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Amethyst Riffle Mayfly Wet Fly

by @dekasso

Amethyst Riffle Mayfly Wet Fly — a fly pattern by Dekasso
More by @dekasso

Wet fly

Purple flash swinging over clear gravel

A beaded mayfly wet fly in purple, olive and grey on a size 14 hook, for trout swinging through riffles during a mayfly emergence.

A winged mayfly wet fly with a gold bead, a barred grey tail and a shining purple body. The body is purple holographic tinsel ribbed with gold wire, behind an olive dubbed thorax under a mottled mallard flank wing.

Imitates
Mayfly emergence, typically spring and early-summer afternoons
Hook
size 14
Tippet
5Xrule of three
  • Purple tinsel body ribbed in gold wire
  • Mottled mallard flank wing and tail
  • Small gold bead for a shallow sink
  • Soft dun hen hackle moves on the swing
  • Size 14 wet fly hook

On the water

A soft-hackle wet fly swinging through mid-water

Purple tinsel catches the light in bands, split by gold wire. A tuft of olive dubbing sits behind a small gold bead. Above it, a speckled grey wing tents back over the body, and soft dun fibres fan out underneath.

Fish it through riffles and soft seams when mayflies start to lift off the gravel. Cast across, let it sink a moment, then let the current swing it up toward the surface. The hen fibres breathe on the swing and the bead keeps it just under the film.

Mallard flank for the wing is worth choosing with care. Pick a feather with even, fine barring and fold it so the tips line up, then tie it in tented over the thorax. A neat, low wing gives the fly its clean mayfly outline.

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

Rigging

Tippet
5Xhook size divided by three
Leader
Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
  • Tie it on 5X tippet; a loop knot lets the hackle move freely.
  • Use as the point fly or a dropper about 50 cm below a dry fly.
  • Swing it across and down, adding small twitches as it rises at the end of the drift.

Where and when

Hatch
Mayfly emergence, typically spring and early-summer afternoons
Target
Trout
Water type
Riffles, soft seams and shallow gravel flats
Also fishes
Also fishes well on a slow lake retrieve near weed edges, or dead-drifted as a dropper below a dry in pocket water.

Make it yourself

Intermediate7 materials · 10 steps

Style
Wet fly
Hook
Wet fly hooksize 14
Thread
Grey 8/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. BeadGold brass bead, 2.0 mm
  2. TailMallard flank fibers
  3. RibFine gold wire
  4. BodyPurple holographic flat tinsel
  5. ThoraxOlive rabbit dubbing
  6. WingMallard flank feather
  7. HackleDun hen hackle

Details

Imitates
Mayfly
Colors
Purple, Gold, Olive, Grey
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. Slide the gold bead onto the hook and fix the hook in the vise.
  2. Start the grey 8/0 thread behind the bead and wrap a smooth base to the bend.
  3. Tie in a small bunch of mallard flank fibres as a tail, about one shank length long.
  4. Tie in the fine gold wire at the bend.
  5. Tie in purple holographic tinsel and wrap it in tight, flat turns over the rear two thirds of the shank.
  6. Counter-wrap the gold wire forward in five or six evenly spaced turns and tie off.
  7. Dub a short, shaggy thorax of olive rabbit fur behind the bead.
  8. Fold a mallard flank feather, tie it in tented over the thorax, tips reaching just past the bend.
  9. Tie in a dun hen hackle by the tip and take two turns behind the bead, sweeping fibres back.
  10. Tie off the hackle, build a small thread collar against the bead and whip finish.
Proportions (5)
  • Tail: about one shank length, fibres kept together in a slim bunch.
  • Body: rear two thirds of the shank, slim and even.
  • Thorax: front third, slightly fuller than the body.
  • Wing: tips reach just past the bend, sitting low over the body.
  • Hackle: fibres reach roughly to the hook point.
Tips (4)
  • Keep the thread base flat before the tinsel so the purple stays smooth and bright.
  • Wrap the wire opposite to the tinsel so it locks the body in place.
  • Pick out the olive dubbing a little with a dubbing needle for a buggier thorax.
  • Stroke the hen fibres back before tying off so they lie over the thorax.
Common mistakes (4)
  • Overlapping tinsel turns create a lumpy body; butt each wrap edge to edge.
  • Too many hackle turns kill the movement; two turns of hen is enough.
  • A wing tied too upright looks like a dry fly; pinch it low as you tighten.
  • Crowding the bead leaves no room for the collar; stop the thorax a thread width short.
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

$54.85

$4.57 a fly

Includes Wet fly hook · Gold brass bead · and 9 more

Every item in this kit · 11 items

Hooks & beads

  • Wet fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 14
  • Gold brass bead, 2.0 mm$7.501 × 25

Thread & wire

  • Grey 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Fine gold wire$3.251 spool
  • Purple holographic flat tinsel$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Mallard flank fibers$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive rabbit dubbing$4.501 dispenser
  • Other material: Mallard flank feather$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing"
  • Dun hen hackle$11.951 saddle pack

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 48 flies

$89.59

$1.87 a fly

Bought separately $94.30 · you save $4.71

Includes Wet fly hook · Gold brass bead · and 9 more

Every item in this kit · 11 items

Hooks & beads

  • Wet fly hook$132 × 25 · size 14
  • Gold brass bead, 2.0 mm$152 × 25

Thread & wire

  • Grey 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Fine gold wire$3.251 spool
  • Purple holographic flat tinsel$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Mallard flank fibers$92 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive rabbit dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Other material: Mallard flank feather$92 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"
  • Dun hen hackle$23.902 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 144 flies

$215.60

$1.50 a fly

Bought separately $245 · you save $29.40

Includes Wet fly hook · Gold brass bead · and 9 more

Every item in this kit · 11 items

Hooks & beads

  • Wet fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 14
  • Gold brass bead, 2.0 mm$411 × 100 + 2 × 25

Thread & wire

  • Grey 8/0 thread$8.853 spools
  • Fine gold wire$9.753 spools
  • Purple holographic flat tinsel$9.753 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Mallard flank fibers$22.505 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive rabbit dubbing$184 dispensers
  • Other material: Mallard flank feather$22.505 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"
  • Dun hen 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

$204.85

$17.07 a fly

Includes Wet fly hook · Gold brass bead · and 18 more

Every item in this kit · 20 items

Hooks & beads

  • Wet fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 14
  • Gold brass bead, 2.0 mm$7.501 × 25

Thread & wire

  • Grey 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Fine gold wire$3.251 spool
  • Purple holographic flat tinsel$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Mallard flank fibers$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive rabbit dubbing$4.501 dispenser
  • Other material: Mallard flank feather$4.501 pack · From the recipe row "Wing"
  • Dun hen 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

$232.09

$4.84 a fly

Bought separately $244.30 · you save $12.21

Includes Wet fly hook · Gold brass bead · and 18 more

Every item in this kit · 20 items

Hooks & beads

  • Wet fly hook$132 × 25 · size 14
  • Gold brass bead, 2.0 mm$152 × 25

Thread & wire

  • Grey 8/0 thread$2.951 spool
  • Fine gold wire$3.251 spool
  • Purple holographic flat tinsel$3.251 spool

Materials

  • Other material: Mallard flank fibers$92 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive rabbit dubbing$92 dispensers
  • Other material: Mallard flank feather$92 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"
  • Dun hen 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

$347.60

$2.41 a fly

Bought separately $395 · you save $47.40

Includes Wet fly hook · Gold brass bead · and 18 more

Every item in this kit · 20 items

Hooks & beads

  • Wet fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 14
  • Gold brass bead, 2.0 mm$411 × 100 + 2 × 25

Thread & wire

  • Grey 8/0 thread$8.853 spools
  • Fine gold wire$9.753 spools
  • Purple holographic flat tinsel$9.753 spools

Materials

  • Other material: Mallard flank fibers$22.505 packs · From the recipe row "Tail"
  • Olive rabbit dubbing$184 dispensers
  • Other material: Mallard flank feather$22.505 packs · From the recipe row "Wing"
  • Dun hen 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.

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See everything by @dekasso

Remixes

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Where this came from

fly pattern · made

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  • mayfly
  • wet fly
  • soft hackle
  • winged wet
  • purple
  • tinsel body
  • gold bead
  • mallard flank
  • olive
  • trout
  • swing
  • riffle