PMD emergers

[zen leecher]

Does the PMD split it's shuck on the surface or does the dun transform partially up the water column? I'm trying to see if tying emergers with a partially formed wing mimics the "flymph" period of the PMD.

I didn't catch any fish on the Firehole with a PMD type flymph in June but did hang some on a comparadun that was awash or slightly sunken as I didn't have any floatant with me on the trip.

Right now I have a coupla dozen PMD soft hackles tied up with different body materials. I just tried llama underfur last night and it really shows promise as body dubbing. It's even finer than flyrite dubbing. I haven't given it the dunk test to see if it has any water repellent features or if it soaks up water like rabbit fur. I was at the local feed store last winter buying dog food and the lady there was carding her llama underfur. I got some for tying and may pay her a visit again for more since I just grabbed a small sample.

[zen leecher]

looks like the PMD nymphs emerge from the pupal shuck at the surface and not in the water column. Got this answer from a "bugologist" on another forum.

[Smuggler]

Strange how you were taking fish on a sunken comparadun but not soft hackles. Would you care to post said patterns?

I'm intrigued by this since the only type of fly that produced for me on the firehole was a soft hackle.

[zen leecher]

I was using the PMD sparkle dun, very similar to the comparadun, with the only difference being the tail style. Mine was more orangish as it was for the Firehole.

http://stevenojai.tripod.com/spardun.htm

[Smuggler]

Hmm, maybe the orange threw them off? I noticed the western pmd to be almost a key lime green color.

Now I want pie

[DUBBN]

The PMDs on Western rivers that I am associated with can range from light Cream color to Melon (Dark Yellow), to light Green. That color range can happen at different elevations on the same river.

Last week while float fishing the Eagle River here in Western Colorado a major Yellow Sally and a minor PMD hatch occurred at the same time. A Tups type PMD flymph took a great amount of fish for me. The Little Dorothy I put on, which is a shade closer to Orange than the Tups scored 0 fish. Not to say one pattern is better than the other, just the trout were really keying on the lighter PMD style flie.

[zen leecher]

The people at Blue Ribbon fly shop told me that for some reason the trout in the Firehole like orange in their PMD comparaduns. Maybe they just wanted to sell the brownish orange PMDs to a gullible angler.

Smuggler, it might be a matter of confidence. My orange soft hackles didn't get any strikes earlier so I didn't fish them as much as the other flies.

Bill

[Roadkill]

I didn't get to fish when the PMDs were coming off in any substantial hatch although I heard I was about 3 hours late for a good one on my last day on the Firehole.

This transition soft hackle work for me.


This one didn't get any response for the little while I used it...


This improved sparkle dun worked as well.


I wish a three fly cast was allowed in the park. I would have liked to test them all at the same time.

As far as orange flies go on the Firehole, I caught fish on a standard Partridge and Orange and on A March Brown Flymph tied with hot orange silk.,

[hankaye]

Roadkill, Howdy;

Why do you suppose that the top fly caught and the middle fly was rejected
as both are similar to the other ??? Any thoughts?

hank

[Roadkill]

Hank

It might have been the difference in the flash from the bead for the light conditions. At other times fished together the glass bead version has been the better producer. Long ago I learned that differences (size or color) in the tinsel or wire rib on the same nymph body can make fish like it or ignore it. Think of the subtle difference in a gold ribbed hare's ear or a hare and copper nymph. This was on a full sunny day, passing clouds can make things even more interesting.