Bodkin / Patterns

Deer Hair Emerger

Dry Fly · Emerger · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Curved emerger, 14-18
  • Thread Olive 8/0

Materials

  • Shuck Z-Lon (trailing)
  • Body Olive dubbing (slim, into bend)
  • Wing Deer hair (short, upright-ish)
  • Thorax Hare's ear (rough)

How to tie it

  1. Mount a curved emerger hook and start olive thread behind the eye, laying a base back around the bend.
  2. Tie in a sparse bunch of Z-Lon at the bend as a trailing shuck, half a shank length long and left ragged.
  3. Dub a slim olive body forward over the rear two thirds, carrying it down into the bend so the fly hangs low in the film.
  4. Cut, clean and stack a small bunch of deer hair. Tie it in facing forward with two soft turns, then tighten so the hair flares but does not spin, and trim the butts.
  5. Pull the tips up and post them with a few turns in front to stand as a short upright wing, no longer than the shank.
  6. Dub a rough hare's ear thorax around the wing base, picking it out afterwards for legs.
  7. Whip finish behind the eye and cement.

Tying videos

← All fly patterns