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Mayflies for dummies
  |  First Published: November 2012



Mayflies are the iconic insect of the trout streams, no matter which state you are in.

Forget the myriad other insects that abound, trout and mayfly have a sort of symbiotic relationship. Mayflies and their many and varied species capture the imagination of the fly angler and the trout alike.

I can remember back in the 80’s agonising for hours over a single mayfly pattern to try and get the wings the right shape, the body the right colour, the ribbing the right diameter wire and a hackle of sufficient quality to do the fly justice. Much to my surprise the flies worked and two beautiful browns of around 2kg fell to its charm on the cyclonic waters of Lake Kay on my first ever trip to Tasmania.

Today it’s a much different matter, mayflies can be constructed in no time flat straight from the box so to speak, and they look even more realistic than the real thing.

Take this particular pattern, four materials including the hook. Preformed mayfly tube bodies, preformed mayfly wings inclusive of the delicate lace like patterns, and hackle on a string from Henrys Fork Hackles.

As with the many publications that leapt from hyperspace with the advent of the home computer, windows for dummies, word for dummies, we now have mayflies for dummies in four easy steps.

The world of fly tying and fly tying materials has expanded as quickly as computer technology in the last few years, there is not a material that cannot be used nor an insect that cannot be copied as it has truly become an art form.

In some cases the flies look too good to actually use, better suited to being in a display case than bobbing along in the bubble line of a favoured stream or drifting a wind lane on a highland tarn.

There is no doubt that the new materials and methods of today are making the art of deception so much easier for the angler. The ideas are limitless. New materials and methods endless.

Expand your mind.

Facts

TYING INSTRUCTIONS and MATERIALS

HOOK:Mustad C49s # 12-16
THREAD:Black UTC 70 denier
BODY: X-flies tube bodiz by Rainy’s
HACKLE:CDC feathers colour to suit or Henry’s fork hackles.
WING:Hemingway’s mayfly wings

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