March Brown Spinner Top View

Some years ago, after experiencing a tremendous March Brown spinner fall on the Willowemoc, I developed this fly to meet the situation. The Willowemoc has fallen on hard times lately, but good March Brown activity can be found on other area streams including the Lackawaxen. Begin the fly by tying in split tails which are 2X body length and the thread for the rib. Dub the abdomen up to the hackle tie in position which is slightly forward of the middle of the hook. Rib the abdomen then tie in the hackles. Dub a moderately thick thorax as a base. This will give the finished fly a neater and more realistic profile. Using good quality, slightly oversized hackle wind forward. After tying off, trim the hackle top and bottom to form the spent wing. (Leave a few flies untrimmed for those times when the fish are taking up wing egg laying adults.) Note the hook size; the March Brown spinner is a big fly!

Hook : Dry fly, 2XL, #10
Tail : Brown fibetts
Rib : Brown thread – size A
Abdomen : Flyrite dubbing #30
Thorax : Flyrite dubbing #30
Hackle : 1 ginger, 2 grizzly – mixed
Alan Bowers

Fly tied by Alan Bowers