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Morning Mist PMD Comparadun

by @dekasso

Morning Mist PMD Comparadun — a fly pattern by Dekasso

Henry's Fork of the Snake · Henry's Fork of the Snake fishing report

More by @dekasso

Comparadun · Dry fly

Fog on the flat, yellow on the film

A size 16 Comparadun dry fly in pale yellow and tan, tied to match Pale Morning Duns for trout on smooth, clear water.

A Pale Morning Dun comparadun with a fanned tan deer hair wing standing over a slim yellow body. Pale yellow dubbing, light dun tail fibers and a neat thread head finish it on a bronze dry fly hook.

Pattern
Comparadun
Imitates
Pale Morning Dun hatch
When
typically late mornings, early to midsummer
Hook
size 16
Tippet
5Xrule of three
  • Fanned deer hair wing, no hackle
  • Pale yellow body for PMD hatches
  • Size 16 dry fly hook
  • Sits low in the surface film
  • Light dun tail for balance

On the water

A dry fly riding the surface of a trout river

A pale yellow body, soft and a little fuzzy, runs the length of a bronze hook. Above it, a half-moon of tan deer hair fans up like a sail. Long light dun fibers trail behind, and the head is a tidy wrap of yellow thread.

Fish it on glassy water when the mist is still lifting and duns start riding the slick. The flared wing sets the fly flat in the film, so it sits low the way a fresh dun does. Cast a few feet above a rising fish and let it drift with no drag at all.

Deer hair for the wing should be fine and short-tipped. Stack it well, tie it in with firm wraps, then build a dubbing dam in front so the hair stands upright and spreads in a clean arc across the top of the hook.

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 9 to 12 feet of leader tapered to 5X or 6X tippet.
  • Dress the wing lightly with floatant and keep the body free of it so it sits in the film.
  • Use a downstream reach cast for a drag-free drift to selective risers.

Where and when

The Henry's Fork of the Snake
Water
Henry's Fork of the Snake, Eastern Idaho
Hatch
Pale Morning Dun hatchtypically late mornings, early to midsummer
Target
trout
Water type
Spring creeks, slow glides and flat tailouts
Also fishes
Also fishes well on still pools and lake margins during light yellow mayfly hatches, and as a searching dry on calm summer evenings.

Also on this water

  • Green DrakeJun
  • Pale Morning DunJun–Jul
  • Brown DrakeJun
  • TricoAug–Sep

Fished out of Last Chance, Island Park and Ashton.

Make it yourself

Intermediate4 materials · 10 steps

Pattern
Comparadun
Style
Dry fly
Hook
TMC 100 dry fly hooksize 16
Thread
Pale yellow 8/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. WingNatural tan comparadun deer hair
  2. TailLight dun hackle fibers
  3. BodyPMD yellow superfine dubbing
  4. HeadPale yellow 8/0 thread

Details

Imitates
Pale Morning Dun
Colors
pale yellow, tan, cream, light dun
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 thread one third of the shank back from the eye, laying a short base.
  2. Clean and stack a pencil-thick bunch of deer hair, then measure it to shank length.
  3. Tie the hair in tips forward at the one-third point with tight wraps and trim the butts at an angle.
  4. Post the wing upright with thread wraps in front of it, then fan it into a 180 degree arc across the top.
  5. Run the thread to the bend and tie in a bunch of light dun hackle fibers, about one shank length long.
  6. Dub a slim tapered body of yellow dubbing from the bend forward to the wing.
  7. Figure-eight dubbing around the wing base to lock the fan and support it from below.
  8. Dub a small amount in front of the wing to the eye, leaving room for the head.
  9. Build a small neat thread head, whip finish and cut the thread.
  10. Add a touch of head cement to the wraps under the wing.
Proportions (4)
  • Wing: as long as the hook shank, fanned in a half circle over the top.
  • Tail: about one shank length, slightly longer is fine for balance.
  • Body: slim, tapering from bend to thorax, filling about two thirds of the shank behind the wing.
  • Wing position: one third of the shank back from the eye.
Tips (4)
  • Use short, fine deer hair with dense tips so the wing flares without bulk.
  • Keep the dubbing thin; a skinny body lets the fly ride lower and look truer.
  • Press the wing fan with a thumbnail before the figure-eight wraps to spread it evenly.
  • Split the tail fibers slightly with a thread wrap to help the fly land upright.
Common mistakes (4)
  • Wing leaning back: build a firm thread dam in front of the hair before dubbing.
  • Hair spinning around the shank: use a soft loop and pinch tightly on the first wraps.
  • Tail too short: the fly tips forward; measure the fibers to a full shank length.
  • Crowded eye: leave a clear gap in front of the wing for the head and whip finish.
A dozen-fly materials kit laid out on slate with its recipe card.
The kit

Every kit size

Materials only

Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies

$37.35

$3.11 a fly

Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 6 more

Every item in this kit · 7 items

Hooks & beads

  • TMC 100 dry fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 16

Thread & wire

  • Pale yellow 8/0 thread$2.951 spool

Materials

  • Natural tan comparadun deer hair$5.501 patch
  • Light dun hackle fibers$11.951 saddle pack
  • PMD yellow superfine dubbing$4.501 dispenser

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies

$65.31

$1.36 a fly

Bought separately $68.75 · you save $3.44

Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 6 more

Every item in this kit · 7 items

Hooks & beads

  • TMC 100 dry fly hook$132 × 25 · size 16

Thread & wire

  • Pale yellow 8/0 thread$5.902 spools

Materials

  • Natural tan comparadun deer hair$112 patches
  • Light dun hackle fibers$23.902 saddle packs
  • PMD yellow superfine dubbing$92 dispensers

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies

$149.91

$1.04 a fly

Bought separately $170.35 · you save $20.44

Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 6 more

Every item in this kit · 7 items

Hooks & beads

  • TMC 100 dry fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 16

Thread & wire

  • Pale yellow 8/0 thread$17.706 spools

Materials

  • Natural tan comparadun deer hair$224 patches
  • Light dun hackle fibers$71.706 saddle packs
  • PMD yellow superfine dubbing$184 dispensers

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

With vise & tools

Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies

$187.35

$15.61 a fly

Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 15 more

Every item in this kit · 16 items

Hooks & beads

  • TMC 100 dry fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 16

Thread & wire

  • Pale yellow 8/0 thread$2.951 spool

Materials

  • Natural tan comparadun deer hair$5.501 patch
  • Light dun hackle fibers$11.951 saddle pack
  • PMD yellow superfine dubbing$4.501 dispenser

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 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies

$207.81

$4.33 a fly

Bought separately $218.75 · you save $10.94

Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 15 more

Every item in this kit · 16 items

Hooks & beads

  • TMC 100 dry fly hook$132 × 25 · size 16

Thread & wire

  • Pale yellow 8/0 thread$5.902 spools

Materials

  • Natural tan comparadun deer hair$112 patches
  • Light dun hackle fibers$23.902 saddle packs
  • PMD yellow superfine dubbing$92 dispensers

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 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies

$281.91

$1.96 a fly

Bought separately $320.35 · you save $38.44

Includes TMC 100 dry fly hook · and 15 more

Every item in this kit · 16 items

Hooks & beads

  • TMC 100 dry fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 16

Thread & wire

  • Pale yellow 8/0 thread$17.706 spools

Materials

  • Natural tan comparadun deer hair$224 patches
  • Light dun hackle fibers$71.706 saddle packs
  • PMD yellow superfine dubbing$184 dispensers

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.

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Where this came from

fly pattern · made

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  • pmd
  • pale morning dun
  • comparadun
  • dry fly
  • mayfly
  • deer hair
  • yellow
  • trout
  • spring creek
  • size 16
  • hatch matching