Hi,
Am trying a different version of the Sparkle Dun. Instead of deer hair “wing”, I am using CDC and Partridge feathers. The CDC is for floatation and the partridge sort of gives definition to the “wing”.
What do you think?
Hi,
Am trying a different version of the Sparkle Dun. Instead of deer hair “wing”, I am using CDC and Partridge feathers. The CDC is for floatation and the partridge sort of gives definition to the “wing”.
What do you think?
I’m not a tier, but I am a fan of the Sparkle Duns. The only two things that keep me from fishing them all the time are 1) that they’re not the most bouyant in the world and easily waterlog and 2) the wings are not as visible as I’d like them to be on the water.
Sounds like your addition of CDC will help with #1 above. Now if somebody could just incorporate some high-vis material in the middle of the wing, I’d be a happy man.
thats buggy as all heck and will work awesome
byron. even tho you’ve incorporated cdc that fly appears to to me to be a PITA to keep floating. the original sparkle dun wing fans over the fly from horizontal to horizontal for support on the water to float as poorly as it does. on the other hand if one can keep this one floating it’ll catch fish. also good to see you’ve managed to get your camera woes figured out, nice photo.
Nice tie. It’le definitely catch fish… I like what is visible of your vise. What kind is it?
Neil
Byron,
I’m in the same camp as Wes on this fly. I think I see some of the background color between the wings, is this a split wing design? My thoughts are that the body will sink below the surface film leaving only the wing floating, thanks to the CDC. The addition of the partridge may negate any floatation offered by the CDC. If it is a split wing design, it looks like it may fall over on one side (no horizontal hackle or deer hair to keep it stable) and that’s not a bad thing. If it’s a single wing design, it probably would fall over on it’s side. A fly that dips the wing into the water is often mistaken for a cripple and is very effective.
Nice looking dressing. What is the body dubbing?
REE
It looks like a Haystack and should be very effective.
Hi John. I thought the beauty of the Sparkle Dun is that it floats low in the water and can be taken for a cripple, emerger or a dun? Isn’t that why we tie it with a trailing shuck? Just wondering.
Bruce
I agree Bruce. I’m anything but an expert, but I like the idea in general of dries that float lower in film, because I think they have a chance of being mistaken for several stages of the insect as you described. Those same benefits are why I fish parachutes primarily and, unlike the Sparkle Duns, the parachute seems to keep it in (instead of under) the film for more drifts and the post makes it a lot easier to follow. Maybe what I need to find is a parachute style tie with a trailing shuck. That would seem to offer the best of both of these styles. Cheers.
You just may have hit on an excellent idea, John.
I agree with the previous two posts.
Sparkle duns are not dries, they are more in the emerger category. They are film flies with the body low on or in the film. The wing above the film does not represent the the actual wings of the mayfly adult but the emerging thorax and folded wing of the emerging dun.
Have you noticed that comparaduns and parachute “dries” continue to catch fish once they have been taken several times and are beaten up. Why?
I believe this phenomena occurs because they ride lower in the film once they have been taken. They also become shaggier and more like an emerger with a rough nymphal appearance rather than the smoother body of a dun.
When partially sunken they can also be taken as cripples.
This type of fly, which is designed from the start to lie in and under film with the thorax above the film, are called suspender patterns. The “wing” of the fly “suspends” the fly in the film. The “wing” acts much as the fly’s “life preserver”.
The prototypical suspender pattern is the Klinkhammer of Hans van Klinken. Taking the concept a bit further is the Quigley Emerger than substitutes deer hair for the post, and winds the hackle around the hook shank rather than the wing post. I take both of these to be variations of the parachute dry which Gary Borger believes is most often taken by the trout to be an emerger. Gary believe that the fuzzy post of the parachute is seen as the emerging dun and the hackle as the emerging legs.
Gary has recently published a book called Fishing the Film in which he discusses the 5 stages of emergence and the patterns that imitate them. He places the parachute adams in stage 3 and the comparadun in stage 4. The Quigley Emerger and the Klinkhammer would also be stage 2 flies. These “stages” are an attempt to describe what is a continuum of emergence as the insects transforms itself from a under water nymph to an above water insect. The lower the fly rides in and under the film, the earlier the transitional form of the emerger.
It is then obvious that a fly can be designed to ride at a certain level when fresh from the box and treated with fly floatant. But once it has been taken by a fish and is waterlogged and covered with slime, it rides lower in the film. I believe it then becomes a different fly, in that it’s position in the film is seen by the trout as an earlier stage of emergence.
What flies or emerging stage will the fish prefer?
Fish tend to take insects that have little chance of of escape. That means the earlier the stage of emergence, the less likely the insect is to escape and fly off. I believe this is why the beaten up comparaduns and parachutes sometimes outperform brand new flies. The float lower and imitate an earlier stage of emergence. If the trout are taking true mature duns, the higher floating version will be more effective. But if the trout are taking an earlier state of emerger, the partially sunken version will be more effective.
Coming back to the original question of the wing material for your version of the sparkle dun, I think the hybrid use of both CDC and Partridge will work, but they work at cross purposes. The CDC is a better material for floatation and for representing the amorphous shape of an emerging dun body and wing. The Partridge retains the wing shape but my belief is that this pattern’s wing is not actually a wing in the mind’s eye of the trout. So an actual wing shape is not needed. I would just add more CDC for better floatation.
Let the discussion continue.
Just make sure you tie some for me too please!
Byron,
I like it! As they say: That dog will hunt!! Still diggin on that vise too!
Best regards, Dave S.
I think the fly was designed to sink the rear half. I have only dressed the wing portion of the fly and am careful not to touch the shuck. Since it is considered a dun/emerger combo you want part of the fly submerged. Lawson touts the fly as one of the best on spring creeks but cautions the tier to keep the shuck delicate enough to allow it to hang under the water.
If the wing has CDC, the usual paste and gel fly dressings will cause the CDC fibers to clump. I use a combination of Tiemco Dry Magic and powder floatant such as Frogs Fanny Dry Fly Powder. I’ve found that Tiemco Dry Magic will also clump CDC when too much is applied.
Hello John,
The concern you show for the correct fly for your needs demonstrates an excellent reason to tie your own flies! It would not be hard to tie a parachute fly with a pink antron post and brown antron tail to satisfy your imagination. I might even have some around here in size 18 for BWOs. What size do you want - do you have anything to trade? - unless you agree to take up fly tying!
I appreciate the offer Greg. I was just being facetious. You are right of course about tying. I bought a vise, all kinds of tools and bunches of material, but am ashamed to say that like that other road, this one so far has been paved with only good intentions. Someday I’ll make more of a commitment to that part of it.
Now if somebody could just incorporate some high-vis material in the middle of the wing, I’d be a happy man.
Anything is possible John, anything is possible.
My apologies for possibly hijacking the thread. The moderators may move or delete as they see fit.
Greg
Blue Ribbon now adds a backing wing of white or black “what else” zelon!!!
The BRF Sparkle Dun has been my steady dry fly for many years. I have caught more fish on this fly than any other, well except for a certain beadhead contraption that I stole from lastchance! Tied the Sparkle Dun in many versions and settled right back to BRF’s Original and Improved versions with only one exception. I over dress the deerhair wing on half of my ties for use in heavy water. Never had a problem with “seeing the wing”. Never had any problems with floatation using silica powder, and I treat the entire fly. Craig Mathews created one of the best ties ever. Long live the Sparkle Dun.