Sweeper Mayfly Emerger

Fly: Marshall Porterfield, Photograph: Hans Weilenmann

Nymph
Hook: Dry fly hook 12-18
Thread: Unithread 8/0, Tan
Tail: Tan hackle tip fibers
Ribbing: Gold wire
Abdomen: Tan hare’s ear dubbing
Wing case: Turkey quill
Thorax: Hare’s ear dubbing
Head: Tan thread
Emerging Dun
Hook: Dry fly hook 12-18
Thread: Unithread 6/0, brown
Underbody: Copper wire, plastic tubing, or monofilament
Body: Grey beaver dubbing
Wing: White CDC
Hackle: Grizzly
Head: Brown thread
Notes and fishing instructions:
Yes this is two flies in one. This style was named by my best fishing buddy, who upon first seeing the pattern correctly predicted that “it will sweep up all of the trout on the stream.” It is tied backwards in order to prevent the emerger part from interfering with hook set. The first versions had this problem. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this pattern. The first is to tie the emerger and add it to the hook before tying the nymph. The alternative is to tie in the emerger underbody as you tie the nymph, then complete the fly by turning the hook around in the vise to tie the emerger.

Basic instructions: Turn the hook around backwards and tie the head at the start of the hook bend. Tie in the Emerger underbody, or completed emerger. Tie in two pieces of wing case material and dub the thorax. Take the two win case pieces around either side of the underbody/emerger, and tie down. Tie in tail and wire before dubbing backwards to the eye of the hook. Wrap gold wire back and tie off thread. Head cement this junction as well as the nymph head. The emerger part can be created by tying in the CDC and over wrapping the butts as you dub the body, tie in the hack tip and wrap 4-5 times, followed by tieng off the hackle and creating the head.


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© 2003 Hans Weilenmann
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