Sulphur Dun Hackle

[outsider]

I tie my Sulphur Duns with pale ginger hackle or sandy dun hackle (which I would describe as pale greyish-tan in color). Over the years I've had success with both. What do you use?

 

[SBecker]

I use dun, smokey dun, and a pale yellow.

 

[outsider]

Sbecker,

Do you tie different flies with one of the hackles you stated? If so, do you have a preference?

 

[tctrout]

outsider wrote:
I tie my Sulphur Duns with pale ginger hackle or sandy dun hackle (which I would describe as pale greyish-tan in color). Over the years I've had success with both. What do you use?

I've definitely had success with those colors, too, but have used more of the ginger and dun variants in the past few years, some labeled as barred gingers and barred duns. The barring gives a great look, and is intended to represent movement (hence I tie emerger patterns with these colors more so than the duns).

TC

 

[dryflyguy]

I've always used ginger hackle on all of my sulphers.
I used to tie some with orange bodies, and some with yellow bodies.
But really don't think that it matters much, and just make them with yellow bodies now.

 

[GenCon]

I do all mine with ginger as well. Have for a longtime. Works for me.

GenCon

 

[JackM]

Light ginger or light dun for hackle, cdc loopwings and comparaduns also-- sometimes a touch of orange seems to make a difference, sometimes positive, sometimes negative. I carry both/all variations.

 

[MKern]

Light ginger.

I do tie a generic mayfly dun with dun hackle that is really productive.

 

[Tiogadog]

Yellow body gets a light dun hackle...orange body gets a light ginger hackle. No idea a why I do that but it has worked. I have actually transitioned to more comparaduns for sulphurs lately.

 

[JackM]

I admit my tying philosophy is odd, but I rarely have more than two identical imitations of any aquatic insect in my box. If I do, you can bet I purchased them. I would decide on the body color, tail color, hackle color and wing color, as well as type of tie each separately.

For a catskill style, use dun tailing, ginger tailing and dark tailing randomly as between, say a whitish body, yellow body or tan-to-brown body. Likewise, vary the wing and/or hackle color.

If you insist upon many specimens of the exact same fly, for catskill style dries, I would recommend "sulfur" dubbing, dun wings and hackle and dark dun tailing fibers.

 

[Tiogadog]

Not to hijack this, but if I do not have at least six of each exact patttern/ color variation I feel lost...to each his own

 

[afishinado]

Ginger, but not a big deal either way.

 

[SBecker]

outsider wrote:
Sbecker,

Do you tie different flies with one of the hackles you stated? If so, do you have a preference?

Nope, no rhyme or reason.

 

[outsider]

When I looked in my fly boxes today I discovered that I do tie/fish the sandy duns more, especially in the smaller sizes. My rationale was/is that hackle is more subtle in appearance, and blends well with the wings. One could also rationalize the legs are closer matched with pale ginger (which may be better for those who tie parachute style?).

I was just curious what others use, thanks for sharing.

BTW, my dry flies are what I might call pseudo catskill/thorax style. Split tails, hackle that is slightly splayed (no v-notch cut into the bottom), and burned hen wings. And the hackle length is generally no more than 1 1/4 times the hook gap.

 

[outsider]

This may really date my age, but we always believed there were 3 species of "sulphurs": Ephemerala Invaria, E. Rotunda, and E. Dorothea. Translation in order: size 14, size 16, and size 18. The scientific community now tells us there are only two species: Invaria, which vary in size representing the two former species known as Invaria and Rotunda, and Dorothea (size 18). I just plodded along thinking old school. Didn't matter anyways, because I always carried three sizes. Am I alone with my past thinking? Out of touch? Senile?

 

[Chaz]

I tie them with either light ginger hackle or the traditional white hackle, and if it's a bit off white all the better.

 

[Tiogadog]

outsider wrote:
This may really date my age, but we always believed there were 3 species of "sulphurs": Ephemerala Invaria, E. Rotunda, and E. Dorothea. Translation in order: size 14, size 16, and size 18. The scientific community now tells us there are only two species: Invaria, which vary in size representing the two former species known as Invaria and Rotunda, and Dorothea (size 18). I just plodded along thinking old school. Didn't matter anyways, because I always carried three sizes. Am I alone with my past thinking? Out of touch? Senile?

I carry sulphurs in sizes 14-20 and I am too young to be senile (I hope).

 

[dryflyguy]

I tie - and fish - sulphers in sizes #12 thru #20.
Probably my most used fly year after year.

 

[lv2nymph]

I use an off cream, a ginger that borders on orange, and a color called straw( variant).

 

[foxtrapper1972]

After looking at the naturals and also noticing how bright my yellow sulphurs looked on the water I started making them with a light tan or very light olive body and a cream hackle- no wing. I make them in 16-18. They work for me.