Tup’s Indispensable

Back in the 1960s during the days of constant cold water releases from Pepacton Reservoir, this fly was used with great success by the late Russ Malone and his friends fishing the East Branch of the Delaware.  Russ recounted that many of the light colored mayflies had a pinkish cast to their bodies and the trout readily took the Tup’s.  The fly is based on an old English wet fly.  The origin of the name is evident when you consider that the original body color was produced by mixing scarlet seal with hair from a breeding ram’s (or as the British would say, a tup’s) scrotum.  The dry version is tied with a yellow egg sac instead of the yellow thread tag of the original wet.

Hook : Dry fly; #12 – #18

Tail : Light dun hackle fibers or fibetts

Egg Sac : yellow dubbing

Body : Light pink dubbing

Hackle : Light dun

Alan Bowers

Fly tied by Alan Bowers