Emergers: Test Them in a Tank of Water

[Dave_W]

Technical FFing often involves selective fish sipping emergers rather than duns. A well presented emerger fly can really nail these frustrating risers... which are often, in reality, taking nymphs and emergers in the film or just under it.

I fish a lot with floating nymphs and emergers and flies like these are my go-to pattern when I find trout that won't eat a conventional dry fly. While there are plenty of good emerger patterns, I find many of them too bulky and bushy. Emerging mayflies are very delicate and slender and hang below the surface with a trailing shuck. The actual emerging insect is almost white, or a yellowish cream color, which contrasts with the brown nymph shuck in the rear.

I like a clear, plastic bin or glass water bowl, for examining flies to see how they perform. If they sink, they're failures and are junked or recycled. You want the fly to stay up top, but just in the film. The flies below can be seen "hanging" in the film as you want them to do. The lower pic shows one of these nymphs from underwater as the fish likely sees the fly, against the sky and trees.

Tie your emergers small, slender, and sparse. Then test your emergers in water, make sure they're thoroughly soaked, and verify that they perfom the way you want them to. Only then are they fit to go in your fly box.

 

[outsider]

Very nice! I don't have a tank but I use a clear glass drinking cup so I can look from the underside. Always good to know what your fly looks like from the trout's POV.

 

[Kevin82]

I agree, I test some of mine in my aquarium, or I do as outsider said and test them in a "drinking" cup, although I just use a mason jar. Good advice no matter what, Ive found when a good floating dry fly doesnt work, put on something that rides low. Parachutes are a good choice.

 

[nfrechet]

testing lab :-D :-D

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Sweet!

 

[Prospector]

Dave, thanks for sharing. I’ve never transitioned to emergers partly because I don’t see many risers except when I’m in Potter county. I bought a few emerger books in last couple years but haven’t read them yet. What you have provided here is worth a thousand words.

 

[mcwillja]

good advice here. I might add that i have had a lot of success with sparse soft hackles fished in the film as well, often times out performing a typical emerger pattern.