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The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Emerger

Swinging Holy Grail

Insect Species Icon Quill Gordon, Hendrickson, March Brown and 8 others
Difficulty Icon Easy - 5-7 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

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Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Scud/pupa hook 1x wide size #10
  • Bead: Brass 5/32″ gold
  • Thread: UTC 70 denier light olive
  • Tail: Hungarian partridge dyed olive
  • Body: Veevus body quill olive coated with clear fluorescent UV cure resin
  • Rib: Flexi floss light olive
  • Antennae: Wood duck flank fibers
  • Thorax: Hares ice dub black
  • Wing: Hungarian partridge dyed olive
  • Hook: Any slightly curved nymph hook will work here. Try not to get a hook with too much bend or it won’t swim properly.
  • Bead: A lighter bead is nice here, as if the fly is too heavy it will just sink, and not flutter through the water.
  • Thread: Use thin diameter thread here. The thinner the better, and try not to go thicker than 8/0 or 70 denier. Match the color of the thread to the color of the body.
  • Tail: Hungarian partridge is best here, but hen saddle will work as well. Keep in mind that the individual barbs are longer on hen saddles, so tie it in further from the bend and wrap thread over it to get the length you need.
  • Body: Floss or even just thread bodies will work for this.
  • Rib: Standard wire can work here fine.
  • Antennae: Mallard flank can work here, as well as hen saddle.
  • Thorax: Use any medium to long fibered dubbing that you like. Arizona simi-seal can work great here.
  • Wing: Hungarian partridge is best here, but hen saddle will work as well. Keep in mind that the individual barbs are longer on hen saddles, so tie it in further from the bend and wrap thread over it to get the length you need.

Feel free to tie this up in multiple colors to match certain caddisflies or large mayflies in your area. For an even buggier fly that might push a little more water, wrap some CDC feathers in before the front soft hackle for a little more support. For a great hot spot, add a little bit of red floss in the middle of the body, similar to a royal wulff body.

This is a great trout spey and salmon/steelhead fly that branches off from an already well know fly, the holy grail caddis. Tie this in larger sizes for steelhead and salmon, and smaller sizes for trout. This can also be a deadly pattern for a dry dropper set up during heavy hatches.

If fishing this swing style, use a traditional down and across casting approach. Cast the fly across the river towards the other bank, and down stream at about a 45 degree angle. Let the current bring the fly back over to your side of the river and repeat. After a few casts, take two or three steps down stream and repeat. This fly can also be fished under a dry fly during heavy hatches with success. At the end of the drift let the dry and the dropper swing across the current to see if anything gives chase at the end of the drift.

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

Caddis

General Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Caddis
Sizes: #10 - #22

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

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

October Caddis

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, East
October Caddis
Sizes: #8 - #12

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

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