How to Tie the Sulphur Dun Dry Fly

Learn how to tie the Sulphur Dun dry fly pattern, including step-by-step instructions, a video tutorial, pictures, and much more. Improve your fly-tying skills here.

There are many versions of this fly out there. I found 4 in Flies for Trout by Stewart and Allen. This particular pattern was designed by George Harvey, Penn State fishing instructor and author of Techniques of Trout Fishing and Fly Tying. I think this fly dates to the 1930s. Sulphur Mayflies are small so sizes 14 -18 are usually appropriate.

Material List

• Hook: TMC 100 size 14
• Thread: Danville's 6/0 in White
• Tail: Fibers from a Whiting Dry Fly Cape in Ginger
• Body: Superfine Dubbing in Light Cahill (Pale Yellow)
• Wing: Whiting Hen Cape in Cream
• Hackle: Whiting Dry Fly Cape in Cream
• Whiting Dry Fly Cape in Medium Barred Ginger

Step One

Secure your thread with a jam knot about one eye's length behind the eye. Then wrap backward until you're just in front of the hook's point and trim the excess thread. This creates the base for tying in the fly's wings.

Step Two

Select two hen feathers from near the base of the neck, then measure them to be roughly the length of the hook shank. Now put them together so that the shiny side is facing one another and they splay out and tie them in on top of the hook shank. Tying both wings in at the same time makes this much easier than doing one at a time.

Step Three

Now trim the excess material from your wings and advance your thread in front of the wings. Once there, build up a small thread dam to position the wings upright.

Step Four

Wrap your thread rearward until you're at the hook's barb. Then select a feather from a dry fly cape with fibers that are as long as the hook shank and are quite stiff, as this will help keep your fly riding upright. Once you have a feather selected, strip off a bunch of fibers and tie them in right above the hook's barb; instead of trimming the excess, wrap your thread over it all the way up the shank to create a smooth underbody for your dubbing.

Step Five

Apply a bit of dubbing to your thread and wrap it up the hook's shank to form the body. You want nice even wraps to create the body, and be sure to leave a small space behind the wings to tie in the hackle.

Step Six

Select a cream and barred ginger hackle feather that matches the size of your hook--be sure to get two feathers that are the same size so as to not disrupt the fly's profile. Once you have your feathers, prepare them by removing some of the fibers at the stem, then tie them in behind the wings and then advance your thread in front of the wings.

Step Seven

These hackles will be wrapped one at a time. So start with whichever feather is closest to the wings, in our case, it's the barred ginger. Take a few wraps behind the wings and a few in front, then tie off and trim the excess. Repeat this exact process for the other feather.

Step Eight

Take a few wraps of thread behind the hook eye to form a small head, then tie your thread off with a whip finish and trim the excess.

Step Nine

Finish the fly with just a drop of head cement.

The Sulphur Dun is now complete and is ready for the next hatch of sulphurs that you encounter--George Harvey really hit the nail on the head with this pattern and it's one that you should carry for the duration of the sulphur season.