Sparkle Duns for the Provider Box

I’ve been in Maui the last couple of weeks and will return home later this week and get back to filling several fly orders. But I brought some fly tying materials and made time to tie a few BWO Improved Sparkle Duns for the provider box. That’s what my wife calls the storage boxes I fill with all the flies I tie.

Tying flies in Hawaii isn’t uncommon for me at all. I usually pack a vise, tools, and materials in the off chance the weather is wet for several days. (Be sure to check out my Tying Flies in Paradise post.)

So I decided to be a minimalist fly tyer this year and take only a few materials with me – Zelon, thread, dubbing, and deer hair. Yes, you guessed it. These are the ingredients for Sparkle Duns.

I fish Sparkle Duns to imitate Blue Wing Olives, Pale Morning Duns, March Browns, Green Drakes, Callibaetis…in other words, any mayfly I find on a river or lake.

So I tied a few dozen size 16 BWO Improved Sparkle Duns during my time on Maui.

Early morning before the wind started to blow was the best time to tie on the lanai. I would enjoy the sunrise, make a cup of coffee, catch up on a few emails, and then tie a few flies. Not a bad routine, is it?

The last thing I wanted to mention is a soft hackle feather source.

I’ve been trying to get feathers off one of these birds for several years as I watch them walk along the beach. The bird really reminds me of the Golden Plover skin I have at home. I’m only kidding. Well, I would pick up a feather if I saw one …

Until next time…aloha!