Our weird winter and correspondingly strange spring have thrown our hatches off big time. We are full swing in the March Brown hatch; strange enough, the bugs seem a little late to the party. A few days ago, I was fishing and along side a very heavy hatch of March Browns, Yellow/Lime Sallies, PMDs, Skwalas, Winter Stones, Beatis (BWO) could be seen hatching. It seems like some bugs are showing up early, and others late.
Several new materials from Montana Fly Co were used to craft this flat body “dinner plate” March Brown. March Browns belong to the clinger family of mayflies and have an extremely uniquely shaped abdomen. It is wide and flat allowing them to cling to rocks in fast currents. This allows them to inhabit and feed in areas where other mayflies are not suited to do so. The new Gen 2 Medallion Sheeting from Montana Fly Co makes a fantastic shimmery natural color to mimic a March Brown Nymph beginning to fill with gas to emerge. Two new dubbings from MFC create a fantastic thorax section that will only get buggier as it gets chewed on: Montana Fly Co Special Sauce Dubbing & Montana Fly Co Spicy Squirrel Dubbing
Due to a March Brown’s nymphal profile, fish will get keyed in on this extremely unique shape; sometimes they will exclusively feed on them. This is where the Dinnerplate March Brown excels by casting the correct silhouette for the most active nymphs in the water column. Tie some up while the hatch is in full swing!
-Simon
Recipe
Hook- Ahrex Czech Mini Jig Barbless FW555: Size 12
Bead- Hareline Slotted Tungsten Bead: Copper 5/32 or 3.8mm
Thread- Fulling Mill Pro Flat Thread 70D: Tan
Tail- Hareline Ringneck Pheasant Tail: Natural
Abdomen- Hareline Lead Wire- .030 & .020, Montana Fly Co Medallion Sheeting Gen 2: Amber, & Uni XS Soft Wire: Black
Thorax- Montana Fly Co Special Sauce Dubbing: BWO & Montana Fly Co Spicy Squirrel Dubbing: Dark Natural/Purple
Wing Case- Hareline Cinnamon Tip Turkey Tail
Legs- Hareline Ringneck Pheasant Tail: Natural & Hareline Hungarian Partridge Skin
