The PMDs

Harriman Ranch on the Henry's Fork, cropped from a larger image by Ian Forbes

Part I of Eric Austin's "Henry's Fork Flies": The PMDs

As Mike Lawson explains in his book Fly Fishing the Henry’s Fork, "The Pale Morning Dun (PMD) is the crank that turns the wheel on the mayfly hatches of the Henry’s Fork.". The flies below represent the PMD in various stages of development. There are many popular imitations of each stage; I’ve picked ones that I think will be of the most interest.

--Eric Austin

PMD Nymph

Hook: TMC 200R nymph hook, sizes 16-20
Thread: Yellow 8/0
Tail: Three Wood Duck fibers
Ribbing: Fine Gold Wire
Abdomen: PMD Super Fine Dubbing
Thorax: Same as Abdomen
Wing Case: Olive CDC
Legs: Partridge

Note: This sample follows the pattern that was sent to me by the House of Harrop. The pattern in Rene's article "Pondering PMDs" had a Yellow-olive Marabou abdomen (wrapped as herl), Yellow-olive Caddis Emerger dubbed thorax, and a Brown-olive Marabou wing case and back, with Partridge legs. It was tied on a dry fly hook.

Half Wing Emerger

Hook: TMC 200R, sizes 16-20
Thread: Yellow 8/0
Tail: Three Wood Duck fibers
Ribbing: Gold Wire
Abdomen: PMD Super Fine Dubbing
Legs: Wood Duck fibers
Wing: Mallard Quill slips
Thorax: Same as Abdomen

Note: This is an interesting pattern with which I was unfamiliar. The recipe is from the House of Harrop.

Harrop's Model A Emerger

Hook: TMC 206BL, sizes 16-20
Thread: Yellow 8/0
Tail: Three Wood Duck fibers, ½ body length
Rib: Fine Copper Wire
Abdomen: Rusty olive Caddis Emerger dubbing
Thorax: Yellow Fine Natural dubbing
Legs: CDC fibers, ¾ body length
Wing case: Yellow-dyed mallard CDC bubble
Head: CDC wing butts, trimmed behind hook eye.

Note: This recipe is as described in the article "Pondering PMDs". However, the example in the photo uses a dun wing case (bubble), as did the version that was sent to me by House of Harrop.

Harrop's PMD Last Chance Cripple

Hook: Standard Dry Fly, sizes 16-20
Thread: Yellow 8/0
Tail: Sparse rust Caddis/Emerger dubbing over three wood-duck fibers.
Abdomen: Rust goose or turkey biot.
Thorax: PMD Super Fine Dubbing
Wing: Dun CDC angled over the hook eye.
Hackle: Yellow dyed grizzly

Note: Last Chance is the name of the town near the Harriman State Park where we do most of our fishing. It has one pay phone, and it hasn’t worked in three years. There are no plans to repair it.

PMD No Hackle Dun

Hook: Standard Dry Fly, sizes 16-20
Thread: Yellow 8/0
Tail: Four to six hackle fibers or microfibbets tied split
Body: PMD Super Fine dubbing
Wings: Mallard quills mounted on the sides of body, in an upright fashion.

Note: Mike Lawson’s video "Tying Flies for Spring Creeks and Tailwaters" has a good tutorial on the tying of this difficult fly.

Harrop's Rusty Paraspinner

Hook: Standard Dry Fly, sizes 16-20
Thread: Yellow 8/0
Tail: Light dun hackle
Abdomen: Rust Goose biot
Thorax: Rust Super Fine dubbing
Wing Post: Paired white CDC feathers, trimmed 1/3 the body length
Hackle: Oversized grizzly parachute, trimmed over the hook eye to form a fan-shaped spent wing.

Note: Bonnie Harrop created this pattern to enhance the visibility of the traditional rusty spent-wing pattern.

Rusty Biot Spinner

Hook: Standard Dry Fly, sizes 16-20
Thread: Rusty Brown 8/0
Abdomen: Rusty Brown Goose Biot
Thorax: Rusty Brown Super Fine dubbing
Wing: Hen hackle tied spent

Note: This is a very important pattern to have at the Henry’s Fork.

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