From late May on, if I arrive at the Lackawaxen just as the water level is dropping after power generation, I’ve found that the Isonychia Thorax works well on sporadically rising trout. This style of dry fly presents a realistic silhouette and provides a stable upright float. When tying, the hackle is tied in at the 1/2 point of the abdomen before the body is dubbed then palmered to the head after the body is completed. Also note that the upright wing is tied in approximately 1/3 back from the eye of the hook. Two or three turns of the hackle behind and in front of the wings is sufficient. The final step is to cut a “V” in the hackle underneath the body.

Hook : Dry fly, #10 & #12
Tail : Dark dun hackle fibers
Body : Flyrite #39 – Dun Variant
Wing : Dark dun deer hair
Hackle : Dark dun
Alan Bowers

Fly tied by Alan Bowers