Fly Tying Recipe:
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Hook: #16-22 TMC 2487
Thread: Iron Gray 8/0 Uni
Tail: Brown Spade Hackle Fibers
Abdomen: Olive Brown SuperFine Dubbing
Wingcase & Legs: Dark Dun Spade Hackle Fibers
Thorax: Adams Gray Superfine Dubbing
The Barr Emerger is high on my list of favorite flies. A simple concoction of feathers and dubbing, this simple pattern is an all around great fly. The idea behind this pattern, according to John Barr, was to imitate the adult insect creeping out of the nymphal shuck. Originally John tied this pattern to match Pale Morning Duns after a day on Nelson’s Spring Creek. The original pattern, too, was tied on a dry fly hook (TMC 101) and meant to be fished dry to rising fish. The pattern I present here is the wet version, meant to be fished below the surface, anywhere from stream bottom to an inch under the surface. This is also the color variation meant to match the common blue wing olive hatches we see out west on a regular basis. I would say that the wet BWO version is the most popular variation, and is the one I fish most often. I typically fish the Barr Emerger as I would any nymph; down along the bottom with a split-shot on the leader and an indicator above, or as a point fly in the Hopper/Copper/Dropper system. There is no reason not to have some of these in your box. They are so quick and easy to tie and use cheap, readily available materials to boot. Get to work.