Fly 23 - Pale Morning Dun Mayfly

Pale Morning Dun Mayfly

5x7, soft pastel

The Pale Morning Dun Mayfly is a commonly used fly during mid-summer months when mayflies are most vulnerable to trout.  The elk hair hackles enables the fly to maintain just the right amount of float allowing the fly to hang just below the surface of the water...which is where many trout take advantage of the short stage of a mayfly from emerger to adult.

Fly 13 - Deep Dish Callibaetis

Deep Dish Callibaetis

5x7, soft pastel

A gorgeous fly created a few years ago by Curtis Fry (www.flyfood.com) is the Deep Dish Callibaetis which is a mayfly nymph.  This fly looks like it would be a very effective little fly.

Curtis says the idea behind this pattern was to make a somewhat realistic representation of the natural fly that could be tied in a variety of colors and sizes with a focus on the two-toned nature of callibaetis, the pronounced gills on the abdomen and the sparkley-ness of the emerging insects.  

Check out Curtis’s YouTube video where he demonstrates tying this fly.  He was much faster at tying it than I was at painting it!