Sulphur patterns

[dc410]

We are just a few short weeks away from when we will start seeing some suphur action. I have been tying some various sulphur patterns in hopes that we will get into them at the Jam this year. I like to fish different sulphur patterns from top to bottom when the fish are really starting to key in on them. Nymphs, Wets, Emergers, Duns and Spinners can all catch plenty of fish under different scenarios. I seem to catch the majority of my fish on suphur patterns just under the surface. One of my favorite ways to fish a sulphur hatch is drop a soft hackle suphur wet fly or emerger off the bend of sulphur dun pattern. Most of the fish I have caught on the dropper but occasionally I will catch some on the dun as well. I am starting to get pumped for the Jam and hope we have a repeat of last year with some awesome sulphur, march brown and caddis hatches. Here are some of the patterns that I like to use. I didn't tie all of these flies, in fact the dun and the emerger I purchased at Spruce Creek (I think they were the only flies I bought all last year). I fished the Little J last year at the Jam on Friday evening with JF_ and did really well with the emerger pattern dropped off the bend of the hook of a dun pattern. Tight lines!

 

[lv2nymph]

Looks like you're ready John, hopefully the bugs are as good to us this year as last. Nice tying, have you copied the ones you bought?

 

[dc410]

lv2nymph
have you copied the ones you bought?

No. I haven't tied any of them up yet. I still have a few left. However, the Emerger is a really simple tie. It is just a trailing shuck of antron, dubbed body and some dark tipped deer hair tied short for the wing. The dubbing on the ones I bought at Spruce Creek had kind of a pinkish tinge to it. They worked really well on the Little Juniata, I never tried them on Penns or Spring so I don't know if that color is used specifically for the Little J or not.

 

[ThatGuy]

What color of dubbing are you using for the dun? I'm also trying to get ready for the jam but, I keep getting distracted with streamers.

 

[dc410]

I had always tied my sulphur duns with a more traditional yellowish-orange dubbing. The one in the photo was also purchased at Spruce Creek and is tied with more of a pinkish-cream color, similar to the emerger pattern. Another pattern that I always liked to use for sulphur hatches is Fran Better's pattern The Usual with yellow sulphur colored dubbing and dun colored snowshoe hair for the tail and wing.

 

[sipe]

I'm curious about the rusty spinner...I've always thought of sulfur a as yellow...do they get dark as a spinner?

 

[ThatGuy]

Thanks for the info. I plan on taking most of my tying gear to the jam, maybe we could meet up and tie a few and drink a few together

 

[lv2nymph]

sipe wrote:
I'm curious about the rusty spinner...I've always thought of sulfur a as yellow...do they get dark as a spinner?

Yep, they do. At least the males
The males are a rusty tan color, with light brownish dun wings and the females are a faded sulphur color, with light gray cellophane-clear wings.

 

[Fishidiot]

Some nice flies John. Sulphur season is right around the corner.

 

[Chooch]

lv2nymph wrote:

sipe wrote:
I'm curious about the rusty spinner...I've always thought of sulfur a as yellow...do they get dark as a spinner?

Yep, they do. At least the males
The males are a rusty tan color, with light brownish dun wings and the females are a faded sulphur color, with light gray cellophane-clear wings.

Then why the egg sack with the dark spinner? The only male spinner I tie is a trico an and only because it serves as a spent midge when the tail are clipped off. Not saying trout won't eat them but I if they do they will take a female as well.

 

[dc410]

Chooch wrote:

Then why the egg sack with the dark spinner?

Good question. I collected some egg laying spinners during a real heavy spinnerfall last year on one stream that I fish and the color of the bodies were a fairly dark brownish rust. Definitely more brownish-rust than yellowish-orange. Not quite as bright rust as the one in the attached photo. I probably should have blended more tan with the rust. I think a lot of the spinners actually eject the egg sac above the surface but some do occasionally hit the surface still carrying them. I like to tie some with the egg sacs because I feel they definitely can grab a trout's attention. I do feel there is a lot of variation in the colors of various stages of sulphurs from stream to stream but I don't feel that an exact match in color is needed in most cases.

 

[FrequentTyer]

Nice flys John! I'm not being critical here, just curious. The body on the dun seems to me to be dubbed heavily for a sulphur. Is that typical in your experience? I've gone to a simple thread body and find that they work well.
Mike.

 

[dc410]

Thanks Mike. As I had mentioned, I can't take credit for the dun pattern. Purchased at Spruce Creek last year. Most of the sulphur duns that I have seen do have a certain amount of bulk to the abdomen so I would try to imitate that as far as profile goes. I believe I had caught a few fish at the Jam last year on the actual fly in the photo so it is a bit frazzled. However, a dun tied with a thread body could also be tapered and would be much easier to keep high and dry. Good idea.