Guide
IllustrationPearly Daddy
Dry#10–12pearl / naturalBest: May–Jul
When to use
A favourite dry daddy on Lough Melvin and Lough Mask in May–July, dapped or fished static/dibbled in wave when naturals are blowing onto the water; the pearl body adds flash a plain deer-hair daddy lacks.
Imitates
Adult crane fly (daddy long-legs) — the dry/floating daddy with a bright pearl body.
Team position
Single dry fly, or top dropper/dapping fly on a daddy team.
Best methods
DappingDry, staticDibbled
Dressing
- Hook
- long-shank dry fly, #10–12
- Thread
- black or brown 6/0
- Body
- pearl tinsel or pearl mylar over a deer-hair or foam underbody for flotation
- Hackle
- ginger or red game cock hackle, palmered or as a collar; three pairs of knotted cock-pheasant-tail fibres tied in as legs
- Wing
- hackle-tip or deer-hair wings, sloped back
- Head
- thread head
Designed by Stan Headley for Lough Melvin. Exact commercial recipes vary tyer to tyer; the pearl-tinsel body and knotted pheasant-tail legs are the two constants documented.
Pairs with
Retrieve & line
- Fished dry and static — floating line
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