Monday, February 15, 2021

The March Brown

The March Brown a fly that is tied and fished in many parts of this world. It is tied as a dry fly a nymph and a soft hackle. Now if that isn't enough it's also tied differently it seems by every fly tyer. I'm not sure who is responsible for the original creation but I am certain that the original pattern is not what we see today. Well I'll leave that for the fly historians. The several books I have show the March Brown tied like these. Oh by the way where did the name March Brown come from.... One of the books state that this mayfly is on our streams here in the northeast from about mid May through June. There are variations of this fly that show up until September. I personally start fishing it in February, and really start throwing it when I first see the Trillium in bloom. Below are a few variations of the March Brown.

 

 

This one is tied with pheasant tail fibers for the tail. The ribbing is holographic tinsel which give the impression of trapped air bubbles. The hackle is mottled hen.
 

This fly is tied with  hen hackle fibers for the tail. The dubbing has a sparkle to it, The rib is small copper wire and the hackle is a brown back feather from a partridge.
 

This fly is tied with a fibers from a wood duck. The rib is copper wire. It has a wing of wood duck and the hackle is also a brown back feather from a partridge.
 

 

28 comments:

  1. Alan,
    Great looking flies. I have always had good results with March Brown dry's whenever I fished them. The image of the Trillium is nice to gaze at this time of year.
    JJ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beaverdam
      Thanks
      Joe the March Brown is also a good substitute for the Hendrickson. Just a slight change in the dubbing color and it will work fine. Your right on the breath of spring.

      Delete
  2. Alan, I thought a fly couldnt be prettier than the one with holographic tinsel, then I kept scrolling down as I read... WOW - beauties, and all make me wish for April - while staring down the barrel of this ice storm on tap tonight. Yuck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hibernation
      Thanks
      Will any form of this fly will be a winner for trout. And in small streams they won't be allowed to just drift. They it can be one of those storms we don't forget. I hate ice.

      Delete
  3. Hello
    What are your thoughts on Pearsall's Naples Silk Thread? On north country spider flies sizes from 14-16 hooks. You think to thick of a thread

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P
      Thanks
      David I have never used Naples silk. I have Gossamer, and when I don't have the needed color I'll use YLY or Ephemera. But if you have the Naples please try it. It just may work out.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful flies as always! I often fish the classic winged wet version (brown tail, hare's ear dubbing, gold tinsel rib, brown partridge hackle and hen pheasant quill wing). I always have a few size 12's in the wet box. After one or two fish the wing will be ruined and it will need to be cut down and re tied. That's just fine with me because there's something wonderful that I can't explain in the use of classic flies. I know you know what I mean. And besides I love to tie wets.
    My wife is away skiing so the dog and I will be riding the ice storm out in front of my vise, how about you Alan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dean F
      Thanks
      Dean classic flies are a big part of fly fishing. These flies give us a special feeling when we are on the stream. I think wet flies are making somewhat of a comeback. With all the "new age" synthetic flies about it's good to fish an "oldie"...take care ,that storm looks to be nasty.

      Delete
  5. Alan, Lovely flies as always, treat to see. As is that flower at the top.
    Stay safe, John

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Two Terriers
      Thanks
      John that flower when in bloom here makes everything right.

      Delete
  6. One of my favorites, to be sure. And oh so easy to tie. I have a bed of white trilliums (from a certified source) flanked by bleeding hearts and grape hyacinths (red, white and blue) in my yard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Dornik
      Thanks
      John I have heard of white trillium's but have never seen them. Do they grow in the wild?

      Delete
  7. Hi Alan

    Love the Trillium, the missus is s jealous as they are one of favourite spring flowers........

    I like the look of those March Browns as well - very traditional in their style. Although there a good, if sporadic, hatches of our March Brown on the Tees I have only fished a good hatch a couple of times! We don't get March Browns on the Leven but in the last couple of seasons we have had a close cousin arrive - the Large Brook Dun (Ecdyonurus torrentis) which is the same sort of size and looks (almost) identical. Needles to say, a few patterns have hatched from my vice over the winter.

    Take care & stay safe

    Thanks

    Alistair

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alistair
      Thanks
      Alistair she is not alone. I was under the impression that the March Brown is an original English pattern. I could take out ten fly fishing/tying books and have conflicting information on the pattern.

      Delete
  8. Fantastic ties, all three. I fish a fly that closely resembles your third fly most of the season; it always produces. For all of my youth I only knew the Trillium as 'Stinking Benjamin'. Trillium definitely sounds better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike I have no preference on either but #3 is quite the "bug"...I second the name Trillium.

      Delete
  9. Alan
    Really like these patterns, wish it was Spring so we could see flowers like the image in your post. We will be iced over here tonight---no driving--thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill spring is only 33 days. The weather guessers have been hyping up this storm for 3 days. it hasn't yet materialized. Maybe that's a good thing.

      Delete
  10. Alan,
    These March Browns are magnificent! I like them all not only for their good looks and quality construction but, I know they will kill! At least the hogs in my neighborhood!
    You do exceptional work my friend! I really do enjoy this blog! You bring so much of yourself to it's pages!
    Dougsden

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dougsden
      Thanks
      Doug these flies are not just for trout. Your bluegills and bass will take them.

      Delete
  11. All 3, beautiful specimens. I love the second on in particular, but I'm not the one that needs to be impressed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Micheal Agneta
      Thanks
      Mike in most cases the fly selected by the angler is not always the best choice. Those finned creatures are what counts.

      Delete
  12. Alan, really like the introduction to spring with the March Browns, especially the Pete Hidy flymph look of the bottom 2. It is said those upturned eyes are bad for hooking but they sure do make a classic looking fly. Last year in PA we had hendricksons in mid March so time to make sure there are some in the box. A darkish March Brown in a size 14 could easily pass for an emerging hendrickson.
    Thanks for sharing and inspiring! Kevin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ned Zeppelin
      Thanks
      Kevin I'm in the process of doing a post on Mr. Hidy. He loved that upturned eye. And the similarity of the Hendrickson and March Brown makes this a good fly to have in the box. It also comes close to the Quill Gordon and Red Quill.

      Delete
  13. Wake Robin (Trillium Erectum)
    Also look for Blood Root, Garlic Mustard
    March Brown Dry #10-#12
    Stenonema nymph #10-#12
    Rusty Spinner #12
    You reading Trout Flies&Flowers by Mahoney?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RW Van Brunt
      Thanks
      That's a great little book. A big part of my fishing success comes form it's pages.

      Delete
    2. Trout Flys& Flowers & Hatch Guide For New England Stream (Thomas Ames) are my go to bug books

      Delete