I've been tying and fishing the Dorato Hare's Ear dry fly since 1976, a year after I had been given one of the flies while fishing the Musconetcong River in Hackettstown, NJ. In my book, Fly Fishing New Jersey Trout Streams, I relate the story of my first time fishing this wonderful fly and how well it worked. Suffice it to say, the fly works well, and I have used it successfully since on Eastern and Western Rivers, including believe it or not, the San Juan River in New Mexico, where I took a bunch of fish one evening on a size #14 while everyone around me was fishing the standard size #20 and smaller midge patterns subsurface. The fly was intended to imitate the early season caddis known as the grannom, that skitters and bounces on the water surface after hatching. With that in mind, if it doesn't work when fishing it dead-drift, try giving it a twitch.
RECIPE
Hook: Std Dry Fly #12-18
Thread: 6/0 Olive
Wing: Woodduck flank fibers
Tail: Mixed brown and grizzly hackle fibers
Body: Hare's Ear dubbing
Hackle: One brown and one grizzly hackle.
It's cake to tie, very buggy, and can also be tied with olive or cream Hare's Ear. In the video I tie it the way it was originally tied, however, when I tie it for my own use I touch-dub the body. This makes for a very spiky body that floats quite well thanks to the wax. Thanks again to Tim and Joan Flagler for another fine video production.
Sharpen your hooks!
4 comments:
Why do some caddis patterns have tails? I know the fish aren't asking this question before they eat it, but caddis flies don't have tails.....does it maybe represent the wing of the caddis? Or am I maybe just over thinking things...
Mr.Q
I could be wrong here but I believe most traditional Catskill Patterns have tails, regardless of what they are aimed to imitate. I think this was because the tail significantly aids in the flotation of the fly. I could be wrong though..
Mr. Q - Grasshopper is right on all counts!
...Thank you Mr. Grasshopper!!!!!
said Mr. Cricket...;)
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