Henry's Fork Fog PMD Comparadun
by @sunny
Comparadun · Dry fly
Fog lifting off a glassy weed-bed flat
A size 16 Comparadun dry fly in yellow-olive and tan, tied to match Pale Morning Duns on slow, clear trout water.
A PMD Comparadun held in the vise above a still, misty river with weed beds showing through the glass. It carries a fanned tan deer hair wing, split cream tails and a yellow-olive dubbed body.
- Pattern
- Comparadun
- Imitates
- PMD hatch, typically late spring into midsummer, late morning through midday
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Size 16 TMC 100 dry-fly hook
- Hackle-free, rides low in the film
- Fanned 180-degree tan deer hair wing
- Split cream Microfibbet tails
- Yellow-olive dubbed body
On the water
A tan deer hair wing fans up like a small sail. Below it sits a slim yellow-olive body, and two cream tails split wide behind. Fog rolls off the river in the background, and green weed sways under clear water.
Fish it on flat water where duns ride the surface film. With no hackle, the body sits down in the film like a fresh mayfly. Cast above the rising fish and let it drift drag-free, with no twitch at all.
Deer hair choice decides the wing. Use fine-tipped coastal hair with short, even tips, stacked clean, so it flares into a tidy half-circle and the fly lands upright.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Use a long leader down to 6X tippet for clear, slow water.
- Drift it dead and drag-free; a downstream reach cast helps on flat glides.
- Dress the wing lightly with floatant and keep the body slightly damp so it sits in the film.
Where and when
- Water
- Henry's Fork of the Snake, Eastern Idaho
- Hatch
- PMD hatch, typically late spring into midsummer, late morning through midday
- Target
- Rainbow trout, Brown trout
- Water type
- Spring creeks, slow glides and flat weedy runs
- Also fishes
- Also fishes well on tailwater flats and quiet lake margins during any small yellow mayfly hatch.
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 · 11 steps
- Pattern
- Comparadun
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Tiemco TMC 100size 16
- Thread
- Yellow 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- WingCoastal deer hair, natural tan
- TailCream Microfibbets
- BodyYellow-olive superfine dubbing
- HeadYellow 8/0 thread
Details
- Imitates
- Pale Morning Dun
- Colors
- Yellow-olive, Tan, Cream
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (11)
- Mount the TMC 100 size 16 and lay a thread base over the front two-thirds of the shank.
- Clean and stack a clump of deer hair about pencil-lead thick, then measure it to one shank length.
- Tie the hair in at the one-third point behind the eye with tips pointing forward over the eye.
- Trim the butts at a taper toward the bend and wrap the thread smooth over them.
- Build a tiny dubbing ball at the bend to help split the tail.
- Tie in two or three Microfibbets per side, splaying them around the ball, each one shank long.
- Dub a slim, tapered yellow-olive body forward to just behind the wing.
- Lift the wing upright and build a small thread dam in front so it stands vertical.
- Spread the hair into a 180-degree fan across the top of the hook and lock it with a few figure-eight wraps of dubbing.
- Dub a short thorax in front of the wing, leaving room behind the eye.
- Form a neat yellow thread head, whip finish and add a drop of cement.
Proportions (4)
- Wing height equals one hook shank length.
- Tails equal one shank length, split in a wide V.
- Wing sits at the one-third point behind the eye.
- Body stays slim with a gentle taper toward the thorax.
Tips (3)
- Use coastal deer hair with fine, short tips; it flares less and fans neatly.
- Remove all underfur before stacking so the wing stays sparse and even.
- Keep the dubbing tight and thin; a slim body floats lower and looks more like a dun.
Common mistakes (4)
- Wing leaning back: build a firm thread dam in front of the wing before fanning.
- Tails stuck together: use the dubbing ball at the bend to push them apart.
- Fly landing on its side: spread the hair evenly into a full half-circle, not a narrow clump.
- Crowded eye: leave a small gap behind the eye before dubbing the thorax.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$28.90
$2.41 a fly
Includes Tiemco TMC 100 · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 7 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 100$6.50
Thread & wire
- Yellow 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Coastal deer hair, natural tan$5.50
- Cream Microfibbets$3.50
- Yellow-olive superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$45.93
$0.96 a fly
Bought separately $48.35 · you save $2.42
Includes Tiemco TMC 100 · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 7 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 100$13
Thread & wire
- Yellow 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Coastal deer hair, natural tan$11
- Cream Microfibbets$3.50
- Yellow-olive superfine dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$96.05
$0.67 a fly
Bought separately $109.15 · you save $13.10
Includes Tiemco TMC 100 · and 6 more
Every item in this kit · 7 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 100$35
Thread & wire
- Yellow 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Coastal deer hair, natural tan$22
- Cream Microfibbets$10.50
- Yellow-olive superfine dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$178.90
$14.91 a fly
Includes Tiemco TMC 100 · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 16 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 100$6.50
Thread & wire
- Yellow 8/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Coastal deer hair, natural tan$5.50
- Cream Microfibbets$3.50
- Yellow-olive superfine dubbing$4.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$188.43
$3.93 a fly
Bought separately $198.35 · you save $9.92
Includes Tiemco TMC 100 · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 16 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 100$13
Thread & wire
- Yellow 8/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Coastal deer hair, natural tan$11
- Cream Microfibbets$3.50
- Yellow-olive superfine dubbing$9
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$228.05
$1.58 a fly
Bought separately $259.15 · you save $31.10
Includes Tiemco TMC 100 · and 15 more
Every item in this kit · 16 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 100$35
Thread & wire
- Yellow 8/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Coastal deer hair, natural tan$22
- Cream Microfibbets$10.50
- Yellow-olive superfine dubbing$18
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
fly pattern · made
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- comparadun
- pmd
- dry fly
- mayfly
- deer hair
- henry's fork
- spring creek
- trout
- yellow olive
- size 16