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MAYFLIES
"Aquatic insects with upright
wings." Order Ephemeroptera Hexagenia limbaa on a Gaillardia from Bob
Scammell's The
Phenological Fly that shows how Western
hatches associate with flowering seasons.
More patterns:
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The Adams Family, Blues and the Classic
Black Gnat
 Adams -This classic mayfly tie is among the top 10 selling dry
flies. The nondescript coloring suggests a host of different hatches. It is a
good place to start if there is not a notable specific hatch.
"The flies used for so
discriminating a fish as the trout should, first of all, have the appearance of
life." --Jack Atherton in The Trout & The Fly
 Adams, Cripple --- A cripple is an insect that
never made it from nymph to adult. After the hatch cripples remain on the water as
vulnerable prey. To fish this fly moisten your forefinger and thumb with saliva and
pre-wet the marabou body and tail. Apply floatant to only the hackle and
post. This fly is designed to hang vertically from the surface: so attach it with a
Duncan Loop or similar knot. Easy dinner for selective risers during big
hatches.
 Adams
--Compara-Dun --This style is the most accurate imitation of an adult mayfly
when viewed from below the surface. Best fished on smooth flowing or still
waters. Not well suited to turbulent waters.
"Somebody just back of you while you are fishing
is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your
girl." -- Ernest Hemingway
 Adams
Irresistible -- This pattern floats like a cork. It is the Adams of
choice for heavy water situations. The sophisticated fly fisher's version of the
Humpy.
"Anglers are apt to pin their hopes on two or
three favorite flies, and to imagine what if the trout should not rise at these, they will
not take at all." -- Theodore Gordon
 Adams,
Parachute--This is really an emerger. The hook, body and tail are in
the surface film. The fly hangs by its hackle, The pattern is also among
the top 10 dry flies. Good designs have stiff, but sparce hackle.
William A. Bush applied for a patent on parachute fly
design in 1931. The design languished until Swisher and Richards touted the concept
in their exceptional 1971 book, Selective Trout.
 Blue Dun -- A basic choice for
moderate water and hatches with a medium-gray cast. One of the best all-round
Mayflies.
 Blue Dun Parachute -- This good choice for all
the medium-gray hatches offers that special parachute low body floating position so
effective with selective trout.
 Blue Wing Olive(Baetis) This flowing water mayfly hatches in spring, fall and cloudy rainy summer
days. At times the top standard dry. A classic for New England and the West.
"Rarely are these flies as large as #14.
They range from #16s and #18s down . . ."Bob Scammel
 Blue Wing Olive
Parachute This fly seems easier to see
than the vanilla BWO above as. We feature a white calf body post for
visibility. The parachute style more closely mimics the emerger than the classic BWO, too.
"Blue Wing Olives frequently
start hatching about noon on damp, even stormy days." --Bob Scammel
 Black
Gnat -- Since many bugs are black, this is
close to a universal fly pattern for both dark aquatic hatches and terrestrials such
as horseflies.
It is a wonderful choice for silhouettes against the evening sky,and black is an excellent
high country lake color as well.
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