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The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Emerger

Atherton #2

Insect Species Icon Quill Gordon, Blue Wing Olive, Callibaetis and 10 others
Difficulty Icon Easy - 3-5 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

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Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Nymph hook 2x long straight shank size #14
  • Thread: UTC 70 denier tan
  • Tail: Pheasant tail
  • Body: Wapsi natural all purpose rabbit dubbing hares mask
  • Rib: French tinsel small oval gold
  • Wing case: Strung rooster saddle silver doctor blue
  • Thorax: Wapsi natural all purpose rabbit dubbing hares mask
  • Wing: Hungarian partridge feather
  • Hook: Any straight wire hook will be fine, straight eye or down eye will work fine.
  • Thread: Any thin diameter thread will work. Go as thin as you would like, but try not to go larger than 8/0 or 70 denier. Match the color of the thread to the color of the body.
  • Tail: Pheasant tail is a nice tailing material for most flies. If you want something that will be a little bit stronger, try Coq-de-Leon.
  • Body: Any scraggly brown or tan dubbing will work. Consider squirrel or beaver for extra bugginess.
  • Rib: Small ultra wire in gold will replace french tinsel nicely.
  • Wing case: If you can’t find any blue feathers, consider thin blue foam, either 1mm or 2mm depending on the length of your fly.
  • Thorax: Use the same dubbing that you use on the body.
  • Wing: Hungarian partridge is required for this fly.

There are a few things you can do with this fly to change it up. For a little more flash, try using some UTC mirage opal tinsel wraps along the body, and secure it with the wire. For a bushier wing, add some CDC before the partridge feather.

This is a classic fly that has been a producer for decades. This is a great impressionistic pattern, like most John Atherton’s patterns, that can imitate any mayfly that is emerging. This is a deadly pattern that can be fished very easily, and isn’t too hard of a tie. Tie a few up and have fun with it!

The soft hackle wing on the collar of this fly makes it easy to fish, and a dead drift isn’t necessary to have a good day on the water. Fish this behind a dry dropper in the summer time as a great shallow water rig. Don’t be afraid to fish this as a single fly and swing it across slow moving pools, casting 45 degrees down and across. Swinging this fly can be deadly during heavy hatches.

Blue Wing Olive

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Northwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: East
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Southeast
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24
Region: Midwest
Blue Wing Olive
Sizes: #16 - #24

Brown Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: East
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
Brown Drake
Sizes: #10 - #14

Callibaetis

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Northwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: East
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Callibaetis
Sizes: #12 - #18

Green Drake

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, Midwest
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14
Region: East
Green Drake
Sizes: #8 - #14

Hendrickson

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Midwest
Hendrickson
Sizes: #10 - #16

Hexegenia

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
Hexegenia
Sizes: #6 - #12

Isonychia

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Southeast
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18
Region: Midwest
Isonychia
Sizes: #12 - #18

Light Cahill

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Midwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20
Region: Northwest
Light Cahill
Sizes: #12 - #20

Mahogany Dun

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Mahogany Dun
Sizes: #14 - #20
Region: East, Midwest
Mahogany Dun
Sizes: #14 - #20

March Brown

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, East
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Northwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14
Region: Midwest
March Brown
Sizes: #10 - #14

PMD

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East, Southeast, Midwest
PMD
Sizes: #14 - #20

Quill Gordon

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: East, Southeast
Quill Gordon
Sizes: #12 - #16

Trico

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Trico
Sizes: #18 - #26
Region: East, Southeast, Midwest
Trico
Sizes: #18 - #26

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