Kern Emerger

Kern Emerger, Pink

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Tying Instructions

1. Attach the thread behind the eye and lay a thread foundation to the bend of the hook.

2. Clip a segment of black dyed Deer Hair from the hide. Clean the underfur and even the tips in a Hair Stacker. The length of the tail should be one shank length. Measure this from behind the hook eye to the bend of the hook which is just above the barb. This will be the tail tie-in position. Secure witha couple of wraps at the tie-in position.

3. Secure the hairs with some loose wraps forward to control the flare.Then, progressively, apply tighter wraps until the hair butts are secured and trimmed at mid-shank.

4. Wrap back to the bend of the hook with tight wraps until you get close to the tail tie-in location, then loosen the wraps to keep from flaring the material. Then, wrap back to the mid-point of the shank.

5. Secure a copper wire ribbing at the bottom of the hook shank in front of the tail.

6. Wrap a tapered body with the Quick Descent dubbing to the midpoint of the shank. This will be the foundation for the herl body. Quick Descent dubbing can be a good choice for this as it will help weight the fly to sink.

7. You can bring the thread back to the tail tie-in position so the the herl can be roped around the thread for strength.

8. Next, Secure three herls by the tips to the hook shank and wrap the thread to the tail tie-in position.

9. Wrap the herl to around the thread to form a rope.

10. Wrap the herl rope forward to the midshank and secure with some thread wraps. Trim off the tag ends.

11. Counter wrap the copper ribbing with about 4-5 wraps to the midpoint of the shank and secure. Remove the tag end of the ribbing with a “helicopter” motion that breaks the wire near the thread.

12. Prepare a piece of 1mm closed foam for the wingcase. The foam should be wide enough to cover the top half of the thorax. Attach the foam just behind the eye and secure with thread wraps to the midpoint.

13. Prepare some blended dubbing using Buggy Nymph dubbing and Lightnin’ dubbing. Dub a thick thorax with the blended dubbing.

14. Taper the thorax as you come closer to the hook eye. Have some space on the shank behind the eye to secure the wingcase.

15. Bring the foam tightly over the thorax and secure with thread wraps which also creates a small head.

16. Whip Finish.

17. Use a dubbing brush to pick out the thorax fibers for emerging legs.

18. The finished Kern Emerger.

 

 

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Daiichi 1710 #14-20
Thread	Veevus Black 6/0
Head	Veevus Black 6/0
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Tail	Black Dyed Deer Hair
Underbody	Quick Descent Dubbing Dark Olive
Thorax	Blend 2/3 Mottled Nymph Blend, Light Olive and 1/3 Dark Olive Lightnin Dubbing
Wingcase	Pink colored 1mm Fly Foam
Ribbing	Copper Wire

Guy Jeans

Kern Emerger

Guy Jeans, owner of Kern River Fly Shop, came up with his variation on the Hare’s Ear Nymph with his Kern Emerger in 2004. It has many of the same components as a Hare’s Ear Nymph but utilizes different materials which tend to be more flashy and give additional contrast.

Peacock Herl Body

Guy uses a Peacock Herl body with a black dyed Deer Hair tail. The thorax is a multi-color blend of dubbing that provides both translucency and sparkle. The Poul Jorgensen SLF Blend was popular as the thorax material when this pattern first came out but is now out of production. Other nymph blends work particularly well if a little Lightnin’ Dub is added to the blend. Guy will pick out the fibers to suggest legs or appendages.

Colored Foam Wingcase

The foam wingcase helps lift the upper part of the fly in an ascending motion and also gives the fly a color contrast that evokes attraction for a strike. Wapsi makes a Razor foam which is 1mm thick in a number of colors. This is the perfect thickness for the Kern Emerger. The foam is difficult to find but there is 1mm white foam available that you can mark with a pen to get the color you prefer. The body is formed with an underbody of Quick Descent dubbing and not only provides form but also weight to the pattern.

Two patterns from the 1950’s

Another variation on the Hare’s Ear Nymph is the Lindgren Peacock which was tied by Ira Lindgren in the 1950’s for the Kings River. Ira used black hackle barbs for the tail and a peacock herl body with a gold wire ribbing. Black hackle fibers would be used for a soft collar. The brightly colored wingcase is a “hot spot” that can also be seen on John Atherton’s Medium Nymph tied in 1950. Atherton used an English Kingfisher blue feather for the wingcase. Atherton’s justification for the bright blue is that mayflies often have brilliant accents of color (pink, yellow, blue, violet, etc.) somewhere on the body.  The blue wing case provides that splash of color and makes the fly seem alive to a trout. Guy will utilize a number of colors as well on his Kern Emerger.

Atherton Medium

Lindgren’s Peacock

For additional action, Guy will add rubberlegs. Beadhead patterns use the same thorax material but will not be picked out. A soft hackle of partridge or Brown Hen is used to accomplish the leggy look. The Kern Emerger has been the “goto” fly at the Kern River since he introduced it and has been getting wide acceptance throughout the Sierra.

BH Red Foam Kern Emerger

Hook	Daiichi 1710 #14-20
Thread	Veevus Black 6/0
Head	Copper Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Tail	Black Dyed Deer Hair
Underbody	Quick Descent Dubbing Dark Olive
Thorax	Blend 2/3 Mottled Nymph Blend, Light Olive and 1/3 Dark Olive Lightnin Dubbing
Wingcase	Red 1mm Fly Foam
Legs	Partridge
Ribbing	Copper Wire

BH Pink Foam Kern Emerger

Hook	Daiichi 1710 #14-20
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Hot Pink Dazzle Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Tail	Black Dyed Deer Hair
Underbody	Quick Descent Dubbing Dark Olive
Thorax	Blend 2/3 Mottled Nymph Blend, Light Olive and 1/3 Dark Olive Lightnin Dubbing
Wingcase	Pink colored 1mm Fly Foam
Legs	Natural Brown Henback
Ribbing	Copper Wire

BH Rubberleg Red Foam Kern Emerger

Hook	Daiichi 1710 #14-20
Thread	Copper Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Tail	Black Dyed Deer Hair
Legs	Olive w/Black Flake Crazy Legs
Underbody	Quick Descent Dubbing Dark Olive
Thorax	Blend 2/3 Mottled Nymph Blend, Light Olive and 1/3 Dark Olive Lightnin Dubbing
Wingcase	Red 1mm Fly Foam
Ribbing	Copper Wire