Bodkin / Patterns

Hilbert's Day Saver May

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Curved emerger/pupa hook, Tiemco 2488 (or 2457), #16-20
  • Thread Brown 6/0 (base) then tan 8/0 (abdomen) 6/0 and 8/0

Materials

  • Trailing shuck/abdomen Tan Veevus Body Quill (1 length)
  • Abdomen coating Solarez Bone Dry thin UV resin (coat)
  • Wing Grey Just Add H2O Flouro Fiber (1 small clump)
  • Flash Blue Dun Krystal Flash (2-3 strands)
  • Thorax/head Hareline Life Flex (stretch tubing/flex floss), tan (1 length)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a brown thread base over the rear half of the shank down into the bend.
  2. Tie in the tan Body Quill at the bend, switch to tan thread, and wrap the quill forward in touching turns to the 60% point to form a slim, segmented abdomen; tie off.
  3. Coat the quill abdomen with a thin layer of Solarez Bone Dry UV resin and cure it, which makes the abdomen durable and slightly translucent like a real emerger's body.
  4. Tie in a small clump of grey Flouro Fiber at the thorax, standing up and angled forward as a short emerging wing/wing-bud about half a shank length.
  5. Add 2-3 strands of blue dun Krystal Flash alongside the wing for a touch of sparkle, trimmed to wing length.
  6. Tie in a length of tan Life Flex at the front of the abdomen.
  7. Wrap the Life Flex forward over the thorax in slightly overlapping turns to build a plump, buggy thorax and head, tie off behind the eye and trim. This gas-bubble-like flex thorax is the trigger that makes it a mayfly emerger.
  8. Whip finish behind the eye and add a tiny drop of head cement.

Tying videos

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