Green Drake
The Eastern Green Drake is one of the most exciting mayfly hatches on cold Eastern streams, emerging in May and June. The large, sail-like wings of the natural attract the biggest trout. Fish the Wulff-style or Catskill-tied Green Drake with confident mends on pocket water and riffles. The Coffin Fly spinner fall just after dark can be equally explosive.
- Type
- dry fly (Mayfly)
- Hook sizes
- #10–12
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best seasons
- spring, summer
Materials
- hook: Dry fly hook #10–12, 1X fine
- thread: Yellow 6/0
- tail: Moose mane or dark tan hackle fibers
- body: Pale yellow or cream dubbing with olive tint
- ribbing: Olive thread or quill
- wing: Gray hen back or woodduck flank, upright and divided
Tying steps
- Mount a size 10–12 1X fine dry fly hook and start yellow thread at the bend.
- Tie in 3 moose mane or tan hackle fibers as forked tails, spreading them outward.
- Dub a pale yellow-cream body with a slight olive tint; wind thread ribbing for segmentation.
- Tie in two sections of gray hen back or woodduck flank upright and divided as the wing.
- Figure-eight the wings apart and secure with post wraps at each wing base.
- Attach a cream and a grizzly hackle behind the wing.
- Wind both hackles 4–5 turns behind and in front of the wing for maximum silhouette.
- Tie off, build small head, whip finish, and apply head cement.