Hornberg Dry

This month’s fly is one of my favorites – the Hornberg Dry. The hornberg is perhaps one of the most versatile flies around. Many have fished a wet hornberg with its grizzly soft hackle and maybe even junglecock eyes The dry version is heavily hackled with a mixed color hackle like the Adams fly. The teardrop shaped wing gives the fly a look like a stonefly or caddis. The fly can also be pulled under on the end of its drift to copy a minnow or emerging insect. It is one of the most effective patterns for drakes in larger sizes and caddis in the smallest sizes. This fly is my first choice for doing the “Kennebago swing” in the tail of a pool or along a seam. I tie it in natural, olive, yellow, brown, and red in sizes 6 – 16. Try out this versatile, Maine favorite next time you are out on the water.

RECIPE
Hook – 94831 6 – 16
Thread – 8/0 to match wing
Body – silver tinsel
Underwing – yellow calftail
Wing – mallard flank feather
Hackle – 1 grizzly and 1 brown feather