Tying (and fishing) the Snowshoe Sulphur dry fly

A very buoyant version of a sulphur mayfly, created to be able to fish as the top fly in a dry/dropper rig.
Hook: #12-16 dry fly
Thread: Yellow or cream
Tail: White hackle fibers
Body: Yellow or cream dubbing
Wing: Snowshoe hare foot fur
Hackle: White dry fly
** Some of the popular books used on this channel: **
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Valla's "Tying and Fishing Bucktails..." 2016, amzn.to/3Jg2Mys
Valla's "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3DmYOjJ
Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Hughes, "Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters," amzn.to/3HC2jpc
Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," amzn.to/34Q15mp
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Dick Stewart's, "Flies for Bass and Panfish," 1992, amzn.to/3aGpFs1
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. Thanks for stopping by.

[@tompeterson559]

Thanks for the fun story! I stepped of a rock I was fishing from into a six foot deep pool once. It was the only time that day that people on the trail next to me stopped to watch. I didn't have any trouble getting out, but man was it embarassing! Nice fly, and I like the indicator addition!

[@bcon900]

At least people stopped and watched. I was fishing in the smokies, little river. Btw Savage Flies S mokie Mountian. Series was what I tied and fished. Anyway a car stopped in the bend i was fishing. If you have been there you know the bend. Anyway she stopped for a photo op and motioned me to shoo out of the way. Really, I'm trying to fish here !

[@tomt5176]

G’morning Matt. Thanks for the chuckle this morning, we’ve all been there too. A wading staff comes in handy as a depth gauge just as for balance, sorry. If you stayed, you’d be slinging wet flies only! Always good to keep a towel and dry clothes in your kit. Oh, and great little fly pattern, works great all around the East coast. C u next time.

[@melchurch3019]

I always like to see you using snowshoe hare fur. Great floatation and buggy appearance. I've taken one step too far many times but never totally filled my waders. It's a rude awakening.

[@jamesvatter5729]

We've probably all had that one step too many, Matt. Fortunately for you, it didn't fill your chest waders with glacier water. That was a wild ride I wasn't laughing about at the time.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh no Jim! I can't imagine that. The air temp yesterday morning was in the 60s, and the water was low 50s. But it felt shockingly cold! I did keep fishing for a little while, but I was probably wading about 50 pounds heaver with all the water in my waders. :-)

[@ybarrajc]

Thanks for sharing Matt. Glad all you got was wet. Have blessed day my friend.

[@ZacharyBobbie1611]

Good morning Matt!!! Thank you for sharing this video! I just got done a double, so I know what I am going to watch during breakfast! Tight lines!!! 😎🎣

[@SavageFlies]

Awesome! I always appreciate it my friend. :-)

[@toddslichter7831]

Good times filling one's waders. Blessing you were not in fast water. Wader belts are essential. Thanks for sharing, Matt. Stay safe...r.

[@SavageFlies]

Yes!! I realized when walking back with both my booties filled with water that my belt wasn't tight enough. And yep, it was slow water. If it was too fast I wouldn't have risked trying to cross there. I'm crazy sometimes but don't want to get swept downstream! :-)

[@SveninColorado]

Twenty years ago+/- I was fishing the North Fork of the Big Thompson, early morning in late June. I stepped into a deep hole in a stretch I thought I knew...filled my hip waders with icy water! What a wake up call. Luckily, we were staying at my wife's family cabin nearby. I was back on the river in a couple hours. She still reminds me of that episode. Welcome to the Baptism by Trout Stream !!! I think I could use this basic pattern tied like a light version of a Blue Winged Olive. That might work along the Thompson later in the season. Might have to tie a few just to try it out.

[@SavageFlies]

Absolutely Stephen! Change the colors and it could be any number of mayflies. And BTW, your package left the post office on Friday. I expect you'll get it in a couple of days.

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. Good looking mayfly pattern. Too bad your fishing day was cut short. I’m just having my morning ☕️and then I’m headed out to see if the Rainbows are going to cooperate today. Want to be on the road before 7. Taking some dry flies with me but I’m thinking it’s going to be a scud day. Take care Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it John! I had my alarm set for 4am but woke up early and was on the road by 3:30. I was the first one on the river at sunrise, but you couldn't find a parking space when I left about 9:00. I hope the rainbows were cooperative for you! Have a great week my friend. :-)

[@brianferguson9483]

Sweet looking fly, be careful out there, bud 😊

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah! I'm sure I was a site walking through Walmart buying some dry clothes for the long drive home. :-)

[@davehall2160]

Falling in is definitely not fun. I've done that too many times. Gorgeous looking fly and fish Thanks for the video, Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Dave!

[@markfritch3168]

Glad you enjoyed the river and pretty fish. I wish I could say that I’ve never gone too deep for my waders. Last time for me was duck hunting in January. Spent two hours drying out in my truck before rejoining my grandson and son in law. Now I take extra clothes for quickening my return 😂

[@markfritch3168]

Is a yellow sally fly representing the same bug?

[@SavageFlies]

I hear you Mark! I used to keep a bag of dry clothes in my truck at all times, but never got around to moving it over when I got a new truck last fall. So after cutting this trip short, I stopped by Walmart and got some dry clothes for the long drive home. And to your question, no, a Yellow Sally is a stonefly. They usually have a down wing out of something like deer or elk hair.

[@johnnylightning1491]

Nice simple but I'm sure pretty effective fly Matt. I like the fishing video at the end, it makes it interesting. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Dave! Got your email too. I do love reading all the comments but it can take several hours to keep up with them and answer everybody. I do need to try harder though. Thanks for the reminder my friend. :-)

[@jeffreystone7327]

Very nice looking fly Matt. Thank you. Again the additional footage of you fishing is in my opinion, an excellent idea. You are truly blessed with some incredible waters and beautiful fish in your area. Loving this new format. We know it’s extra work when you have to go fishing 😅. But we sure enjoy your efforts. Fish on my friend.

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you Jeff! I've been trying to include fishing clips whenever I have them. Of course I go fishing a lot more in the spring than I do in the winter. :-)

[@jeffreystone7327]

@@SavageFlies I understand that. Neither of us are in great winter time fishing areas. Maryland and Wisconsin, burr.

[@frankmonroe8320]

Going over my hippers was one of the scariest times I ever had all alone on a stream. I thought I'd never make it out. Glad you did!

[@SavageFlies]

My scariest time was in December on the Oconoluftee in Tennessee. It was only waist deep but the current was so strong I could barely turn around to make it back. I was moving about an inch at a time. With my wading staff! Usually I'm more careful. :-)

[@thomaswalls123]

Great fly, I love working with Snowshoe. I've filled my waders too, that's why I use a wading staff now. So I can tell how deep it's getting.

[@SavageFlies]

Yes! I didn't think I was going to need my staff so it was still in the truck. And honestly, I probably didn't need it. I was just trying to cross where I shouldn't have been!

[@mikeney5113]

Great looking pattern matt.thanks my friend

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mike!

[@diecastrejuvenation7779]

Good looking fly there. Nice to see I'm not alone in taking that one step to far! Haha, hate when that happens!

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah Troy. It was surprisingly deeper than it looked!

[@bigdaddy99929]

Another great tie Matt. Thank you!

[@Grouse2275]

Nice pattern and definitely one to tie….. I might clip the bottom for finicky trout and/or slower water….. a keeper for sure……

[@SavageFlies]

Well I appreciate this comment! I actually did some streamside surgery on a different sulphur pattern this past weekend. I wanted a dry fly to ride more down in the surface film so I did exactly as you mention and even thinned the tail out by about half. It worked like a charm. :-)

[@andrewwebster13]

Grouse haha …. Oh, you mean like every other flyfisherman in the world…. Dots dots ……. More dots. What’s your next tip gonna be use floatant. Genius. Here’s a real tip don’t give away your fishing spots. That’s always been rule number one.

[@FlyTyer1948]

Great idea on using the snowshoe for the wing. Looks good & effective! This fly would be excellent on the Penobscot, especially in the gorge. Fall in? Never! Lol. After my first swim, I always kept a change of clothes in the car & almost all of my fishing buddies did the same - for good reason.

[@SavageFlies]

Yes indeed Bob! I used to keep an "in case I fall in" bag in the truck. I just hadn't needed it in a few years and never moved it over when I got my most recent truck. I've got to fix that now. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

Nice sulphur pattern Matt. That snowshoe wing really makes it for me, I love the look as well as the function. When you showed the thick padding on the foot I wondered if Dr Scholl studied that hare's sole . I think there's a lot to be said for bright yellow being attractive to fish. Sorry for your misstep. I took a header once while wet wading a river below a dam. My foot got stuck in some rebar laden rip-rap and down I went into the current. Luckily the current helped me right myself. Still, it cost me a trip to the ER for stitches. Thanks for showcasing your beautiful rivers. 🐰👍

[@SavageFlies]

Oh man, that sounds like a memory! I'm usually more careful, and seriously cautious in the winter time. When thinking about crossing a rough stretch, I always ask myself, "If I fall in right now, is my fishing day over?" If the answer is yes, I'll go around. If it's no, sometimes I'll risk it. And oh yeah, for the last five years or so I've kept a "in case I fall in" bag of dry clothes in the truck. But somehow it didn't make it from my old truck to a new one I bought last fall. And man, I needed it yesterday. So before the two hour drive home, I made a pitstop at the Walmart for some dry clothes. Anyway, great note on the fly. I do love snowshoe hare, just don't seem to use it that often. Maybe I should. :-)

[@jimholland1592]

Good morning ☕️☕️ Matt, I was just about to say that water looks like I could navigate it. I know that was a cool dip and a hate that for ya. As I get heal up that is a beautiful place. And would love for you to show me that water. And cool bug😉👍

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Jim! And yes, it is a beautiful place. Way more crowded than the Savage, and the fish typically aren't as big. When you're back at it 100% you have GOT to make a trip out to the farm with me. :-)

[@richardjones2129]

G'Mornin Matt. Nice scenery n pretty colorful brownie. Thanks for the inspiration for a fly I need for a favorite lake I go to. The snow has melted and was able to make it in there ystrdy. The fish were feed on very light color flies. The same as on Christmas day when I took a trip upcountry b4 the heavy snows closed the road. They were a might bigger, so I'm thinking 12 and 14 should fill the bill. During the summer they love an Adam's in Grey and black later in the season. The Grey is always a good bet. Thanks for sharing n I enjoy the voyeuristic fishing with you. God Bless n Fish on! 🐟

[@SavageFlies]

Well thank you for the kind words Richard! And I agree, the Adams, or any plain dull gray mayfly pattern works in all kinds of situations. And looks like almost all bugs. :-)

[@stankosick4558]

Matt, I was there in roughly the same spot early May this year. Nice fish. I am sure only a handful of those wading never filled their waders. I mean I have become better at not doing it but I am good for a dip in the drink once every couple of years.

[@dalelinton7716]

Matt, great looking fly! Welcome to the club. I took a swim a few Octobers ago--COLD!

[@SavageFlies]

Haha! At least it wasn't freezing out yesterday. But still, wet clothes isn't fun. :-)

[@huntingmissouri5420]

Good looking bug! Lol wellim glad your not hurt or anything, be careful out there Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Franky! It was slow water so I wasn't in danger of getting swept downstream, but it was shockingly cold. :-)

[@TheCopperVillageAngler]

Nothing like a cold, wet, unexpected step to cool fishing enthusiasm! Nice fly! Thanks for the video!

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah! I appreciate the note my friend. :-)

[@burtonbrocious171]

Morning matt nice sulphur pattern beautiful river I heard of the gunpowder but never saw it tight lines my friend 😊

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Burt! It's definitely a nice river, but on a sunny Saturday in the spring, it can get crowded! Probably because it's only about an hour outside of both Baltimore and DC. But still, a fun place to fish and if you can make it on a weekday, you'll have a lot of the water to yourself.

[@jeffjackson5331]

Neat looking fly.

[@harryjoesather6539]

THANKS MATT.

[@gregleak5134]

Matt I once had a fall season that if I didn't get wet I couldn't catch a fish. It became so bad that I just started off by a self inflected soker just to get rid of the bad juju. Greg in Jefferson city mo

[@AlAraujo-zr2nh]

Great fly. Sorry your fishing got cut short, been soaked a few times myself. Have a great day!

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Al! And I agree. If you don't get wet every now and then, you're not fishing often enough. :-)

[@BeyerOutdoors]

Thank you for sharing & explaining.

[@neilcox2739]

Hi Matt, sorry to miss you at the GP this morning. I nearly fished York Rd but went Monkton instead. Caught on a sedge dry fly though. All the best!

[@SavageFlies]

Bummer! I was the first one there about 6:30, but by 9am, it was already getting crowded. I guess that's a Saturday on the Gunpowder for you.

[@neilcox2739]

@@SavageFlies I fished just 6-8am with no other souls seen! Next time!!

[@cheflexx778]

Fly fishing baptism. 😂

[@SavageFlies]

No kidding Alex! I think I take a dip about once a year somewhere. :-)

[@edwardmlotkiewicz2343]

I was just up in Maryland and fished the Gunpowder last Wednesday by York Road .It was a beautiful day but the fish were fussy. I used some sulfur nymphs since the sulfur hatch was very sparse and small. I was using my bamboo 5weight.

[@SavageFlies]

We must have fished some of the same stretch Ed! And you're right- those fish are always fussy. I imagine there would have been more bugs out if I had stayed into the afternoon when it got warmer. But bonehead me didn't have any dry clothes in the truck!

[@edwardmlotkiewicz2343]

Matt, I fished early in the morning until about 1 PM that day. Worked hard for three small browns. It was a magnificent day.

[@gladsaxbrax-yd4rq]

nice fisher hat,,

[@bcon900]

I'm going to tie this one. Abit a deviation in color my snowshoe hare is cream. I think I'll use a light brown body. Maybe I can gleen out some lighter color fur to make a sulfur.

[@SavageFlies]

Go for it! I think you'll find that a natural/cream hare's foot does end up looking pretty white on the fly.

[@andrewwebster13]

I like using white turkey flats for the wings

[@Grouse2275]

Well then it’s not this pattern….. pointless comment really…..

[@andrewwebster13]

Well, then hahahaha who says that? Do you have Mr. Roger sweaters too? You sound like a grandma. Your comment on here was trim the hackle? Nice contribution, bud. You sound like a keyboard fisherman.

[@soundbwoikilla764]

I love the sulphur hatch but hate that most of the time I can't see my fly or it gets drowned quickly. A few weeks back I was hopping up over small a plunge pool waterfall and slipped and took the full brunt of the waterfall into the front of my waders. Fortunately it wasn't deep and warm enough to keep fishing. Would have been game over in Feb or March.

[@SavageFlies]

I hear you! I'm much more careful in the winter months. :-)

[@briangoddard9791]

Morning Matt, coffee time! Great pattern my friend, great video. You’re not auditioning for the “ dropper” role are you?

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! Thanks for the note. :-)

[@dennismutz8221]

I think we've all taken that one step to many. Loo

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah! I'm glad I wasn't recording at the time. Would have heard plenty of four letter words. :-)

[@thomasstewart3173]

Looks similar to your EZ Sulphur. Is there much difference between Antron/Z-lon and the Snowshoe Hare wing shown here?

[@SavageFlies]

It is very much Thomas! It's going to fish very similar, but the snowshoe hair is going to be much more buoyant. But if you're tying it down to 16 or 18s, it's hard to get natural hair on it. So the small ones I do cheat and use the synthetic wing. Of course, the really small ones I'm not going to try and hang a nymph off it.

[@MyItalians]

Morning Matt. Question. What wax do you use?

[@evilmothericebearkillerbir6016]

if you never got your knickers wet fishing you never bin fishing

[@SavageFlies]

Yes indeed! I'm usually more careful in the winter time though. :-)

[@FlyTyer1948]

lol.