Dirty Deer Hair Emerger Tutorial
Following last week’s blog, here is another favourite fly of PRO-Team member Allan Liddle, The Dirty Deer Hair Emerger (DHE). You can find him tying this one and many others at Glasgow Angling Centre’s open weekend!
Despite the love I have for often omitting materials where I can, I am not shy towards adding something in, especially when I feel the pattern might really benefit as a result.
Many know I like a sparse and thin Deer Hair Emerger, but I also like to add in a tiny ‘shuck’ on some to give the added trigger point that compliment ‘Emerger’ style flies so well and the DHE is no exception to this. However, I need to be clear, not all my DHE flies are tied this way, however it’s good to have a variety on hand for times when the additional focus can really switch fish onto your imitation.
Adding the shuck in on a curved style half below and half above the surface can add a problem in that it can affect the ‘keel’ on the DHE and in effect prevent it from ‘cocking’ correctly when landing, preventing the hook point penetrating the water surface and either falling on its side, or riding kind of nose down. Ok yes, this doesn’t happen all the time, but I have found it to happen and had fish refuse the dry as a result.
Tying in a heavier wing does help but then so does the simple addition of a cock hackle around the wing and for me there can only be one choice, grizzle and of course trimmed ‘level’ on the underside.
Creator of the Deer Hair Emerger, Bob Wyatt, also came up with a lighter and smaller fly in a similar vein called the ‘Dirty Duster’ where the deer hair wing is omitted and instead a grizzle hackle tied in and is a pattern I love and have adapted several times over the years.
Finished Dirty Deer Hair Emerger tied on a Partridge K4AY/SE
So you could say this is just that, another adaptation on a theme, but I also like the idea that I am combining two of my favourite dries hence the name ‘Dirty Deer Hair Emerger’. Reason for adding in the hackle is simple, add a little more ‘bulk’ but without going out of proportion with a very heavy wing (I do have these but tend to reach for them in very heavy water situations and keeping towards a sparse lighter version for everything else.
Using a hackle to ‘bulk’ the wing is an obvious solution, and it serves a simple function, ensure the fly ‘sits’ correctly every time, with or without the ‘shuck.’ It’s also handy to help you track the fly when the light isn’t good, something I’m finding harder to do as I get older, so every little helps as the slogan goes.
As with the standard Deer Hair Emerger you simply wet the abdomen (and in this case shuck) with some saliva and add floatant gel to the wing (and hackle) section only making sure it will adopt the correct posture every time. That said don’t be afraid to sink the fly and swing it back through a bit of water you already covered, especially if you might have turned a fish without it fully committing, another ‘Dirty Trick’ to add to the name.
As for the shuck, I use Semperfli Pearl Microglint and then tease the fibres open with thumb and fingernail once tied in which gives a bit of sparkle but not so much as to turn the fish away. Craft fur or even a pinch of calf tail works really well also, just remember to ensure you keep it sparse.
Recipe
| Hook: | Partridge K4AY/SE Barbless Grub and Buzzer #12 – 16 |
| Thread: | Semperfli 8/0 light olive waxed thread |
| Shuck: | Semperfli 8/0 light olive waxed thread |
| Rib: | Tying Thread |
| Wing: | Natural Roe Deer hair |
| Hackle: | Grizzle cock hackle trimmed ‘level’ below |
| Thorax: | Sparse amount of medium olive hares mark / guard hairs. |
Dirty Deer Hair Emerger Step by Step.
Step One:
Catch thread and run to about a third down hook from eye. Apply wax to help secure the deer hair.
Step Two:
Take a bunch of Roe Deer hair and stack to even tips.
Step Three:
Grip the deer hair tight on top of hook shank and secure with a few tight thread turns, then lift tag ends and cut tight to hook shank.
Step Four:
Secure the tag ends of the deer hair with tight thread turns
Step Five:
Catch in the Microglint and form the abdomen with thread turns taking thread round hook bend.
Step Six:
Trim the Microglint and then tease it well out using thumb and fingernail.
Step Seven:
Prep and catch in grizzle hackle directly behind wing.
Step Eight:
Dub the Hare’s Mask onto thread and wind directly in front of wing to form thorax.
Step Nine:
Wind the hackle, one turn rear of wing and three to four turns in front.
Step Ten:
Secure the hackle, trim off stem and whip finish the head.
Step Eleven:
Trim the underside of the hackle ‘level’.
Finished Dirty Deer Hair Emerger
Alan Willing be tying this fly and many others at Glasgow Angling Centre’s Open Weekend (23rd-25th September).
Allan Liddle
Based in Moray in Scotland's North East, Allan has specialises with the wild trout from the rivers and burns, lochs and lochans throughout Mainland Scotland and the Isles.
A strong passion for fishing simple dries he feels there's nothing better than to see the fish take off the top, but isn't slow to fish a range of different styles when mood or conditions dictate. Although trout is his first love Allan occasionally chases the Salmon, Grayling stocked fish and even dabbles in salt water when the chance arises.
More from Allan:
Tying a new Deer Hair Emerger Variation
This week Allan provides us with a variation on the Deer Hair Emerger pattern, this time incorporating elements from Bob Wyatt's Dirty Duster patterns. Yes, I know, I've posted Deer Hair Emerger flies many times before but to be honest, it's such a simple but...
Reliable Nymph Fly Patterns on the Partridge SLD4
In this blog post, Ambassador Allan Liddle shares some of the flies that he will be demoing at the BFFI in the coming weeks. Nymph fly tying patterns are designed to imitate the immature forms of aquatic insects, such as mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies, which...
The Olive Pete Loch Fly, Tied on a Partridge SLD2
Words and images from PRO-Team member Allan Liddle.Allan Liddle provides us with a recipe and insights for the 'Olive Pete', a great loch fly and searching pattern. One for a bigger wave on our lochs for wild fish or perhaps dead of night surface wake lure style...