Harry Darbee's Two-Feather Fly

 

Harry Darbee's Two-Feather Fly

Hook: #14 Emerger

Thread: Blue Dun 70 Denier

Body/Tail: Suitable Feather (eg. short and fat hackle feather, wood duck or mallard flank, grouse for smaller sizes)

Hackle: cock hackle to match

 

For some detailed tying instructions, check out Davie McPhail. He calls it a "Hatchmaster" but from what I know, Harry Darbee invented it in the 50s and called it the Two-Feather. It also was simply called the "Darbee."

Classic Adams

Hook: #12 standard dry
Thread: olive 70 denier
Wing: grizzly hackle tips
Tail: mixed grizzly & brown hackle fibers
Body: Adams Gray Super Fine Waterproof Dry Fly Dubbing
Hackle: mixed grizzly #12 & brown #14

Light Cahill Dry

Here's another fly I copped from Bob Wikoff. These flies show up early to mid June in the Catskills.

Hook: #14 Dry 

Thread: tan 70 denier

Tail: cream hackle fibers

Body: Hareline light Cahill dubbin

Hackle: cream 

Wing: calf hair (Bob Wikoff uses snowshoe rabbit fur)

Light Hendrickson Dry

My attempt at a classic from Art Flick's Streamside Guide:

Pattern:

Hook: Dry Fly (12 or 14)

Thread: Brown

Wing: Wood Duck Flank (Mallard subbed above)

Tail: Natural Dun Hackle Fibers
Body: Hendrickson Pink Super Fine Dubbing
Hackle: Natural Dun

Instructions:

• Start thread behind eye leaving 2-3 eye lengths bare per Catskill style, wrap back halfway, then forward half-way.
• Size wing to be one shank length and tie in using 2 pinch wraps, then 2-3 tight wraps in front of wing around hook.(Helps me prevent spinning of wing).
• Trim wing butts at an angle to help taper body.
• Using cross-wraps split wing evenly and position wings. (Use flat of fingernail along hook shank to fan out wing and help divide evenly.)  I leave near side wing a little flatter at this point since tying in the hackle always causes it to push upward later.
• Wrap thread back and tie in tail using thread to form nice even taper.
• Form tight dubbing noodle and dub thorax (less is more!) stopping with a little space behind wing.
• Tie in hackle on near side and be careful about it skewing your wing.
• Wrap hackle 3x tight behind wing, then 2x tight in front.
• Tie off hackle and trim.  Can use a half hitch to push back any hackle fibers at this point.
• Whip finish and cement. (Watch that you leave space behind the eye and don't make your head too long!)

When to fish:

Late April to first 3/4 of May.