Last week I talked about how much I enjoy fall fly fishing. It’s been great this year! What I wanted to share this week is how effective one fly has been for me…a Green Drake Sparkle Dun. Yes, Fall and a dry fly just go together.

Even the smaller fish eat this bug! It amazes me how a small trout rises to a larger fly. This is a #12 fly a 6″ fish ate.
And bigger fish eat them too.

I’ll probably kick myself for sharing this tip, but here is the fly, or should I say 2 dozen of THE FLY.

Nothing special. Just a my take of the Blue Ribbon Flies Sparkle Dun I use to imitate a Green Drake.

I’ve tied perhaps a couple hundred flies with this piece of deer hair I purchased at Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, MT. I always stop at BRF when I’m around Yellowstone National Park to hand select the deer hair I use to tie Sparkle Duns.
I love this fly. In fact, it’s been my go-to fly recently. Funny how I get confidence in a particular fly and it seems to continue catching fish.
I tie and fish Sparkle Duns to imitate every mayfly, from the small Blue Wing Olives, to Pale Morning Duns, March Browns, and of course Green Drakes.
So if I were you, I’d find a few Sparkle Duns at your local fly shop and give them a try the next time you see a mayfly hatch. If you can’t find them locally, contact me and I’ll be happy to tie you some. Just use the comment box below.
And since it’s Fall, there are beautiful things to see. Here are a few pictures of what I’ve seen along the river lately.

How about a Bull Trout “hiding” under a log…can’t see me!

Lastly, my wife attaching a fly…I wonder which one?

Enjoy…go fish!
John, nice ties of those SD’s! I notice from your photos that yours has a light body with dark ribbing, and the natural has the opposite. Have you tried tying them to match the natural or have you always gone with this color scheme?
Thanks for the comment Tim.
I’m always changing colors trying to “match the hatch.” We have a theory that the older the flies are, the darker they become…hence the lighter color Sparkle Dun.
But who really know?
John