Tying mayfly imitations with a trailing shuck has proven to be highly productive for taking trout. One of the easiest to tie and certainly most effective is the Sparkle Dun. This pattern was developed over twenty-five years

ago at Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone MT. This fly is really nothing more than a Comparadun with zelon used in place of the divided tail. It can be tied in sizes and colors to imitate just about any mayfly. Craig Mathews has a method of tying in the deer hair wing that increases its durability and keeps the wing standing upright.

This method can be viewed at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2XVegTjNS8

Hook : Dry fly, size to match natural

Body : Use your favorite dubbing to match the natural

Wing : Deer hair tied Comparadun style

Tail : Zelon, tied as a trailing shuck one half to one body length

Brown for dark bodied flies

Amber for light bodied flies

Alan Bowers

Fly tied by Alan Bowers