American March Brown Glider
Fly of the Month 4.26 - American March Brown Glider
An internet search for “glider fly pattern” or “glider fly recipe” yields absolutely nothing related
to fly tying. This is likely because this fly design is deep in the past history and obviously
obscure to our modern world of fly fishing, at least on the internet. A glider is the predecessor to
the parachute.
The glider fly pattern was the first horizonal hackle fly pattern. Dry flies tied "glider style" were
tied and used over 100 years ago before being displaced by the current preferred method of
“parachute style” dry flies. The parachute dry fly was developed in the 1930s, with its origins
traced back to 1932 by Helen Todd, who created the style to imitate natural insects. The only
difference between the two fly pattern designs is the upright and divided wings of the glider fly
pattern versus the wingpost of the parachute fly pattern.
Fly fish the glider exactly as you would a parachute fly. Keep in mind that a glider fly pattern
looks more realistic yet not as highly visible as a parachute fly pattern. The glider is a great
surface film floater but should it start to sink wait a few seconds before recasting because this fly
will also be taken as it drowns.
American March Brown Rhithrogena germanica
Identification of the March Brown dun is quite easy because it is often the only other fly on the
stream during the hatch. The March Brown dun is identified by its 10 mm long dark brown body
with olive bands, two tails, and mottled brown wings. As the day warms, March Brown nymphs
begin to swim to the surface to hatch in short bursts between 11 am and 4 pm. The nymph
transforms into a dun by unfolding its wings and floats on the surface while its wings dry.
Seeing the March Brown Rhithrogena germanica mayfly gracefully floating down the stream
with its wings meticulously drying, makes for a fantastic fishing day. Often duns flutter off the
water in short bursts over a few hours. It’s rare for these bursts to last more than twenty minutes.
Hatches occur from late-spring through late-summer on nutrient rich streams. The March Brown
mayfly hatch typically occurs in late spring, with peak hatching usually happening from late
March to early April. The hatch generally takes place during the warmest part of the day, often in
the early afternoon, when the river temperature is around 57°F.
The dance of the March Brown mayfly is a wonder of nature and represents the harmonious
balance that exists within an aquatic ecosystem. As the mayfly glides across the surface, it
entices the trout to rise and strike, providing anglers with the possibility of a rewarding catch.
The March Brown mayfly starts life as a stone-clinging nymph, thriving in rocky well-
oxygenated waters. These nymphs are found in nutrient rich freestone streams, spring creeks and
chalk streams. The lifecycle of the March Brown is similar to that of most other mayflies:
The nymph crawls out from its underwater habitat and swims to the surface. At the surface, the
nymph emerges from its shuck to transform into a dun. Duns sit on the surface while their wings
dry, then fly off to find cover and mature into a spinner. Once mated, the female spinner flies
upstream and lays eggs by dipping her abdomen onto the surface of the water. She does this
either by landing on the water for short periods or flying just above the water’s surface. Finally,
the spent female spinner falls onto the surface.
The egg-laying stage is usually at the end of the day and thus, is less important to the angler.
Fish take the March Brown fly as it emerges or while it’s waiting for its wings to dry.
The best hatches of March Brown flies occur at the heads of pools fed by oxygenated water and
in the riffle sections of rocky rivers.
Fly of the Month 4.26
American March Brown Glider
Hook: Mustad 94840, Kamasan B170, Standard dry-fly hook
Size: 10, 12, 14
Thread: Olive, 6/0 or 140 denier
Wing: Wood-duck feather, upright & divided
Tail: Brown hackle fibers
Body: Fawn-colored rabbit-fur dubbing
Rib: Gold floss
Hackle: Brown and grizzly hackle, tyed horizontally around wing base
Head: Tying thread.
Directions:
1) Start thread two or three eye lengths back from the eye and wrap tightly to about one third the
distance to the bend.
2)
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
An internet search for “glider fly pattern” or “glider fly recipe” yields absolutely nothing related
to fly tying. This is likely because this fly design is deep in the past history and obviously
obscure to our modern world of fly fishing, at least on the internet. A glider is the predecessor to
the parachute.
The glider fly pattern was the first horizonal hackle fly pattern. Dry flies tied "glider style" were
tied and used over 100 years ago before being displaced by the current preferred method of
“parachute style” dry flies. The parachute dry fly was developed in the 1930s, with its origins
traced back to 1932 by Helen Todd, who created the style to imitate natural insects. The only
difference between the two fly pattern designs is the upright and divided wings of the glider fly
pattern versus the wingpost of the parachute fly pattern.
Fly fish the glider exactly as you would a parachute fly. Keep in mind that a glider fly pattern
looks more realistic yet not as highly visible as a parachute fly pattern. The glider is a great
surface film floater but should it start to sink wait a few seconds before recasting because this fly
will also be taken as it drowns.
American March Brown Rhithrogena germanica
Identification of the March Brown dun is quite easy because it is often the only other fly on the
stream during the hatch. The March Brown dun is identified by its 10 mm long dark brown body
with olive bands, two tails, and mottled brown wings. As the day warms, March Brown nymphs
begin to swim to the surface to hatch in short bursts between 11 am and 4 pm. The nymph
transforms into a dun by unfolding its wings and floats on the surface while its wings dry.
Seeing the March Brown Rhithrogena germanica mayfly gracefully floating down the stream
with its wings meticulously drying, makes for a fantastic fishing day. Often duns flutter off the
water in short bursts over a few hours. It’s rare for these bursts to last more than twenty minutes.
Hatches occur from late-spring through late-summer on nutrient rich streams. The March Brown
mayfly hatch typically occurs in late spring, with peak hatching usually happening from late
March to early April. The hatch generally takes place during the warmest part of the day, often in
the early afternoon, when the river temperature is around 57°F.
The dance of the March Brown mayfly is a wonder of nature and represents the harmonious
balance that exists within an aquatic ecosystem. As the mayfly glides across the surface, it
entices the trout to rise and strike, providing anglers with the possibility of a rewarding catch.
The March Brown mayfly starts life as a stone-clinging nymph, thriving in rocky well-
oxygenated waters. These nymphs are found in nutrient rich freestone streams, spring creeks and
chalk streams. The lifecycle of the March Brown is similar to that of most other mayflies:
The nymph crawls out from its underwater habitat and swims to the surface. At the surface, the
nymph emerges from its shuck to transform into a dun. Duns sit on the surface while their wings
dry, then fly off to find cover and mature into a spinner. Once mated, the female spinner flies
upstream and lays eggs by dipping her abdomen onto the surface of the water. She does this
either by landing on the water for short periods or flying just above the water’s surface. Finally,
the spent female spinner falls onto the surface.
The egg-laying stage is usually at the end of the day and thus, is less important to the angler.
Fish take the March Brown fly as it emerges or while it’s waiting for its wings to dry.
The best hatches of March Brown flies occur at the heads of pools fed by oxygenated water and
in the riffle sections of rocky rivers.
Fly of the Month 4.26
American March Brown Glider
Hook: Mustad 94840, Kamasan B170, Standard dry-fly hook
Size: 10, 12, 14
Thread: Olive, 6/0 or 140 denier
Wing: Wood-duck feather, upright & divided
Tail: Brown hackle fibers
Body: Fawn-colored rabbit-fur dubbing
Rib: Gold floss
Hackle: Brown and grizzly hackle, tyed horizontally around wing base
Head: Tying thread.
Directions:
1) Start thread two or three eye lengths back from the eye and wrap tightly to about one third the
distance to the bend.
2)
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker