Top 3 Mayfly Dry Patterns

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Hi,

From time to time, there have been articles written for fly fishing magazines about the “Top 10” flies amongst the “experts”. These are guys like Lefty, Borger, Dennis, etc.

I would like to know what guys here consider their top 3 Mayfly Dry patterns. I’m looking for “styles” of flies - not a specific pattern. So, for example, one might say “Catskill”, or “Comparadun”, or “Parachute”, or “Sparkle Dun”, or “Thorax Style”, or “loop Wing”, etc., etc.
Please list in the order of your preference: 1., 2., 3

Thank you. If there are enough responses, I will tabulate them and summarize after a day or two.

Thanks again,

Byron

2

No expert at this end of computer.

“Top” 3 (meaning the mayfly style I’m most likely to put on) would be:
Catskill
Comparadun
Parachute

I’m not quite sure where you would catagorize a ‘mayfly spinner’, but I’m considering it part of Catskill.

Allan

3

For me the first “dry” pattern I will put on is the parachute. Second is the Sparkledun. 3. is a CDC winged dun.

4
  1. Quigley/DOA-style cripple
  2. Sparkle Dun
  3. Parachute

Probably in that order.

5
  1. Sparkle Dun
  2. Quigley Cripple
  3. Thorax Dun
6

CDC comparadun , parachute , last standard dry with hackle clipped short on bottom.

7

Does “last standard dry with hackle clipped short on bottom” mean catskill???

8

Mine would fall in this order:

1- LTD
2- Haystack
3- Catskill

9

Byron, since you picked a cripple, I protest. I consider a cripple to be an emerger, and not a dry. I guess I shouldn’t protest too much since a the sparkle dun I picked is also technically a late stage emerger.:smiley:

10

Don’t often get to fish this kind of hatch these days. When I did if one of these wouldn’t do the job I usually found they were not taking the duns.
CdC and Elk Upright. (Body of CdC and elk with the wing tied as a compara dun wing and tails added)
Marc Petitjean Duns
Thorax Dun.
Cheers,
A.

11

Thanks Silver. I call them “emergents” to indicate they have broken through the miniscus. But, what is #2 and 3???

12 
     just a standard dry with hackle clip to ride on surface , I have better luck with surface ridding fly.
13

Wonderwing half-spent
Wonderwing parachute
Parchute

14

“Catskill”
parachute
Rene Harrop’s hair wing dun (try it- you’ll like it!)

Chuck

15

Got to second Chuck on the Harrop Hair Wing. That’s my first choice in most cases.

  1. Harrop Hairwing
  2. Parachute
  3. Sparkle Dun
16

​

For the 5 stages of emergence see: Film Flies

"TStage 4. The adult crawls forward out of the immature skin and enters stage 4. The immature husk hangs nearly empty from the end of the adult, the wings are inflating, but still rumpled, and the adult body is parked on top of the surface. This is the time for Sparkle Duns, Cross Dressers, or Sparkle Caddis Emergers. These flies nestle in the film, with the tail of sparkling fibers forming the empty husk.

TStage 5. The insect completes the extraction process and begins stage 5, the final hardening of the wings necessary for the full adult stage. This is the time of the Wet/Dry Fly, Quigley Cripple, and other similar sub-adult imitations."

17

Silver,
I had asked for your no. 2 and no. 3 picks which you omitted - not insect stages, but thanks.

See second definition:
Definition of Emergent: |e?mer?gent (-m?rjnt)adj.1.a. Coming into view, existence, or notice: emergent spring shoots; an emergent political leader.
|
b. Emerging: emergent nations.

2. Rising above a surrounding medium, especially a fluid.

PS There is also a later stage. Even the fly which is totally out of the shuck is still a subimago. It is not until they molt again; become sexually mature, that they reach the Spinner stage.

So, I still need your #2 and #3?
Thanks,
Byron|

18

For me it would be:

1 - Parachute
2 - Comparadun
3 - Catskills

19

I replied previously page 1, 3rd post.

20

In no particular order:
Catskill-esque. (I tend to use synthetics for the wings.)
Parachutes.
Variants (i.e. wingless dries).

Ed