Hornberg

Straight out the Midwest, this fly has quite the name if you’ve ever fished the Driftless Area in Wisconsin. What you want to see is what you get with this fly. With some remarkable versatility, the Hornberg can imitate anything from small BWO’s to Stoneflies and even Caddis depending on what size and how you tie this fly. With calf hair as an underwing, the Hornberg floats well compared to some other patterns, while also carrying with it a more artistic touch with its mallard flank overwing. A steady head of hackle and a visible eye on the back make for good floating and easy spotting. Don’t get too stuck fishing this fly as a dry though- it can also be tied wet and fished as an emerging mayfly or caddis. If you’ve just begun tying dry flies, this is a great pattern for you to play around with knowing that what you turn out will catch fish; even if it doesn’t look as good as you’d like it to. The Hornberg is extremely variable and productive, not to mention fun to play around with in the vise.