Harrop's Drake

Moderators: William Anderson, letumgo

Post Reply
UC Steve
Posts: 358
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:25 pm
Location: Boundary, Washington
Contact:

Harrop's Drake

Post by UC Steve » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:42 am

harrop drake 003 (400x305).jpg
harrop drake 003 (400x305).jpg (78.55 KiB) Viewed 5864 times
Rene Harrop’s soft-hackle Green Drake is a killing pattern on the Henry’s Fork, and wherever else western green drakes are hatching. Frankly, the first time I saw this fly I was skeptical. The color looked right, but it seemed too sparse overall, the body too thin – the natural nymph being fairly robust and widest at the head, a teardrop shaped clinger. Then I saw the fly wet, and the elements of good design became clear. When the hackle flows back over the short thorax it contributes to add body mass (moving body mass) and the whole thing becomes unitized, assuming the natural’s shape. The pattern relies on solid principals of good soft-hackle design: simplicity; motion; light; obfuscation; profile. The design serves to simulate a fairly large insect, yet with very little bulk to buoy and sail the fly. It penetrates the surface film immediately, hovers on the sink, and tracks well.

Hook: #10 TMC 200R for surface; #8 2x long, or #6 standard wetfly for fishing deeper
Thread: yellow UNI 8/0
Hackle: golden (yellow-y) olive grizzly hen
Tail: gadwall flank penned olive
Abdomen: olive turkey biot (or pen a yellow biot with olive, leaving a yellow edge)
Thorax: 50/50 gray rabbit and olive antron
User avatar
tie2fish
Posts: 5072
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:11 am
Location: Harford County, MD

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by tie2fish » Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:56 am

Excellent pattern/tying post, Steve. Explains both the fly's origins and the tying logic behind the design.
Some of the same morons who throw their trash around in National parks also vote. That alone would explain the state of American politics. ~ John Gierach, "Still Life with Brook Trout"
User avatar
Eric Peper
Posts: 244
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:28 pm
Location: Austin, TX and Island Park, ID

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by Eric Peper » Mon Feb 20, 2017 8:24 am

Here's another developed specifically for the Henry's Fork because at the time the drakes are hatching the air is also filled with gulls which discourage surface takes.

Image


Dressing:
Thread: Bennechi 12/0 olive
Hook: #10 Dohiku 1XL light wire
Tail: Dun Hackle fibers
Underbody: Olive fur
Body: Olive turkey biot
Thorax: Olive fur
Hackle: Collins Sandy Dun hen

Like Harrop's pattern, this one fishes pretty "shallow" with most takes coming in the upper 6" of the column. I fish it exclusively to visible feeders.

Eric
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them.
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich
User avatar
Roadkill
Posts: 2480
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:09 am
Location: Oregon

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by Roadkill » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:48 am

Great looking trout hunter flies and wonderful narrative Eric! 8-)
UC Steve
Posts: 358
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:25 pm
Location: Boundary, Washington
Contact:

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by UC Steve » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:37 am

Thanks guys.

Eric I like the wound-through-thorax approach to this bug. Good profile for the drake. More than one way to skin a cat. I tie one in that style as well. See if I can take a photo & post it. Here's a version of Harrop's tied with golden plover. I painted the hackle with bright yellow highlighter which gives the gray portion a greenish tint.
wet drakes 008 (400x312).jpg
wet drakes 008 (400x312).jpg (89.78 KiB) Viewed 5746 times
UC Steve
Posts: 358
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 11:25 pm
Location: Boundary, Washington
Contact:

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by UC Steve » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:48 am

Here's one in Black Quill mode: thread, yellow UNI 8/0; tail, dark waterfowl; abdomen, olive turkey biot penned orange then red then brown; thorax, mahogany dubbing; wing, black grouse or hen; hackle, red-brown hen.
wet drakes 001 (400x358).jpg
wet drakes 001 (400x358).jpg (85.44 KiB) Viewed 5744 times
ScottP
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:02 am

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by ScottP » Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:23 am

Beautiful flies, Steve. I've got some dyed sharptail grouse that should approximate the golden plover. Hope I run into a drake hatch this summer.

Regards,
Scott
User avatar
letumgo
Site Admin
Posts: 13345
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Buffalo, New York
Contact:

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by letumgo » Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:49 pm

Wow! These are all such striking flies. Wonderfully inspirational.
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php? ... er=letumgo

"The world is perfect. Appreciate the details." - Dean
User avatar
William Anderson
Site Admin
Posts: 4569
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Ashburn, VA 20148
Contact:

Re: Harrop's Drake

Post by William Anderson » Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:49 pm

Steve and Eric, these biot body drake patterns look fantastic. Thank goodness for the turkey biots, rather than goose biots on these big hook shanks.
"A man should not try to eliminate his complexes, but rather come into accord with them. They are ultimately what directs his conduct in the world." Sigmund Freud.
www.WilliamsFavorite.com
Post Reply