[Red Owl]

Some dry flies have a bit of red (Iron Blue Dun) or yellow (Female Beaverkill) at the tail which is supposed to represent an egg sack. Have any of you used these patterns? Have you noticed they work when other non-female patterns don't?

[peregrines]

Red Owl-

Honestly I think presentation, size, and shade (light medium dark) would be most important, followed by profile then color.

If I had those bases covered and still wasn't hooking up on top, I'd switch to an emerger.

I have tried egg cases on some may and caddis dries, orange egg dubbing things in the middle of scuds, and even orange heads on BWO's and other mays to imitate the large eyes of males. Made me feel great when it worked, but can't honestly say it made "the" difference. Most likely blind luck at least in my case.

That being said, I do believe there are certain triggers, perhaps known only to trout, that can make a difference, and if mays are dipping to drop eggs, maybe that's one of them. It'll be interesting to hear from others on this. Good question.

peregrines

[Joe D]

There are times that I'd swear a female Hendrickson spinner made all the difference, and others when it didn't matter. I think it depends on the speed of the flow and number and type on naturals on the water. When I think about it, the egg sack at times mattered some on the slow flat stuff.

All in all, the fly you have the most confidence in (within reason, of course) will keep you focused and transmit that lucky juju down your fly line to the fly.

Joe

[MBWCC]

The only time I've ever noticed a male/female mayfly preference in rising trout was a trico spinner fall--the trout were keyed on the females--they would rush a male imitation but turn away 1" short of the fly. Switch to a female imitation and they would continue through with the gulp. Switch back to a male imitation and the rising trout would go back to making a 1" inspection and then turn away.

[Red Owl]

MBWCC: yeah, that's what I was trying to determine, in other words it would have to be situation were the trout were refusing and you switched to pattern with an egg sack and things picked up and then, just for the h*^$% of it you switched back to the pattern sans the egg sac and got refusals again. It seems there may be some occasions for this but maybe more the oddity than the norm.

[Taskienne]

Hello,

This is just my point of view... For me the fact a fish take or not an insect is not the result of a suptil nuance of color, but it's the level of emergence... (excuse me for language... )

But red or orange color have importance... No in the difference of sex, but... Allbody knows, the colors of an adult mayfly is darking during its short life... It's why for me red color is important to tye spend (say if you don't understant, my vocabulary)...

But an another thing, for me red and orande color is very important to tye "stillborn flies"... For me this fishing in "emergence" (pêcher en émergente en français) is very importante. In deed "stillborn mayflies" are an easy prey for trout, because it's dead and it float very bottom in coating of water (it's limed between sub-surface and surface)...

Look at this excellente "Stillborn emerger"... The part orange and so brighted imitate the skin (how do you spell this in english ???) keep on the body, the fly dead...

To do :
- thread 8/0
- orange floss thread
- tinsel
- one feather of "olive" CDC
- one feather of grey CDC
- Brown dubbing of hare



Ciao...