March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Moderators: William Anderson, letumgo

DUBBN

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by DUBBN » Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:37 pm

Mataura mayfly wrote:Coming soon to a book store near you, guaranteed next "Best Seller"...... 50 Shades of March Brown.
Movie rights still available. ;)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
User avatar
Smuggler
Posts: 1707
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:46 pm
Location: Pennsyltucky

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by Smuggler » Sun Jan 25, 2015 1:57 am

redietz wrote:
Old Hat wrote: I have noticed many differences in size, shade, mottling on different waters just in Oregon and great differences between nymphs and emergers in the same water.

And let's not forget that the Gray Fox was determined to be just a[nother] color variant of the Eastern March Brown.
Good point Bob.
User avatar
tie2fish
Posts: 5072
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:11 am
Location: Harford County, MD

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by tie2fish » Sun Jan 25, 2015 7:58 am

[quote="redietz

"And let's not forget that the Gray Fox was determined to be just a[nother] color variant of the Eastern March Brown."

Good observation, Bob. As a matter of fact, the gentleman who got me back into fly fishing, along with a couple of books I have, referred to the pattern as being the "Great Fox Variant".
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
William Anderson
Site Admin
Posts: 4569
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Ashburn, VA 20148
Contact:

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by William Anderson » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:24 am

Thanks everyone for such thoughtful insights. It's one of the things I like best about this group is the ability to remain flexible on many details and the capacity to present exceptional detail when asked. It just seems healthy and I appreciate it.

So I'll carry on. The impetus I realized wasn't the need for another pattern or just the investigation, which usually makes me very happy, but it's the shoulders I've rubbed in the past few years, of guys who can say, "this is my pattern, I tie it this way, been doing so for about 30 years, and it works most everywhere I go." I have patterns, I have variations and years of never tying the same fly the same way twice and I would like to dial in something that I can nail down.

The March Browns, as you have all pointed out are wildly diverse and I don't presume to get a pattern that is perfect, but I want something that is reproducible, readily, and something that I wouldn't mind having my name associated with. A tall order.

I have a couple patterns that I have tied and fished for the past few seasons that I've posted previously, and a few more that I fooled around with this weekend. I will probably load this thread with some pics in the course of the day as I get the images together. Thanks so much for all the feedback and thanks in advance for continued critique.


March Brown Flymph Version 5

Partridge tail and hackle, medium red fox underfur body on orange silk, pale yellow silk buttonhole rib.
Image


March Brown Flymph Version 4

Golden Plover hackle, dyed woodduck tail, medium red fox underfur on orange silk, gold Pearsall's silk rib.
Image


March Brown Flymph Version 3 (the original shown initially, but reshot in hopes of a better pic)

Speckled Hen hackle, dyed woodduck tail, mix of cinnamon and natural seal with medium hare mask pre-spun on #2, gold tinsel rib.
Image

w
"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
User avatar
Old Hat
Posts: 4208
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:24 am
Location: Where Deet is a Cologne
Contact:

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by Old Hat » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:40 am

William, the pattern I have settled on years ago is very similar to your number 5. I like a bit more robust body, slightly darker fur at the thorax, and a very slight hint of red in the dubbing mix, but otherwise all else is same.
I hate it when I think I'm buying organic vegetables, and when I get home I discover they are just regular donuts.
http://www.oldhatflytying.com
User avatar
tie2fish
Posts: 5072
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:11 am
Location: Harford County, MD

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by tie2fish » Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:04 pm

They all look good to me, w. Your "investigations" invariably result in something well reasoned and when the subject is a fly pattern, well tied.
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
novabass
Posts: 154
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 7:47 am

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by novabass » Mon Jan 26, 2015 1:32 pm

Great flies William!
I really like the number 5. Beautiful version there!
User avatar
William Anderson
Site Admin
Posts: 4569
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Ashburn, VA 20148
Contact:

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by William Anderson » Tue Jan 27, 2015 12:59 pm

Thanks again, guys, for the kind words.

Carl, the pattern you describe sounds like a great pattern to target Western MB in your area from the images I've seen. Any Western MB for that matter. Are you using the buttonhole twist rib or a tinsel? Tinsel is really tempting, but when I dunk each of these for some time it's the yellow silk against the ginger red fox that really makes the body a great shade.

I did put together a couple of pics that represent a couple patterns I've been fishing up to this point, successfully, whatever they were taken for I won't speculate, they work all year. In the spirit of just putting all the cards on the table, these are patterns that I have tied in mass, while there are a large number of "one offs" directed toward MB flymphs over the past decade or so.

March Brown Flymph Version 2, Hare blend, dyed partridge hackle and brown buttonhole rib. Looking at it compared to the more recent ties it looks like a nice MB pattern for Western waters.
Image


Golden Pheasant Tail Twisted with Orange Silk and Partridge, more on the spider end of things and one of my all time favorite patterns for lots of reasons at lots of times. I suspect it's taken for lots of things but I have always felt like I had the MB hatch covered as long as these were with me.
Image


Partridge and Hare on Prim, another pattern that I never go without and by far my favorite combination year around. This is a #12 and I feel fairly confident with it as a MB pattern, although I fish this pattern a lot.
Image


Thanks for tolerating the bulk of images. I like seeing them all in one place, but if you're getting bored with the thread, no need to click. I'll have about 2 more new patterns not yet photographed to share and then some shots of the MB box, so seriously, no harm in bailing on this if it's not your thing. :D

BTW, this should have obvious, but please post any pics of flies you like or use as standards. I added to links to the MB swap and that might serve the purpose well enough.
"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
User avatar
Smuggler
Posts: 1707
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:46 pm
Location: Pennsyltucky

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by Smuggler » Tue Jan 27, 2015 1:22 pm

Great ties William. Not to jump topics but the bottom imitation would be killer on Penns for grannom's.
Just saying.
User avatar
Old Hat
Posts: 4208
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:24 am
Location: Where Deet is a Cologne
Contact:

Re: March Brown Flymph...Version X (Eastern US, male)

Post by Old Hat » Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:51 pm

I like the buttonhole twist over the tinsel as well William.

We have a few waters I know of where the MB's are quite dark. That first one would work great on them.

The second one in that latest series is very similar to a Syl Nemes' pattern. One of his top 20.

#15 in The Soft Hackled Fly Addict

Pheasant tail with fur thorax:
Body: 2/3's pheasant rooster tail and copper wire
Thorax: Dark hare's face
Hackle: Dark partridge

#16 is basically the same except with the golden pheasant tail and a light thorax.
I hate it when I think I'm buying organic vegetables, and when I get home I discover they are just regular donuts.
http://www.oldhatflytying.com
Post Reply