Slate drakes

[shakey]

Besides leadwing coachmen , what’s your favorite slate drake pattern?

I try not to use dry flies, unless I have to, but most translate well into wets.

I would be interested in hearing your patterns and sizes.

 

[Millsertime]

shakey wrote:

I try not to use dry flies, unless I have to

Pretty sure that is considered blasphemy to the fish gods.



To answer your question....I used adams dry flies (catskill style) to mimic slate drakes last evening.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Ah, The White Gloved Howdy. GG

 

[troutbert]

Try this simple wingless wet fly:

Body: Peacock

Hackle: Dark dun

Tail: Dark dun

 

[dc410]

troutbert wrote:
Try this simple wingless wet fly:

Body: Peacock

Hackle: Dark dun

Tail: Dark dun

A grey hackle peacock is tough to beat!

 

[dryflyguy]

I tie what is basically just an all gray dun pattern in #12 and #14.
Kind of an Adams, minus the brown hackle:

Wing: dark gray turkey flat

Tail: dark gray fibbets

Body: muskat fur

Hackle: dun

 

[Swattie87]

I just use an Adams. Size 12. Usually a parachute, but sometimes a Catskill style in heavier water.

 

[greenghost]

You know me, Shakey. I fish dries only this time of year and the Iso is my fly of choice. In my experience, a simple comp dun Slate Drake works best. It's a great search fly when fish aren't activley feeding on top, it's durable, and doesn't twist up my leader like some winged ties.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Red quill comparadun / sparkle dun (gray hair), #12 or #14, depending on the season (smaller in Autumn). They are easy to tie and can serve double duty in April as, well, Red Quills!

 

[shakey]

greenghost wrote:
You know me, Shakey. I fish dries only this time of year and the Iso is my fly of choice. In my experience, a simple comp dun Slate Drake works best. It's a great search fly when fish aren't activley feeding on top, it's durable, and doesn't twist up my leader like some winged ties.

Yes, you are an elegant angler.

I hope to fish with you soon.

 

[shakey]

These are some great flies!!

I hadn’t thought of an Adams . Silly of me .

I always have plenty of peacock with Dun and peacock with grizzly.

 

[JackM]

https://diyflyfishing.com/video-how-tie-slate-drake-emerger/

Fish these on top and in the surface. If that doesn't work. Find some clay-like sediment and coat the wing. Rinse well and repeat. Add a microshot if the mud don't work.

 

[shakey]

That’s a nice fly!!
Basically an EHC with a tail. I like it

 

[JeffK]

Years ago I learned a very simple wet fly/nymph for slate drakes that is just peacock herl and a coachman brown hen hackle.

Use a long wet fly hook and add some weight if needed. Tail is three peacock herls and body is a slender peaccock herl body. Tie a brown wet fly hackle at the front and you are done.

Fish this down and across near the bottom in a run/riffle where you see the nymphal shucks on the shore. Slate drakes swim to the shore in most places to emerge and you are trying to simulate that. Since it is fishing near the bottom the simple fly causes less pain when it hangs up and is lost.

Prince nymph is another great nymph for slate drake season.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

That’s a nice fly!!
Basically an EHC with a tail. I like it.

Yep, basically a slate drake sparkle dun. It is trout approved! 🙂

 

[lprudente]

Another great resource is Don Bastian. His website is fantastic, see link for his slate drake article. Several patters here, I'm a fan of the nymph pattern.

https://donbastianwetflies.com/2013/09/28/slate-drakes-aka-isonychias/

 

[JackM]

Or, you can tie a traditional nymph and add a split-winged wing out of soft hackle. If'n you want to start wet.

 

[shakey]

I do tye a wet fly version of the nymph in wine-purple ish with a white floss stripe down the back .

 

[Classicriver]

There is one I call the Halo Isonychia that the Delaware rainbows love. Very thinly dubbed Kreinik brown olive silk over 6/0 Unithread in Wine color. Wing Puglisi Trigger Point fibers in Dark Dun comparadun style. Tail is dark pardo Coq-De-Leon.


Photo won't upload, file too large I guess. Details on my blog if interested.

https://brightwatercatskill.art.blog

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Nice tie, Classicriver!