Fly of the Month, September, 2015

September sees a return to daytime hatches not seen in numbers since spring. Top of the list at this time on the rainfed rivers is the Pale Watery Dun, a diminutive upwing that usually gets the trout and grayling rising confidently. There are many small upwing imitations that will do the job but my favourite is the Pale Watery Paradun - it fools fish with ease, is easy to see on the water, floats well and dries quickly with a few false casts.

The dressing is as follows:

Hook: Barbless dry fly size 18 and 20.
Thread: Spiderweb or any micro thread
Tails: 4 Light Dun Microfibetts, splayed, 2 each side
Body: Fly-Rite Extra Fine Poly Dubbing, No.36 Ginger Cream
Wing: Grey Polypropylene Yarn
Hackle: Blue Dun genetic cock, tied parachute style

Tying notes: Take thread to bend and tie in tails. Tie in wing and force upright. Tie in hackle and bind to wing with horizontal turns around the wing post. Trim waste wing material and hackle stem. Take thread to tail and splay with turns of thread. Dub thread and wind up body to eye and back to wing post. Wind hackle fairly sparsely and tie off. Trim wing to length and any protruding hackle fibres. Varnish and whip finish.