Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies show us how to tie the Drake Mackerel emerger, an Ephemera vulgata mayfly imitation, in this week’s Friday Night Fly Tying video.
What is a Drake Mackerel?
Photo credit Kim Hansen
Good question. I wondered the same thing when I first saw this video. Ephemera vulgata, as the fancy folk call it, is basically a large brown mayfly, akin to a Green Drake. In some parts of the world it is simply known as “the mayfly”.
Where to Find Drake Mackerel
Word on the street is that the Drake Mackerel hatch is about to get going on the Lamar River, Soda Butte Creek and Slough Creek in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park, at least here in the states. Abroad, Ephemera vulgata enjoys cult status is places like Scandinavia and Sweden where it is the second largest mayfly.
Drake Mackerel Material List
Hook: TMC 100 dry fly hook, size 12
Thread: Uni-thread 6/0, tan
Body: Australian opossum dubbing, tan
Wing-pad: Closed-cell foam, dark gray
Legs: Saddle hackle (over-sized), grizzly
Tail: Mayfly brown Zelon
Ribbing: Mayfly brown Zelon
Enjoy!