Mayflies

[Trout Of Doubt]

Last night I was looking at the Mayflies landing on the water and found I didn't reallly have anything that matched them. Having looked at patterns I can't find anything that looks quite like them. So I'm wondering whether they are actually Mayflies or a trick of the light.
Why?
They're certainly big enough (at least an inch if not longer) but they were all very very pale in coulour. Most of the patterns I've seen have realtively dark bodies (I suspect to imitate females rather than males) but I'd like to find a pattern that actually matches what was landing on the water. (FWIW I tend to preffer traditional patterns.)

[g bigtrout]

If they were falling on the water look up spent mayfly patterns, they will generally be pale in colour.

[Chris Reeves]

Look at the Favourite river flies swap thread, I submitted a Mayfly spinner that you might like.

Favourite River Flies Swap - Softmouth Trout Fundraiser


Regards

[saracen]

Originally Posted by idris

Last night I was looking at the Mayflies landing on the water and found I didn't reallly have anything that matched them. Having looked at patterns I can't find anything that looks quite like them. So I'm wondering whether they are actually Mayflies or a trick of the light.
Why?
They're certainly big enough (at least an inch if not longer) but they were all very very pale in coulour. Most of the patterns I've seen have realtively dark bodies (I suspect to imitate females rather than males) but I'd like to find a pattern that actually matches what was landing on the water. (FWIW I tend to preffer traditional patterns.)

Hi Idris,

Here's a spent I use in Ireland.Might be some use!!


Tightlines,
Saracen

[Trout Of Doubt]

Chris, I assume you mean this.

Nice fly. What's the pattern?

Having looked through that thread, I suspect these might be what I was looking at.


Saracen, how light coloured does that look at a distance?

[Chris Reeves]

Yes thats the one I referred to,
The pattern is my take on an American pattern called the "Coffin Fly". The dressing is

Tail, 4 x Moose mane hairs
Tag, Black peacock
Body, White Turkey primary herls
Wings Calf tail
Hackle Black or dark bkue dun cock
Hook Size 12 barbless Fulling mill 31836

It works really well when the spent Danica mayfly (as per your photo only your appears to be a sub imago) are floating down stuck in the film. It is slightly lighter than the real one but that helps you pick it out in the dusk, and as the fish are looking at the fly in sillouette in poor light I suspect thats why it works.

Check this out




Note distinct dark tip of tail and thorax.
Regards

[ickypimp]

idris the photo you posted looks like a dun to me

[Darren Lewis]

Originally Posted by Chris Reeves

Yes thats the one I referred to,
The pattern is my take on an American pattern called the "Coffin Fly". The dressing is

Tail, 4 x Moose mane hairs
Tag, Black peacock
Body, White Turkey primary herls
Wings Calf tail
Hackle Black or dark bkue dun cock
Hook Size 12 barbless Fulling mill 31836

It works really well when the spent Danica mayfly (as per your photo only your appears to be a sub imago) are floating down stuck in the film. It is slightly lighter than the real one but that helps you pick it out in the dusk, and as the fish are looking at the fly in sillouette in poor light I suspect thats why it works.

Check this out




Note distinct dark tip of tail and thorax.
Regards

Nice pattern, most commercial flies look like they've been tied by people who have know idea what a mayfly looks like!

There's about 50 of these identical spinners dead in a puddle outside my office at the moment

[jindra]

I found I can get a very translucent E. danica spinner body from lacquered white floss, ribbed by black thread. This is just detail of the body, the wings are CDC feathers and tails moose mane.



Cheers!

J.

[Trout Of Doubt]

Thanks guys.
I was thinking of using a quill body (if I can sort out some pale coloured quills - as per one of my other threads). Any thoughts?

Chris - I don't have any Moose. Would Buck Tail do instead? I assume it needs to be straight and stiff, but I'm not sure whether it would fill either or these citeria sufficiently as I've never handled Moose Mane.
How do you tie in the calf wing and does it go on before or after the hackle?

Jindra - what do you use to laquer the floss body - the same as finishing off heads?

Ickypimp - I used that picture more as a guide to colour - it's not my pic and I've not seen the Mayflies in question close enough to say whether it's exact or not.