Since it’s the first of March, it seems like a good time to start tying March Browns–even though these mayflies don’t start hatching until mid-May in some parts of the country. On a fishless evening on the Battenkill a few years ago, I had the opportunity to watch a lot of March browns ovipositing. They don’t return to the water in huge numbers, like Hendricksons, so the spinner activity doesn’t draw much (or, in my case, any) response from the trout. It’s the hatch you want to focus on, and that’s where this great emerger pattern comes in handy.
In this excellent video from Tightline Productions, tier and author Matt Grobert demonstrates how to tie a very simple March Brown Emerger fly, which you can alter to imitate lots of different mayflies. You’ll be astonished by how simple this is to tie, but as usual, there’s a trick or two to be learned. I love the way he wraps the thread through the butts of the deer-hair wing to lock in on top of the hook and prevent spinning.
March Brown Emerger
Hook: 3X-long nymph hook hook (here a TMC 200R), sizes 10-12.
Thread: Orange, 6/0 or 140-denier.
Shuck: Mayfly Brown Micro Zelon.
Body: Fawn-color rabbit-fur dubbing.
Wing: Natural deer hair, cleaned and stacked.
Head: Deer-hair butts.
Note: Change colors of the body and wing to mimic any number of mayfly spieces.
Credit: Source link
