Here is the fly pattern sheet for the Sparkle Dun Green Drake

Sparkle Dun Green Drake | www.johnkreft.com

A natural…

Metolius River Green Drake | www.johnkreft.com

Materials

Hook:

Daiichi 1280, size 14 – 8

Thread:

Danville 6/0 (70 denier) olive

Tail:

Zelon – mayfly brown

Underbody:

Uni-Stretch Floss, 270 denier, olive (Optional)

Rib:

DMC 6 strand embroidery floss – coffee brown #938

Body:

Superfine dubbing – Caddis Green or Gray/Olive

Thorax:

Same as body

Wing:

Sparkle dun or comparadun deer hair, natural or dun

Directions:

  1. Start thread behind eye of hook and wind halfway down hook shank, then back to 1/3 mark. This is the proper tie-in point for deer hair of larger flies. Placing thread on the hook in this manner prevents deer hair from spinning.
  2. Clean and stack a bundle of deer hair. (check Sparkle Dun fly pattern for deer hair comments – using wrong deer hair won’t allow hair to flair, the major reason tyers have problems with this fly).
  3. Proper wing proportions should be length of hook.
  4. Extend tips past hook eye and tie in with two loose thread wraps. Pull straight down so deer hair flares. Do not let go of butt ends and wrap 10 – 12 times evenly toward tail to firmly secure hair. Trim butt ends. (If hair rotates around hook shank, use fewer fibers. Very important to wrap on thread base.)
  5. Tie in hank of Zelon for tail with a few wraps. Go to next step and post hair before finishing tail wraps.
  6. Sweep deer hair backwards to allow hair to stand straight up. Thread should be immediately behind deer hair. Sweep 1/3 of hair back and place 1 thread wrap securely in place by pulling straight down. (you’ll see hair stand up). Sweep next 1/3 back and place 1 thread wrap securely in place and pull straight down. Sweep last 1/3 back and place 2 – 3 wraps at base of deer hair. This technique allows minimal thread wraps to stand deer hair up without thread dam.
  7. Secure Zelon with thread wraps back to hook barb and return thread to mid-shank. Trim tail equal to hook shank.
  8. Tie in rib material at tail.
  9. Apply dubbing to thread and begin wrapping a tapered body, leaving one thread wrap behind deer hair (if you don’t, it will force hair forward). Create stubby body with dubbing.
  10. OPTIONAL – use Uni-Stretch Floss as an underbody to quickly create bulk.
  11. Bring dubbing directly in front of deer hair and begin figure eight wraps around hair. The first wrap behind hair, you’ll feel it snug tightly and force hair straight up.
  12. Wind rib forward with 4 or 5 wraps to wing, then several wraps on head. Tie off and clip butt end.
  13. Whip finish behind hook eye.

Personal tying notes:

  • Use 1 strand of DMC embroidery floss – here is an Amazon link for the PRODUCT

Here is a link to my RiverKeeper Flies YouTube Channel demonstrating the fly:

The Sparkle Dun Mayfly is a style of fly that can be used for any mayfly. Coordinate the thread and body color.