Hackle Stacker Borcher's Drake - Fly Tying Tutorial

The Borcher's Drake is a staple in Northern Michigan fly boxes and works wonders imitating dark colored mayflies such as our Hendricksons, March Browns, Mahoganies, Isonychias, and more! This hackle-stacker version mixes things up using the same core materials to create a slightly different profile to show picky trout.

MATERIALS LIST

TOOLS USED:

TYING NOTES:

This pattern will test your dexterity and can make you feel like a puppet master. If you want conserve your nice hackle I would practice using the post with a junk feather on a blank hook. This way you can develop the hand motions without worrying about a ruined fly. Besides this portion, the fly is pretty friendly to tie. Omit the CDC if you want to improve your production time. I typically include it as it's easy to trim away on the water if unwanted.

FISHING NOTES

This is a fly I've started to carry more and more the past few years. I truly think showing fish a slightly different profile can make the difference on pressured water. Through our mid-day and evening hatches, this fly is actually more visible on the water than you might think. I' prefer to use powder floatant applied with a brush instead of gel to this fly due to the CDC. Match your tippet size to the hook and make sure you give plenty of slack for a clean drift and hang on!

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