For every problem there are often many solutions, and fly
tyers have been trying to solve this small fly, high visibility
quandary for quite a while.
Enter Andy Burk, one of the world’s
most creative and accomplished modern fly tyers. Burk designed his
Silhouette Dun series with a slim and trim profile that sits neatly on
the surface of the water with very little disturbance on landing. The
bug’s prominent wing post allows it to be seen easily from a distance.
Burk’s Silhouette Dun
Callibaetis is a fantastic mayfly dun imitation tied to represent the
Callibaetis
in its winged adult stage. Its split tails and tapered quill body make
it an extremely attractive fly pattern while the sturdy dubbing through
the thorax allow it to stand up to the toughest of trout.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Andy Burk, one of the world’s most successful modern fly tyers
- The Silhouette Dun is a dry fly designed to maintain a realistic and trim profile, but remain highly visible in the water
- This pattern is also very durable and can stand up to the most demanding trout
- Callibaetis imitation in the adult life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Hatches throughout North America, but are most prolific from April to October
- Fish on a dead drift in medium to slow water adjacent to or below faster flows
- When targeting fish during a prolific hatch, cast upstream and drift through the main current
- Be sure to use lighter terminal tackle when fishing slower eddys and pools
- SIZE 16
When and Where to Fish Burk’s Silhouette Dun Callibaetis
This
mayfly dun can be fished as either an impressionistic fly pattern when
searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when matching the
hatch. When searching, fish this fly in slow, weedy water. These dark
grey duns are recognizable by their speckled grey wings and are
available primarily in western North America from spring (April) to
late fall (October). These duns will not spend much time floating along
the water’s surface before fluttering away to streamside vegetation.
These adults will collect in the calmer water adjacent to higher energy
environments. Eddys and slow pools below longer vegetation rich runs
can also be great places to spot hatched adults.
How to Fish Burk’s Silhouette Dun Callibaetis
If there are a good number of Callibaetis
emergers present, look for rising trout. If the rises become more
consistent, it’s time to use an adult dun imitation. When a hatch is
on, these darkly colored mayflies will flitter from the water’s surface
quickly to find mates. Because prime water conditions for hatching Callibaetis
are generally very slow and very clear, it’s important to use very
light tackle and long leaders when fishing with adult dun imitations.
The use of a good stalking method is imperative to avoid spooking the
target fish. Cast upstream using a reach cast or mend to produce a slow
dead drift. Trout can also be extremely selective during a particularly
strong hatch of adults, so be sure to examine how and where trout are
rising and aim your dead drift toward these hot areas.
Callibaetis
Callibaetis
are relatively small mayflies that occur in the famous trout waters of
the North American West. In this storied fly fishing region, these
insects are widely distributed throughout rivers and lakes, and this
broad distribution makes the species and important staple of a western
trout’s diet. During the larval stage, Callibaetis spend the balance of their time in the weedy shelter of slow moving water provided by rivers, spring creeks, and lakes. Callibaetis
follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches
across the western United States from spring (April) to mid-fall
(October).
Callibaetis Adult Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these crawlers are most commonly found in the
slow water environments of lakes. In river systems, these
small-to-medium sized nymphs call low energy backwaters, eddys, and the
gentle currents of vegetation-rich spring creeks home. Callibaetis
nymphs thrive among the weedy vegetation of these slow and languid
aquatic environments, and these nymphs are most vulnerable to trout
when they leave their weedy shelter to hatch into winged adult duns,
making the emerger and cripple life stage an important one for both fly
anglers and feeding fish. As adults, Callibaetis
do not spend much time on the water’s surface, making the dun stage a
relatively difficult one to imitate. However, when trout are zeroed in
on hatched adult duns, fishing an adult imitation can be the only
strategy that produces results. Callibaetis
is an important hatch on many rivers and lakes and are available to
trout throughout the Western United States from spring (April), through
late summer, and into the fall season (October). When temperatures are
warm, these emergers are most active during mid-morning hours. During
the milder months, an angler will find Calibaetis activity later in the afternoon. These olive green or light tan nymphs are easily distinguishable from other members of the Baetidae family by their possession of three dark-colored tails of nearly identical length.
About the Tyer: Andy Burk
Andy
Burk has been fly fishing all his life and loves to share his
experience, ideas, creativity, and techniques with anyone who’ll
listen. He’s a tremendously successful angler who has a big personality
and lots of fun wherever he is. A well-known professional fly designer
for Umpqua Feather Merchants, Andy has developed a cult following among
fly tyers by willingly sharing many of his best secrets at traveling
fly tying shows and in-shop demonstrations. Andy has recently begun to
reach many others by using 21st Century technology to his advantage.
Thanks to Andy and You Tube, Internet-savvy fly tyers and fly anglers
from all corners of the globe can now bring his fly tying tips into
their living rooms and offices. Andy continues to develop new ideas
from his home in Reno, Nevada, and is will continue to be an asset to
the fly fishing industry for decades to come.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As you may or may not know, we're the
largest producer of quality hand-tied flies in the world. We also make
available through your local fly shop a wide array of the finest
fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At Umpqua we offer
everything the angler needs to a have a first class fishing experience.
(Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The idea
first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back in
1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known for
his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each year
for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize how
fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”