BWO Emerger

I submitted a BWO Emerger for this year's swap that was inspired by the Twisted Hackle Emerger from Shane Stalcup's book Mayflies: Top to Bottom. The only real difference between mine and the original is that I didn’t twist the hackle.

Instructions: This one's pretty easy. Tie in the shuck first, then wrap the biot forward (about 4 turns). Tie that off and tie in the hackle. I undersized the hackle one size based on the hook size. I found it worked better. Dub in a small thorax and overwrap the hackle on it - three or so turns. Tie off the hackle and place the CDC wing on top of it. I trimmed the hackle down a bit on both sides. On top, it helped the CDC lie flat, and on the bottom, it helped the fly ride better. Trim the CDC off near the eye of the hook as if you were tying an elk hair caddis, so leave a small amount over the head.

I fished this last spring with some success during BWO time. It can sink a bit, so false cast it out to dry it and don't be afraid to sink the shuck with some saliva or sinkant. I tie it in black and a size smaller for tricos also, but I never really gave it much of a shot.