If you want to find your very own slice of traditional dry-fly-only
fishing in the English Chalk Stream style, look no further than Hot
Creek, near Mammoth Mountain in California’s Eastern Sierra. The cool,
mineral rich waters of Hot Creek Ranch’s fly fishing only section have
become known for their giant and healthy brown and rainbow trout, and a
big reason for the popularity of this destination has to do with the
loving advocacy of its former river keeper, Bob Brooks.
The Brooks’ Sprout Emerger – Sulfer is an excellent
imitation of an emergent sulfer mayfly. It’s highly visible and can be
fished effectively on light or heavy terminal tackle in soft or rough
water. Next time you venture to your favorite spring creek, pack a row
of Sprout Emergers in your fly box and give them a try.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Bob Brooks while seving as river keeper of and guiding clients on Hot Creek, a spring creek near Mammoth Mountain, California
- The Brooks’ Sprout Emerger series is defined by the pattern’s severe bend in the hook shank along with the white foam thorax
- Sulfer imitation in the emerger life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Fish on a dead drift in medium to fast water; perfect for riffles and pocket water
- Play with line tension during the drift to simulate a nymph struggling to emerge
- Traditional wet fly swing techniques will also yield good results in fast water situations
- SIZE 16
When and Where to Fish Brooks’ Sprout Emerger – Sulfer
This
mayfly emerger can be fished as either and impressionistic fly pattern
when searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when matching the
hatch. When searching, fish this fly in medium to fast water. When
matching the hatch, look for signs of hatching sulfer mayflies in
deeper riffles, runs, and pools. Tie this neat little bug at the end of
your leader when sulfer emergers are about to break the surface film
and hatch into winged adults. It’s also an effective searching pattern
when you’re unsure of what may be feeding on below the surface.
How to Fish Brooks’ Sprout Emerger – Sulfer
Fish
this fly on a dead drift through faster riffles and pocket water, as
these nymphs thrive in well oxygenated environments. Because of the
Sulfer’s long and difficult emergence, presentation is important. Play
with variations in line tension as you drift this emerger. The subtle
movements and twitches created by varying your slack line during the
drift can imitate the emergent insect’s struggle quite well. You can
also find success by employing a traditional wet fly swing technique
when fishing this fly pattern through really fast water.
Sulfer
The
Sulfer (Ephemerella dorothea) is a mayfly that enjoys a healthy and
wide distribution in trout water across North America. The Sulfer can
be an important hatch in the rivers and streams of the northeastern
United States. The Sulfer follows the life stages of a typical mayfly
life cycle and generally hatches in a narrow window from the end of May
through the middle weekend in July. Nymphs tend to be brownish colored
with banded legs and adult duns are a rich sulfer yellow through the
abdomen, wings, and tails.
Sulfer Emerger Life Stage
During
their nymph life stage, these crawlers are commonly found inching along
rocky and debris-littered river bottoms. These nymphs thrive in
moderate to fast water. Look for emergers in medium to fast moving
riffles, pocket water, and longer runs. Water temperatures should be
cool, but not too cold. The densest populations of Sulfer emergers are
most often observed in areas where water clarity is high. Sulfer
emergers are quite vulnerable for a considerable amount of time prior
to actually hatching into adult duns. Trout can easily nab these poor
swimmers as they struggle to shed their nymphal shuck. Sulfer emergers
frequently get trapped or “hung in their shuck,” failing to discard it
completely. As a result of this failed emergence, they are exposed as
food to hungry trout, making the emerger life stage of the Sulfer
important to understand and imitate.
About the Tyer: Bob Brooks
Throughout
the history of fly fishing, river keepers have played a large role in
assuring the safety and health of aquatic ecosystems that provide
lively environments for trout. River keepers have also played key roles
throughout the history of fly fishing in the development of new and
effective fly fishing techniques, equipment, and flies. Bob Brooks was
one of these river keepers. For several years, Brooks was a staple at
Hot Creek Ranch in California’s Eastern Sierra, where he held the title
of (you guessed it) river keeper.
While guiding clients along
and tending to the long, meandering stretches Hot Creek’s
dry-fly-fishing only section, Brooks was able to develop a new and
wickedly effective approach to stalking wary fish, as well as a line of
fly patterns designed to target selective trout that feed on emergent
mayflies, rather than winged adults. Today, the Brooks’ Sprout Emerger
suite of fly patterns are fished heavily and with success throughout
the world.
Brooks continues to fish heavily in the Yellowstone
region of Montana, throughout Northern California, and wherever else he
can travel with a fly rod. Brooks is a proud member of the Signature
Tyer program at Umpqua Feather Merchants where he designs flies for
production and distribution to anglers fishing fly water in all corners
of the globe.
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.”