Hook Size: 14/16
The Perfect Fly Small Western Green Drake Emerger with trailing shuck is an excellent imitation of the actual emerger as it sheds its skin near the surface of the water as it changes into a dun. Small Western Green Drake emerge in the afternoons. It looks more like the dun than the nymph. The fly should be fished just under the surface or in the surface skim.
These mayflies emerge for only an hour or so during clear, bright days. Like many
mayflies, the hatch tends to last much longer if it’s a cloudy or overcast day. Normally
the hatches take place in the afternoons. The nymphs split their shucks in the surface
skim, shed the nymphal shucks and emerge into duns.
Perfect Fly has two different types of emerger fly patterns for the Small Western Green
Drake mayfly. The CDC curved hook pattern that floats with the top of the CDC in the
surface skim, and the trailing shuck version that floats in the surface skim. Both flies will
take the Flavs during the hatch. Trial and error is your best bet for determining which fly
is best to use.
Many anglers prefer to use the Perfect Fly emerger with the trailing shuck. It’s more like
the dun than the nymph and is easier to see on the water than the plain emerger. The
plain emerger floats lower in the surface skim with the CDC wing flush with the surface
and is a little more difficult to keep track of than the higher floating trailing shuck version.
Presentation:
After the hatch first begins, during the time the Small Western Green Drake nymphs are
attempting to get to the surface to emerge, you should try one of the two types of
emerger fly patterns. In pocket water streams, you can use an up and across
presentation.
Short cast work best because you can keep most of your fly line off the water. This helps
eliminate much of the problems involved with getting a good, drag-free drift. You want to
present the fly in the current seams between the fast and the slower moving water. The
emerging Flavs rise to the surface to emerge into duns in the slower water but end up
getting caught in the current seams and channeled downstream.
In smooth flowing streams, you may be better off using a down and across presentation.
This will let the fly reach the trout before your leader and fly line. Longer, more accurate
presentations are required. Sometimes it’s best to fish to one particular fish than it is just
trying to cover a larger area of the smooth water. This is a little more challenging but
tends to spook less trout and provides a higher degree of success.
Do not grease up the Perfect Fly emergers with floatant. They will roll over and float on
their side. The CDC will support the flies without adding floatant.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
