Pauls Half & Half (Pheasant Tail Emerger)
Hook: daichi #1130 or Tiemco TMC #2457 Size 12, 14, 16
Thread: Orange Tail/shuck: Amber, Gold, or Brown Z-lon
Abdomen: 4-5 Ringneck Pheasant Tail strands/fibers
Rib: fine copper wire (on larger flies only)
Thorax: Sulpher yellow/orange dubbing
Wing Post: White or Orange poly Hackle: Cream or Light Dun
This pattern first appeared as a fly of the month about nine years ago. Its very tried and true. A personal favorite of former H.F.F.A. President Ralph Hasnosi for the Hous. It represents an emerging mayfly caught or stuck getting out of its shuck. Why fish this fly? First trout recognize that may flies are very vulnerable as they are emerging on or near the surface. Given the choice of sipping an adult dun or a crippled emerger, trout usually key in on the more helpless insects.
Secondly, as Ive said time and time again, fish in the TMAs get very used to seeing the same types of patterns drifted over them. Although some fly shops carry emergent or crippled patterns, they are very limited. Heres where you as a fly tyer can have an advantage over other fisherman who don’t tie. This is something you can chuck at the fish which they havent seen before.
This pattern may be adapted to mimic any hatch. In this instance it is being used to imitate a sulphur. The first thing youll notice about this pattern is the hook is curved. The thorax of the fly will actually sit below the surface. Begin by wrapping thread from the eye of the hook to 2/3 of the hook shank. Tie in the Z-lon shuck. Dont tie it in too heavy and make it about 2/3 length of the gap of the hook.
Tie in fine wire rib and 4-5 fibers of a ringneck pheasant tail feather. Bring Thread forward. Wrap tail fibers forward and tie off. Leave enough room for a thorax. The thorax will be comprised of a traditional parachute post and hackle. Rib the pheasant tail abdomen with the wire and tie off. Tie in a traditional parachute wing post of poly. Dub a thorax from the abdomen to the post and tie in hackle. Dub a small head. Wrap hackle around post. Tie off and your fly is completed.
A variation on this pattern is to substitue a short CDC wing instead of the parachute hackle. The emerger will now have a completely different look.