What about the Hook?

Dennis was particular when tying the DS Emerger. He said that poly yarn was better than CDC. He said the fly worked equally well in the film or underneath. It is a good fly.
 
Dennis was particular when tying the DS Emerger. He said that poly yarn was better than CDC. He said the fly worked equally well in the film or underneath. It is a good fly.
It works for just about any mayfly hatch if sized correctly. It's definitely hard to see though. Lots of times I'd put it on as a trailing fly behind something BIG. If I see a boil near the big fly, I set.

My first real big eye opener with that fly was on spring creek in the paradise section years ago. Sulphurs were coming off heavy and I watched 3 guys fishing below the lower bridge. They couldn't touch a fish. I went down the opposite side and cast down to the fish. I caught every fish I could see. When done, the 3 guys inspected my fly in the parking lot via headlight. They were amazed and so was I. I've used it in April for blue quill, June for cornuta, for sulphur, grey fox, steno... doesn't matter
 
@krayfish2. Do you use different dubbing colors (abdomen or thorax) for the different hatches? I pretty much stick to Dennis's original body color in different sizes for the different hatches except for the Sulphurs. I need to try different shades of colors but have good results with the original.
 
It works for just about any mayfly hatch if sized correctly. It's definitely hard to see though. Lots of times I'd put it on as a trailing fly behind something BIG. If I see a boil near the big fly, I set.

My first real big eye opener with that fly was on spring creek in the paradise section years ago. Sulphurs were coming off heavy and I watched 3 guys fishing below the lower bridge. They couldn't touch a fish. I went down the opposite side and cast down to the fish. I caught every fish I could see. When done, the 3 guys inspected my fly in the parking lot via headlight. They were amazed and so was I. I've used it in April for blue quill, June for cornuta, for sulphur, grey fox, steno... doesn't matter
I love a good multi-tasker fly. Met Rene a couple times when I lived in Idaho. Amazed me how many non-fly fishers knew who he was.
 
@krayfish2. Do you use different dubbing colors (abdomen or thorax) for the different hatches? I pretty much stick to Dennis's original body color in different sizes for the different hatches except for the Sulphurs. I need to try different shades of colors but have good results with the original.
Share the recipe please?
 
I will check my notes when I get a chance. The best thing is to do a search on DS Emerger. There is a video of Dennis tying the fly.
 
@krayfish2. Do you use different dubbing colors (abdomen or thorax) for the different hatches? I pretty much stick to Dennis's original body color in different sizes for the different hatches except for the Sulphurs. I need to try different shades of colors but have good results with the original.
I got them from Dennis and now Joe. My eyes are bad and struggle to get a #14 on the tippet. Don't tie much anymore. Also, original color for every hatch. Most nymphs are matched by PT so .. emergers can be the same as far as I'm concerned 😁
 
That's a Ken Imawaza fly, or a variant. They looked cool but sucked for catching fish.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
Ken Iwamasa had a nymph tied that way which he called the "Tarcher Fly" but his duns looked nothing like this:

76C8A9DC B961 4C4F 8E07 1BBD0B28F474


Ken's duns were tied hook point down with a unique burnt wing (I still have a set of the wing burners) with a deer hair over-back and deer hair fibers tied splayed on either side by the head of the fly for legs (and support) & no hackle.

Here's one:

Index


I was a huge fan of Iwamasa Flies back in the day and till tie & fish his dun pattern. His emergers were also tied hook point down.

BTW & OT - Tim, I got my Myran Boxes about a week ago from ASG. ;)
 
Ken Iwamasa had a nymph tied that way which he called the "Tarcher Fly" but his duns looked nothing like this:

View attachment 1641227953

Ken's duns were tied hook point down with a unique burnt wing (I still have a set of the wing burners) with a deer hair over-back and deer hair fibers tied splayed on either side by the head of the fly for legs (and support) & no hackle.

Here's one:

View attachment 1641227952

I was a huge fan of Iwamasa Flies back in the day and till tie & fish his dun pattern. His emergers were also tied hook point down.

BTW & OT - Tim, I got my Myran Boxes about a week ago from ASG. ;)
Dear Bamboozle,

Thanks for the correction. I remember Ken Imawasa tied upside down nymphs and I remember seeing the upside down dries years ago and just assumed they were related.

I have a standing paid for order At Bob Marriot's for several Myran boxes. They showed as available when I placed the order, but they contacted me the next day and said they were out of stock. If I don't get notification that they are shipping in the next couple of weeks, I'll get a refund and look at ASG.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
Tim,

Quite a while ago now, there was a company called Water Wisp, that sold flys tied on a curved hook with the point facing upward.
No idea if they're still around.

Also, Neshannock Creek fly shop in Volant sells Myran boxes
 
Tim,

Quite a while ago now, there was a company called Water Wisp, that sold flys tied on a curved hook with the point facing upward.
No idea if they're still around.

Also, Neshannock Creek fly shop in Volant sells Myran boxes
Dear dryflyguy,

Thank you! Water Wisp is what I remember. I bought a couple and quickly called them water whiffs. They looked great but didn't fish well for me!

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
Quite a while ago now, there was a company called Water Wisp, that sold flys tied on a curved hook with the point facing upward.
No idea if they're still around.
I don't believe they are. The owner of company, Jim Green, passed due to Covid early on in the pandemic.

Also, the fly in the photo is not a Water Wisp. Those were not only tied upside down, but backwards as well -- the wings and hackle were at the bend of the hook. They used a special hook that had the eye rotated 90 degrees (in same plane as the bend) so that it could be inserted into the vise.

waterwisp.gif
 
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Inverted hook dry fly ties seem to come and go.

I would guess just about every fly tyer, myself included, at one time experimented to tie a dry fly with the hook point riding up to hide the hook.

Since nearly every fly is tied with hook point down, the inverted hook style doesn't seem to work well or makes no difference at all to the fish.

My inverted flies ended up being teasers.....when /if a trout hit, it I'd never hook it.
 
Inverted hook dry fly ties seem to come and go.

I would guess just about every fly tyer, myself included, at one time experimented to tie a dry fly with the hook point riding up to hide the hook.

Since nearly every fly is tied with hook point down, the inverted hook style doesn't seem to work well or makes no difference at all to the fish.

My inverted flies ended up being teasers.....when /if a trout hit, it I'd never hook it.
Exactly.
Looks really nice
But doesn't work too well
 
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