Fly Of The Week
March Brown Comparadun
March Brown Comparadun
By Skip Morris
Previous Flies
Fly Tying Terms

March Brown Comparadun

In Comparahatch, published in 1972, Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi introduced fly fishers to a remarkably simply and effective fly: the Comparadun. Where once the Adams and other classic dry-fly patterns were every angler's first choice now this relative newcomer stands on equal ground. The March Brown version listed is only a sample; the Comparadun is tied in many colors to imitate many species of mayflies.

The Comparadun wing makes the Comparadun - it is a fan of deer hair that simulates the natural's wings and legs. Split tails are becoming commonplace on mayfly imitations, and will will learn to handle these in tying the Comparadun too.

March Brown Comparadun

    Hooks:  Standard dry fly, sizes 14 to 10. (Comparaduns other than this March Brown version range fro 24 to 10.)
    Thread:  8/0 or 6/0 tan.
    Wing:  Brown natural coastal deer hair. (Many other types of deer hair are too spongy for Comparadun wings.)
    Tail:  Brown hackle fibers.
    Abdomen and Thorax:  Tan dubbing, (rabbit shown here.)

Tying Instructions:

1. Build a layer of thread; comb, stack, measure; then tie in a bunch of deer hair.

2. Push the wing down around the hook and add a few more tight thread turns.
3. Snip the hair butts at an angle, bind them with thread and build a thread ball at the bend. (This will be used to seperated the tails later.)

4. Tie in some hackle fibers and wrap back over them with thread; nearing the thread ball, pull the fibers down around it and add the final turns of thread.

5. Dub to the wing, and then crease the wing upright, once on top and once on each side.

6. Draw the wing sharply back and take a turn of dubbing up against the front of its base.

7. Crisscross the dubbing beneath the wing. Add more dubbing in front of the wing and complete the head as usual.

8. Snip the center fibers from the tail, leaving split tails.

9. Split tails.

Tying Tips for the March Brown

    1. The wing hairs may rotate too far down the sides of the hook; use the crisscrossed turns of dubbing to draw these hairs up into the rest of the wing. Again, the wing should be a half-circle, a fan, around the top of the fly.

    2. The distribution of hairs in the wing is a good indication of how the wing was tied in - if the hairs are clumped at the center, you need to push the wing down around the hook more as you secure it with thread turns.

    3. An ever more secure way to set the wing upright is to use lots of tight turns of bare thread against the front of the wing; then dub around and beneath the wing to the head area.

    4. Another way to snip the tail fibers is to leave the fly in the vise, and then pull some outside fibers toward you to separate them from the rest for clear access with your scissor tips.

Fishing Suggestons

For mayfly hatches in slow to moderated currents, fish the Comparadun dead drift or with the slightest twitches if appropriate. ~ SM

We thank Frank Amato Publications Inc. for use permission for this excerpt from Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple, By Skip Morris.