What makes an emerger an emerger

[monty3777 0]

I know we have all tied a bunch of emergers. I am concentrating on filling half my box with emergers today. As I was looking through patterns for inspiration I came to realize that I have no basic philosophical/theoretical conception of what makes an emerger an emerger. I am ashamed to admit that I simply tie the patterns that have seemed to work and I just stick with what I know.

 

So, I'm interested in your thoughts. What elements do you all think HAVE to be present in your flys in order for them to be considered emergers? After all, some patterns for Barr emergers look essentially like a PTN with a slightly different wing case. Other emergers, like the CDC have actual wings.

 

Just wondering. Have fun tying today!

[Guest]

Something that suggests emerging wings and something that suggests emerging legs.

[utyer 0]

To me any fly that represents or can represent the various stages in the emerging process would be an emerger. I carry many different flies that I would think of as emergers.

 

Since the process of emerging from nympn to adult form is a continuing transformation, many styles of emergers are tied. From unweighted nymphs, to stillborn duns, there is quite a range of patterns. Soft hackles also fall into this category. So many patterns can be fished in the top of the water column, it would be hard to land on just one pattern, and call it the difinitive emerger.

 

Unweighted nymphs fished under a floating fly, or lifting to the surface, would be imitating the first stages of emergance. Nympns ties with more bulbous wing pads would qualify in the same stage. Patterns with foam or cdc wing pads that float just in the film would be emergers, and even patterns with short wings could be emergers. Klinkhammers and other parachute patters could represent the final stages of emergence.

 

It would be easier to say what ISN"T an emerger. Fully hackled high riding drys, wieghted nymphs fished on the bottom. Spent spinners, while they float in the film, are not emerging.

[DancesWithHeadCement 0]

I would suggest there are three distinct styles of emerger...

 

"Flymph" Style - a fly that is tied to ride on or near the surface, using materials to keep it in a specific range of depth. This corresponds to the "bug sheds it's old skin to become something else" phase of aquatic insects.

 

"Nymph with extra stuff" style - a nymph pattern tied with all kinds of extra stuff to simulate shedding or changing body parts. This would cover caddis flies and other aquatic bugs that morph in midcurrent.

 

The last would be "Dry Fly with Chunks O' Nymph" style - a traditional pattern tied to simulate the dry in the process of emergence. This would include dry flies with nymphal shucks attached, "cripples" - half dry, half nymph, and a variety of other well known styles.

[SkinnyPole 0]

 

basicically a nymph in the process of surfacing for the metamorphic change to adulthood. An insect in the process of shedding the nymphal case. Marked by presence of short un-developed wings which usually point downward.

 

Good Luck

 

Skinny

[Guest]

a traditional wet fly (with or without wings) can be interpreted by the fish as an emerger as it rises to the surface if a) the bug hatching at the time does so from the bottom of the river, or is emerging early by mistake as it seeks the surface. Otherwise a 'dry' fly can be an emerger if the body or butt of the fly is in the water while the wings/hackle are not. I actually hold the opinion that fish NEVER think our dry flies with profuse tails and lumpy bodies are adults, to them they must look like messy emergers half in the water and half out, shedding the nymphal shuck. To actually tie an 'emerger' I think the prototype is the Klinkhammer, Usual, The Wyatt DHE http://www.trouthunting.com/flytyingDetail.asp?NewsURN=38 or any fly design with a 'dry fly' head, and a nymph butt so that it sits a$$ down in the film.

[oldfart 0]

My emergers are basicly a fly with it's butt and trailing shuck in the water and the wing out of the water, I use snowshoe rabbit foot hair as a wingcase and wing on my small emergers, works great. good luck.