Back

Lemon Olive Sparkle Dun

by @dekasso

Lemon Olive Sparkle Dun — a fly pattern by Dekasso
More by @dekasso

Sparkle Dun · Dry fly

A pale wing riding the afternoon glide

A size 14 Sparkle Dun in yellow and olive with a pearl wing, tied to imitate a mayfly dun for trout on smooth water.

A mayfly dun with an upright pearl wing, a split orange tail and a body that shifts from yellow to olive. The rear half is yellow dubbing, the front half olive, all ribbed with fine white thread.

Pattern
Sparkle Dun
Imitates
Yellow and olive mayfly duns, typically late spring through summer afternoons
Hook
size 14
Tippet
5Xrule of three
  • Yellow rear body, olive front body
  • Pearl Ice Wing Fiber upright wing
  • Split orange Krystal Flash tail
  • White thread rib marks the segments
  • Size 14 dry fly hook

On the water

A dry fly riding the surface of a trout river

Yellow at the back, olive up front, with neat white ribs marking each segment. A fan of pearl wing fibers stands tall over the thorax and catches every bit of light. Thin orange tail strands fan out behind like a pair of feelers.

Fish it on flats and slow glides when duns are drifting and fish are sipping. Cast a few feet above the rise and let it ride dead drift, no drag. The wing sits upright and stays easy to follow on flat water.

Ice Wing Fiber for the wing needs to stand straight and fan in a half circle. Build a small thread dam in front, pull the fibers back, and post them up before you dub the head.

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 or 6X tippet with a long, fine leader for flat water.
  • Dress the wing and body lightly with floatant so it sits low in the film.
  • Cast upstream or down-and-across with a slack line for a drag-free drift.

Where and when

Hatch
Yellow and olive mayfly duns, typically late spring through summer afternoons
Target
Trout
Water type
Smooth runs, flats and slow pools on spring creeks and tailwaters
Also fishes
Slow eddies and stillwater margins during a mayfly emergence, and as a visible lead fly ahead of a small emerger.

Make it yourself

Intermediate6 materials · 10 steps

Pattern
Sparkle Dun
Style
Dry fly
Hook
Standard dry fly hooksize 14
Thread
Olive 8/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. TailOrange Krystal Flash
  2. RibWhite 6/0 thread
  3. BodyYellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)
  4. BodyOlive Superfine dubbing (front half)
  5. WingPearl Ice Wing Fiber
  6. HeadOlive Superfine dubbing

Details

Imitates
Mayfly
Colors
Yellow, Olive, Pearl white, Orange
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 size 14 dry fly hook and start the olive 8/0 thread just behind the eye, then wrap a smooth base to the bend.
  2. Tie in four strands of orange Krystal Flash at the bend, splitting them into two pairs about one shank length long.
  3. Tie in the white 6/0 rib thread at the bend so it trails behind the hook.
  4. Dub a slim, slightly tapered body of yellow Superfine over the rear half of the shank.
  5. Switch to olive Superfine and dub the front half, leaving the forward third bare for the wing and head.
  6. Wrap the white rib forward in four or five evenly spaced turns and tie it off.
  7. Tie in a bunch of Pearl Ice Wing Fiber on top at the front of the body, tips pointing forward.
  8. Pull the fibers upright and build a thread dam in front so the wing stands straight and fans in a half circle.
  9. Trim the wing to about one shank length tall and trim the butts tight behind the eye.
  10. Dub a small olive Superfine head in front of the wing, then whip finish and cut the thread.
Proportions (4)
  • Tail: about one shank length, split into two even pairs.
  • Body: rear half yellow, front half olive, ending at roughly two thirds of the shank.
  • Wing: about one shank length tall, fanned in a half circle over the thorax.
  • Head: small and neat, taking only the last few turns behind the eye.
Tips (3)
  • Use very little dubbing on the body; a thin rope gives a slimmer, cleaner taper.
  • Twist the colour change neatly so the yellow and olive meet in a crisp line.
  • Brush the Ice Wing Fiber lightly before trimming so the fan looks full and even.
Common mistakes (3)
  • Wing leans back over the body: build a firm thread dam in front and add a few turns behind it.
  • Tail strands clump together: separate them with a figure-eight of thread before dubbing.
  • Head crowds the eye: leave enough bare shank at the start and keep the dubbing sparse.
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

$36.10

$3.01 a fly

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Hooks & beads

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

Thread & wire

  • Olive 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • White 6/0 thread$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Orange Krystal Flash$3.951 hank
  • Yellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)$4.501 dispenser
  • Olive Superfine dubbing (front half)$4.501 dispenser
  • Other material: Pearl Ice Wing Fiber$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 48 flies

$61.32

$1.28 a fly

Bought separately $64.55 · you save $3.23

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Hooks & beads

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

Thread & wire

  • Olive 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • White 6/0 thread$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Orange Krystal Flash$7.902 hanks
  • Yellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)$92 dispensers
  • Olive Superfine dubbing (front half)$13.503 dispensers
  • Other material: Pearl Ice Wing Fiber$92 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 144 flies

$133.63

$0.93 a fly

Bought separately $151.85 · you save $18.22

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Hooks & beads

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

Thread & wire

  • Olive 8/0 thread$8.853 spools
  • White 6/0 thread$9.753 spools

Materials

  • Orange Krystal Flash$15.804 hanks
  • Yellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)$184 dispensers
  • Olive Superfine dubbing (front half)$368 dispensers
  • Other material: Pearl Ice Wing Fiber$22.505 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

With vise & tools

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 12 flies

$186.10

$15.51 a fly

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 18 items

Hooks & beads

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

Thread & wire

  • Olive 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • White 6/0 thread$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Orange Krystal Flash$3.951 hank
  • Yellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)$4.501 dispenser
  • Olive Superfine dubbing (front half)$4.501 dispenser
  • Other material: Pearl Ice Wing Fiber$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing"

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

$203.82

$4.25 a fly

Bought separately $214.55 · you save $10.73

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 18 items

Hooks & beads

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

Thread & wire

  • Olive 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • White 6/0 thread$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Orange Krystal Flash$7.902 hanks
  • Yellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)$92 dispensers
  • Olive Superfine dubbing (front half)$13.503 dispensers
  • Other material: Pearl Ice Wing Fiber$92 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"

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

$265.63

$1.84 a fly

Bought separately $301.85 · you save $36.22

Includes Standard dry fly hook · and 17 more

Every item in this kit · 18 items

Hooks & beads

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

Thread & wire

  • Olive 8/0 thread$8.853 spools
  • White 6/0 thread$9.753 spools

Materials

  • Orange Krystal Flash$15.804 hanks
  • Yellow Superfine dubbing (rear half)$184 dispensers
  • Olive Superfine dubbing (front half)$368 dispensers
  • Other material: Pearl Ice Wing Fiber$22.505 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"

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

4 iterations led here; the saved one is marked

  1. Iteration 1 of 41
  2. Iteration 2 of 42
  3. Iteration 3 of 43
  4. Iteration 4 of 44 Saved

Remixes

5 steps back

  1. Slate Ledge Grizzly Soft Hackle@dekasso · the original
  2. Grizzly Half Hackle Mayfly Dun@dekasso
  3. Evening Ember Sulphur Mayfly Dun@dekasso
  4. Thistledown CDC Olive Mayfly Dun@dekasso
  5. Bluebird Olive CDC Dun — a fly pattern by DekassoBluebird Olive CDC Dun@dekasso
  6. Lemon Olive Sparkle Dunyou are here

1 remix of this

Lemon Fade Olive Sparkle Dun — a fly pattern by Dekasso@dekasso

Where this came from

“make the body half yellow half green and the tail thinner or more of an orangish”

fly pattern · made

2 remixes

50 — from 2 remixes, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.

  • sparkle dun
  • mayfly
  • dry fly
  • yellow
  • olive
  • pearl wing
  • trout
  • split tail
  • spring creek
  • dun