Hares ear Soft Hackle?
It doesnt really matter to me. The March Brown is a fly for all seasons.
I tied up a few dozen Sexy Walt nymphs. I had the Hares mask dubbing already to go. The Mylar ribbing was sitting there in plain view, and I had a bag of juvenile Hen Pheasant feathers sitting on the desk. Sadly, I lost these in my freezer many years ago, and only recently found them. No, not my wife's freezer. The freezer where I keep my beer in the fridge next to it. Kind of a man cave appliance.
Back to the March Brown. I can honestly say I have never seen an actual March Brown insect. In early Spring the March Brown is deadly on the waters I fish. In my mind I believe they are taking it as a Caddis. The rest of the year I can nymph it. I can use it as an attractor. Many times it is the soup du jour. The pattern the fish are keying on. In late Spring through out the Summer it can be, and is deadly when I swing it down and across.
As I sat down and transitioned from the Sexy Walts to the March Browns I asked myself why I liked this type of pattern. Is it better than the Partridge and Peacock, the Yellow Spiders I like? Is it better than the ugly Muskrat I use so often? I had been pondering this for a few hours. No answer came to me.
The flies had been finished and were stuck to a magnet that is glued to one of the lamps I use. I keep them there until I can get a flybox to put them in. I retrieved the box I wanted to put them in from the garage. I opened the box and scanned for a row where I wanted to place them. I noticed I had about 6 varieties of March Brown soft hackles in the box. Maybe one or two flies of each pattern. I did not have a eureka moment, but it did dawn on me as to why this type of pattern is different than the afore mentioned flies. I tie this pattern with different thread, thread colors, ribbing and hackle all the time. For me it does not matter if I use Partridge, grouse, hen pheasant, or hen chicken hackle. It does not matter if I use Uni, UTC, Veevus, or Danville thread. It does not matter if I use Black, Red, Orange, Brown, or yellow thread. It does not matter if I use copper, French Tinsel, or mylar as a rib. As long as the body is Hares Mask, I know I will catch fish with it.
The Peacock and Partridge is just that. Peacock and Partridge. The ugly Muskrat I use and love only works for me when tied with a Brown hen hackle. The Spider type flies I use and love so much, are only successful for me when I use Partridge on them. The March Browns I tie have never had to be so specific.
Just some ramblings on this 1st day of the year. It is time to tie some Code Red PT nymphs. Drink some beer, and sip bourbon.
Happy New Years from Western Colorado.
Oh yes. My comments are opinion only. I do not have one lick of data to support one darn thing I just said.
Time to concentrate on some Code Red PT nymphs
