Umpqua Hairwing Dun Dry Fly

Overview

The Hairwing Dun from Umpqua is a traditional drake dry fly tied with a coastal deer hair wing, here in the Colorado Green Drake color. It is built to match the big, olive-bodied green drake mayflies that hatch on many Rocky Mountain rivers in early summer, when even cautious trout come up for a large meal.

Coastal deer hair is the key. Treated with a good floatant it rides high and keeps floating through choppy riffles and pocket water where a slimmer drake pattern would sink. The upright hair wing gives trout the sail-like profile of a freshly hatched dun and gives you a fly that is easy to see on broken water. Green drakes are big bugs, and fish that have seen them for a few days will look for that size and silhouette.

How to Fish It

• During the hatch: dead drift it on 4X or 5X tippet through riffles, seams and pocket water where drakes are coming off, usually from late morning into the afternoon.
• Before the hatch peaks: trout that have eaten drakes for a few days will often rise to a big dry even when only a few naturals are on the water, so prospect likely lies with it.
• Dry-dropper: a size 10 floats well enough to carry a drake nymph or small bead-head nymph tied 18 to 24 inches off the bend.
• Keep it high: grease the deer hair with floatant before the first cast and dry it off with a desiccant after each fish.

Choosing Color and Size

This listing is the Colorado Green Drake color in size 10, the size that matches the large green drake duns found on most Western rivers. If the naturals on your water run smaller late in the hatch, carry a few smaller drake or olive dries as backups.