When he created his now famous Sparkle
Dun, Craig Mathews’ decided he’d put some sparkle in the genealogy of a
large attractor fly pattern introduced by Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi in
their 1972 fly tying manual “Comparahatch.” Caucci and Nastasi’s fly
pattern, called “The Comparadun,” was a modernized variation of “The
Haystack,” a relatively simple fly constructed primarily of deer hair.
When he tied the Sparkle Dun, Mathews added a Z-lon “shuck” to an
already tweaked fly and forever left his mark on the angler’s craft and
on successful fly fishing.
Mathews’ Sparkle Dun
Callibaetis is hand tied by the professional production tyers at Umpqua Feather Merchants to imitate an adult
Callibaetis
mayfly. Try this fantastic fly pattern out next time
you’re out west and in the midst of a frenzy of
Callibaetis duns.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Craig Mathews, one of the world’s leading experts on fly fishing the greater Yellowstone area in the western United States
- The Sparkle Dun has its roots in two older flies: The Haystack and The Comparadun
- Trailing Z-lon shuck adds extra realism
- 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 Mathews’ Sparkle 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 Mathews’ Sparkle 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 Callibaetis
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: Craig Mathews
The sport of
fly fishing just grabs hold of some people and never lets go. That’s
what happened to Craig Mathews, accomplished fly tyer, fly fishing
guide, avid conservationist, and owner of West Yellowstone, Montana’s
Blue Ribbon Flies. In his career, Craig has done lots to advance the
sport, and in 2005 he was named “Angler of the Year” by Fly Rod &
Reel magazine. He’s written several books on fly fishing in the western
United States and he even teamed with the visionary head of Patagona,
Inc. to organize and launch 1% for the Planet, a group of successful
companies committed to giving 1 percent of their annual revenues to
environmental conservation efforts. Craig continues to employ his
strong business acumen and love of fly fishing on a daily basis from
his post in West Yellowstone, Montana, helping to push fly fishing on
to its next frontier.
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.”