Preston "Bobby" Jennings, a doctor born in Virginia in 1893, was one of
the pioneers of modern American fly fishing and fly tying. In fact,
Jennings is responsible for one of the most productive early season fly
patterns anglers in the Midwestern and Eastern United States have ever
seen.
The American March Brown was designed by Jennings and
published along with several other flies that would become instant
classics in 1935 in his classic, "A Book of Trout Flies." Jennings, who
had a keen sense for observation and the scientific method, designed
the American March Brown after contemplating and studying how light
interacted with flies and how trout may have processed and interpreted
what they saw.
Umpqua's
version of the American March Brown is a fantastic imitation of the
March Brown mayfly in its crippled or adult life stage. Fish it with
confidence, and make Mr. Jennings proud.
Specifications:
- A classic early season mayfly imitation designed by an American fly fishing pioneer, Preston "Bobby" Jennings
- March Brown imitation in the cripple or adult life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Hatches throughout North America occur during early spring (March through May)
- Nymphs are active during the morning and afternoon with rare but sometimes productive activity during the evening hours
- Fish on a dead drift in medium to fast water
- Swinging this fly through faster riffles can be quite effective
- When targeting fish during a prolific hatch, cast upstream and drift through the main current
- Trout feed on these insects with relative ease, so takes can be extremely soft – be ready to set the hook at the slightest twitch
- Using yarn as an indicator can be quite helpful in revealing subtle takes
- This fly’s wing is highly visible, so fish it confidently in fast water!
- SIZE 14
When and Where to Fish the American March Brown
This mayfly
cripple imitation can be fished as either an impressionistic fly
pattern when searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when
matching the hatch. When searching, fish this fly in the
well-oxygenated water of faster riffles and current seams. Fish this
fly pattern throughout the morning and afternoon hours – March Brown
nymphs are strong clingers that tend to be active earlier in the day
and are rarely observed emerging and hatching during the evening hours.
These olive green or dark brown cripples are prolific throughout North
American trout waters and hatches are most common during the heart of
the spring (March through May), giving this species its common name.
These cripples are most vulnerable to feeding trout when hung in the
shuck during their awkward and relatively long emergence to adult duns.
Look for March Brown emergers in faster riffles and current seams, and
be ready to nearby areas of slower flow rates as nymphs will move to
calmer water to emerge and hatch.
How to Fish the American March Brown
These
aquatic insects are not very strong swimmers, but are incredibly strong
clingers. They are commonly found in early spring on trout water across
North America, so it’s quite common to turn a rock over in the
springtime to find a prolific population of flat-bodied March Brown
nymphs clinging to the safety of the debris around them. Because these
mayfly nymphs are commonly found in the highest energy segments of
river environments and aren’t strong swimmers, fly anglers will find
the most success presenting this cripple imitation on a dead drift
through fast water and the medium paced currents adjacent to it. Look
for well-oxygenated riffles, runs, and current seams, make an upstream
cast and mend, and drift the fly through the main current. Traditional
wet fly swinging techniques through fast water and well-defined current
seams can also be highly effective when fishing with a March Brown
cripple. Fly anglers will occasionally find success when dead drifting
a March Brown cripple through shallower, slower water next to the
faster riffles and current seams as these bugs tend to seek out lower
energy environments to hatch to adult duns. Because March Browns are so
vulnerable during emergence and when crippled, trout feed on them with
relative ease, making the use of a strike indicator quite helpful when
March Browns are readily available in the main current.
March Brown
These olive green or dark brown colored,
medium-sized clinging nymphs are loved throughout North America for
their prolific early-season hatches in fast water. March Browns in the
nymph stage are easily identified by their wide and extremely flat
bodies, broad heads, large upward-looking eyes, and three long tails.
These insects follow the common life cycle of mayflies and thrive in
the rocky substrate of well-oxygenated and rapidly moving aquatic
systems. They are prolific in very fast riffles, current seams, and the
lower energy areas below and near these high energy environments. March
Browns emerge to adult duns during the morning and afternoon hours of
the early portion of the season (March through May). As winged adults
these mayflies display characteristic speckled wings, banded abdomens,
low-profile heads, and long twin tails. The March Brown’s wide
distribution and long hatches make this a favorite offering of fly
anglers itching to fish the early season action after a long winter of
fly tying, rod-building, and dreaming of fly fishing.
March Brown Cripple Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these flat-bodied clingers are quite common in
the rocky substrate of high energy aquatic environments of good
clarity. Because their swimming ability is quite weak and their
clinging ability is of such great strength, these olive green to dark
brown colored nymphs are at their most vulnerable when leaving the
safety of their rocky homes to emerge to adult duns. For the bulk of
their time in the larval stage, March Browns are not available to
feeding trout, and are thus quite important to feeding trout in their
emerger and cripple life stage. March brown cripples are most
effectively fished in the moderate to high energy environments of
riffles, runs, and current seams during and after emergence. Just prior
to hatching these awkward-swimming mayfly nymphs will gear up to make
an adventurous trip to the surface film to emerge to winged adults,
often moving gingerly to nearby sections of slower water. Fishing
cripples through these slower patches can yield big time results. March
Browns hatch throughout the United States during early spring (March
through May) and are considered one of the best early season hatches on
many of North America’s best fly water. Nymphs and emergers are active
throughout the morning and afternoon when a hatch is on, so it never
hurts the early season angler to stock some March Brown cripples in
their fly box.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As
you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality
hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local
fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At
Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first class
fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The
idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back
in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known
for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each
year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize
how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”
