DTAA Committee member and ecologist John Harrington has noticed good hatches of hawthorn flies around at the moment, great fishing when they’re blown onto the water.

John’s tying for hawthorn (first picture):

Hook b160 size 12,

Thread black uni 8,

Body tied black 3 pheasant fibres tied half way round bend, fine silver wire reverse tied over.

Thorax black ostrich,

Legs 4 black pheasant tail fibres,

Wing white Antron or wing tips, black hackle on front. Fished dry, now just wait and watch

DTAA membership secretary and top fly tier Justin Clarke also shared this pattern (second picture):

Justin calls this his Bibio Hawthorn (he uses that term loosely!) He’s tied a few short runner legs under the wing and finds that on the top dropper it can be effective at this time of year stirring up the surface when no fish are visible.

12 hook,

Body black peacock dubbing, fine silver rib.

4 Sili legs, black with a red fleck, red dubbed thorax, starling wing and black hackle.

Thanks for sharing John and Justin. Tight lines.