Back

Brown Back Amber Mayfly Dun

by @dekasso

Brown Back Amber Mayfly Dun — a fly pattern by Dekasso
More by @dekasso

Two-Tone Amber Dun · Dry fly

A tall grey sail over misty water

A size 14 mayfly dry fly with an orange belly, dark brown back and silver rib, tied to float on trout rivers during a dun hatch.

A mayfly dun with a two-tone body, bright orange below and dark brown on top, under a tall grey wing. Silver wire ribs the fuzzy body, and long split dun tails trail behind.

Pattern
Two-Tone Amber Dun
Imitates
Amber and brown mayfly duns, typically late spring into early summer afternoons
Hook
size 14
Tippet
5Xrule of three
  • Two-tone body: orange belly, brown back
  • Fine silver wire rib
  • Tall dun hen hackle tip wing
  • Long split microfibbet tails
  • Size 14 dry fly hook

On the water

A dry fly riding the surface of a trout river

Orange belly, dark brown back, and a bright silver wire cutting across both. A tall dun wing stands up like a sail, with brown dun hackle fibres fanned around it. The tails reach long and thin, split wide behind the hook.

Fish it through riffles and soft glides when duns are drifting off the water. Cast upstream, mend once, and let it ride drag-free. That grey wing sits clear against the pale morning surface.

Antron yarn for the back wants care. Comb it out fuzzy before you pull it over, so the brown reads as a ragged top, not a flat shell, and keep the silver wire tight through both colours.

A coiled leader, tippet spools and an open fly box on slate

Rigging

Tippet
5Xhook size divided by three
Leader
Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
  • Rig on 5X tippet, or 6X if the water is slow and clear.
  • Dress the hackle and wing with floatant; keep it off the body so the orange shows.
  • Dead drift it; a short twitch near a rising fish can draw a look.

Where and when

Hatch
Amber and brown mayfly duns, typically late spring into early summer afternoons
Target
Trout
Water type
Riffles, smooth glides and slow pool tails
Also fishes
Also worth a drift on slow pool tails at evening and on calm lake margins when mayflies hatch.

Make it yourself

Intermediate7 materials · 10 steps

Pattern
Two-Tone Amber Dun
Style
Dry fly
Hook
Standard dry fly hooksize 14
Thread
Rusty brown 8/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. TailDun microfibbets, split
  2. RibFine silver wire
  3. BackDark brown Antron yarn
  4. BodyOrange dubbing
  5. WingDun hen hackle tips
  6. HackleBrown dun dry fly hackle
  7. HeadRusty brown thread, glossed

Details

Imitates
Mayfly
Colors
Orange, Dark brown, Dun grey, Silver, Copper brown
A fly-tying vise holding a bare hook on a wooden bench

How to tie it

The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
  1. Mount the hook and start the rusty brown thread behind the eye, then wrap back to the bend.
  2. Tie in three or four dun microfibbets on each side, split them with a small ball of thread, about one and a half hook shanks long.
  3. Tie in the fine silver wire at the bend on the near side.
  4. Tie in a short length of dark brown Antron yarn on top at the bend, combed out so it stays fuzzy.
  5. Dub a slim, slightly tapered orange body up to about two thirds of the shank.
  6. Pull the brown Antron over the top of the body and tie it down, covering the upper half only.
  7. Wind the silver wire forward in five or six even turns over both colours, tie off and trim.
  8. Tie in two dun hen hackle tips upright, about one hook shank tall, and post them with a few thread wraps.
  9. Tie in the brown dun hackle, then wind three turns behind and two in front of the wing.
  10. Build a neat small head, whip finish and gloss it.
Proportions (4)
  • Tails: about one and a half times the shank length, split wide.
  • Body: two thirds of the shank, slim with a gentle taper.
  • Wing: roughly one shank length tall, standing upright.
  • Hackle fibres: about one and a half times the hook gap.
Tips (3)
  • Use a thin dubbing rope for the orange; a sparse body floats better and shows the brown back clearly.
  • Wet your fingers and pinch the Antron back flat along the top before ribbing so it stays centred.
  • Pick out the body lightly with a dubbing needle after ribbing for a buggy outline.
Common mistakes (3)
  • Brown back sliding to one side: tie it in squarely on top and hold it there while you wrap.
  • Wing leaning back: post it with a few wraps behind and in front until it stands upright.
  • Crowding the eye: leave room for the hackle and a small head before the body ends.
A dozen-fly materials kit laid out on slate with its recipe card.
The kit

Every kit size

Materials only

Size 14 · Materials only · 12 flies

$54.05

$4.50 a fly

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 9 more

Every item in this kit · 10 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Rusty brown 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Fine silver wire$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Dun microfibbets, split$3.501 pack
  • Dark brown Antron yarn$3.501 pack
  • Orange dubbing$4.501 dispenser
  • Dun hen hackle tips$11.951 saddle pack
  • Brown dun dry fly hackle$11.951 saddle pack

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 48 flies

$87.31

$1.82 a fly

Bought separately $91.90 · you save $4.59

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 9 more

Every item in this kit · 10 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry fly hook$132 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Rusty brown 8/0 thread$5.902 spools
  • Fine silver wire$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Dun microfibbets, split$3.501 pack
  • Dark brown Antron yarn$3.501 pack
  • Orange dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Dun hen hackle tips$23.902 saddle packs
  • Brown dun dry fly hackle$23.902 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 144 flies

$220.70

$1.53 a fly

Bought separately $250.80 · you save $30.10

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 9 more

Every item in this kit · 10 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Rusty brown 8/0 thread$17.706 spools
  • Fine silver wire$9.753 spools

Materials

  • Dun microfibbets, split$10.503 packs
  • Dark brown Antron yarn$10.503 packs
  • Orange dubbing$184 dispensers
  • Dun hen hackle tips$71.706 saddle packs
  • Brown dun dry fly hackle$71.706 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

With vise & tools

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 12 flies

$204.05

$17 a fly

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 18 more

Every item in this kit · 19 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Rusty brown 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Fine silver wire$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Dun microfibbets, split$3.501 pack
  • Dark brown Antron yarn$3.501 pack
  • Orange dubbing$4.501 dispenser
  • Dun hen hackle tips$11.951 saddle pack
  • Brown dun dry fly hackle$11.951 saddle pack

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 48 flies

$229.81

$4.79 a fly

Bought separately $241.90 · you save $12.09

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 18 more

Every item in this kit · 19 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry fly hook$132 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Rusty brown 8/0 thread$5.902 spools
  • Fine silver wire$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Dun microfibbets, split$3.501 pack
  • Dark brown Antron yarn$3.501 pack
  • Orange dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Dun hen hackle tips$23.902 saddle packs
  • Brown dun dry fly hackle$23.902 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 144 flies

$352.70

$2.45 a fly

Bought separately $400.80 · you save $48.10

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 18 more

Every item in this kit · 19 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Rusty brown 8/0 thread$17.706 spools
  • Fine silver wire$9.753 spools

Materials

  • Dun microfibbets, split$10.503 packs
  • Dark brown Antron yarn$10.503 packs
  • Orange dubbing$184 dispensers
  • Dun hen hackle tips$71.706 saddle packs
  • Brown dun dry fly hackle$71.706 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

The creator

An illustrated portrait for Dekasso (an illustration, not a photograph)

Dekasso

@dekasso

Wherever the truck rolls to a stop.

  • Tidewater Sundown Pale Ale — a river beer by Dekasso
  • Prairie Wildflower Portrait Trucker Hat — a trucker hat by Dekasso
  • Ember Golden Stonefly Nymph — a fly pattern by Dekasso

See everything by @dekasso

How it was made

3 iterations led here; the saved one is marked

  1. Iteration 1 of 31
  2. Iteration 2 of 32
  3. Iteration 3 of 33 Saved

Remixes

Remixed from

  1. River Mist Green Drake Dun — a fly pattern by JohnRiver Mist Green Drake Dun@john · the original
  2. Brown Back Amber Mayfly Dunyou are here

1 remix of this

Yellow Belly Olive Mayfly Dun — a fly pattern by Dekasso@dekasso

Where this came from

“split the orange body in half such that that there is top section and there is bottom section make the top section a dark brown”

fly pattern · made

1 remix

25 — from 1 remix, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.

  • mayfly
  • dun
  • dry fly
  • two-tone
  • orange
  • brown
  • silver rib
  • trout
  • split tail
  • hen hackle wing