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Current Tags for This Pattern
102y / dry-dropper / foot / hare / indicator / showshore / tiemco / tmc / usual /

The Usual, Dirty

 
tied by Scott E. Smith
Fly Type: Dry,
Target Species: Trout,
Imitation: Mayflies,
Material List:
Light wire dry fly hook, TMC 102Y is my favorite in sizes 11-19
Fire orange thread, 6/0 or 8/0
Tail and Wing: Snowshoe hare fur from between the toes, coarse and long
Dubbing: Underfur from bottom of snowshoe hare foot
Tying Instructions: Start thread and take to back of shank. Clip a clump of long hair from between the toes of the foot. Be sure to clip it as close to the foot as possible for longest length. Comb out and save underfur for later. Stack longer fibers and split into two tufts, one twice the size of the other. Position the smaller clump on the shaft and tie in for the tail. Position the larger clump with hair tips extended over the eye and tie in like a comparadun. Take thread back to the tail and then sparsely dub the underfur back to the wing building a tapered body. When you approach the wing, lift the wing hair and wrap thread and dubbing tight and close to prop the wing in place. Dub to the eye, creat a small head and whip finish. Cement. Tug wing fur to the sides for desired effect.
Presentation Tips: An awesome Fran Betters pattern, shown here tied dirty for broken water and dry-dropper purposes. Try this pattern for fishing over indicator-shy fish. Tied bushy, a size 15 usual will float a 2.5mm tungsten bead nymph through the riffles all day long. For calmer water, tie more sparsely. Although the fly looks a bit of a mess, it triggers many rises from even the most technical waters and is extremely durable.