March Brown Spider Pattern

One of my favorite soft hackle patterns to tie since I was a kid is the March Brown spider fly pattern. It is super effective in early June when the March Brown mayflies and other large mayfly drakes are emerging. The pattern works great wet or dry, swinging it as a wet fly or dead drift in the surface film. It is a simple pattern to tie and doesn't take a lot of hard to find materials.

March Brown Spider Pattern

Hook: Mustad #3906, size #6 or #8
Thread: Uni-thread 8/0 Brown
Tail: Woodduck fibers
Body: Hare's Ear Mask dubbing (not too dark)
Rib: French gold oval tinsel
Hackle Collar: Grouse or Partridge (I like English Partridge)