Borcher’s Emerger

This emerger pattern is a variation of the Borcher’s Drake, which is most likely in your fly box already. If it isn’t, it should be, as should the Borcher’s Emerger.

As does the dun, the Borcher’s Emerger can imitate a large number of common mayflies found in Michigan trout rivers and even beyond.  A tier can stock their fly box with patterns from size 8 -16 to imitate: Hendrickson, Mahogany Dun, Great Speckled Olive, March Brown, Brown Drake and Isonychia mayflies. And by changing the colors of the dubbing and wing, you can also use this pattern to imitate other prolific bugs like Sulphurs.

Natural emerger struggling out of its nymphal shuck

Part of an emerger’s allure could be explained by having more body sub-surface, making it easy for fish to see. Or, as a season progresses, trout might be suspect of duns since most anglers use them. After a few hooks ups, they become quite wary.

I combined a few elements of common fly patterns to develop the Borchers Emerger pattern. The “Tilt-Shoot” wing is a variation of a parachute and does a great job of helping keep the fly upright and floating while angling backwards,  providing an accurate profile of the wing. As most new flies can be difficult to master at first, this wing can be tricky, but perseverance will get you there. 

Borchers Emerger Recipe

Hook:               Daiichi 1167 Klinkhamer # 12 (8-16)
Thread:            Uni 6/0 Camel (8/0 in smaller sizes)
Shuck:              Z-Lon – Brown
Body:               Cinnamon Tip Turkey Feather
Wing:               Coastal Deer Hair – Medium
Thorax:            Fine and Dry Dubbing – Rusty Brown
Hackle:             Grizzly Dyed Dun – Dry Fly/Rooster

Tying Instructions

Step 1.  After placing hook into the vise, wrap a base
layer from behind the eye backwards to point shown in photo.

Step 2.  Using a sparse amount of Z-Lon (about half the diameter of a typical strand). Tie in
at the bend/kink just behind the eye and wrap along the hook to just beyond the base layer.

Step 3.  Pull a few strands/fibers (approximately 5 or 6) from the tail
feather and tie the tips in near where the shuck extends backwards.

Step 4.  Advance thread forward to where the bend/kink is and wrap the turkey
feather fibers tightly forming a slightly tapered body towards your thread. Tie off.

Step 5. Select about a wooden matchstick’s diameter of
deer hair and cut, clean and stack/even the tips of the hair.

Step 6. With the tips pointing rearward to about half-way down the body, secure
the deer hair with a few loose wraps and then a tight one.  Too long of tips will result
in the fly tipping over. Too short and it won’t provide the proper wing profile.

Step 7. Pull the butt sections up and place a few thread wraps
against the hair to encourage them upward. Do NOT trim butts.

Step 8.  Prepare a hackle by trimming a few barbs close to the stem.

Step 9.  Tie the hackle at the base of the deer hair so the underside/concave of the feather is facing you.

Step 10. Using a sparse amount of dubbing, dub a tight thorax under and around the deer hair and hackle.

Step 11. Wind a relatively heavy/full hackle wing and tie off.

Step 12. Divide the deer hair tips and butts with your fingers and trim the butts
closely to the hackle. Apply a drop of head cement on the butts and the thread wraps.

Borchers Emerger Fly Pattern and How to Tie