like deer hair will with the cut ends exposed. It will wick water down to where it's tied in, but a few false casts and it's dry again. However, if you are relying on the wing to float this pattern then it won't be a dun imitation.

Joe

Joe,
Wouldn't rely on the wing to float it, but don't like the matting of yarn. When I tie them lately, I use Zelon for the wing if not deer hair.
Also, as I said, you can use several small bunches of ever-longer deer hair tied in to prevent cutting the deer hair.

Having said that, I am not one who believes that flies float (very long, anyway) on the tippie toes of hackle tips. At some point during such a pattern's float, the wing might well assist in floatation..........I believe I am in Hans Weilenmann's camp on that.

At least in Borger's pattern, the X wrapped hackle is cut underneath, so that the fly rides low and is supported by hackle out to the side rather than straight down below the body.

[Bruce Norikane]

Bruce,
I don't necessarily prefer one over the other. The deer hair, I think, stands up to water and fish better.

From an old post of mine

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ight=Yarn+wing

It was later that Borger began using an upward curved hook

That zelon wing looks good. Translucent, sparse and probably sheds water better than poly yarn.

[tigfly]

Byron, it looks similar to the Harrop hair wing dun when you tie it that way. Except Harrops has a little hackle added to it. I am guessing that the Lafontaine pattern predates the Harrop pattern though.

[Gene]

LaFontaine pattern? Harrop Dun and Borger but I don't remember a LaFontaine mayfly dun.