Ordering now Order now

The Reel Deal Deck
Wholesale Order now

Emerger

Barr's Emerger

Short answer

The Barr's Emerger is an emerger that imitates mayfly nymphs and emergers in the film and just below. It is usually tied in sizes 16 to 20. Fish it spring through autumn during mayfly hatches, and immediately before one begins.

Emerger Intermediate #16-#20

Barr's Emerger — 3 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description
3 of clubs · Emerger in the deck

By John Barr, 1970s. Excellent mayfly emerger; often more effective subsurface during hatches.

Printed on the 3 of clubs

John Barr designed this fly in the 1970s and it has quietly outlasted a great deal of flashier competition. It is a simple, slim, soft pattern with a dubbed body, a wingcase and a small thorax, designed to hang in the film at the exact angle a real emerging mayfly does.

Its strength is that it can be fished at several depths and still be right. Greased and drifted in the film it is an emerger; a few inches down it is a nymph rising to hatch; deeper still it passes as an ordinary mayfly nymph. During a hatch, when fish switch between stages minute to minute, that flexibility is worth a great deal.

It is tied in baetis and PMD colorways, which between them cover most mayfly hatches in North America. It is not a fly that looks impressive in a shop bin, and that is generally a good sign.

What does a Barr's Emerger imitate?

Mayfly nymphs and emergers in the film and just below.

How do you fish a Barr's Emerger?

Fish it in the film during a hatch, or as the trailing fly on a nymph rig before one starts. Dead drift, fine tippet, and let it swing up at the end.

When should you fish a Barr's Emerger?

Spring through autumn during mayfly hatches, and immediately before one begins.

What are the quick tips for fishing it?

  • Carry it in both baetis olive and PMD tan.
  • Effective at several depths — change depth before you change flies.
  • No bead. The whole point is that it hangs, not sinks.

How is a Barr's Emerger tied?

  • Hook: standard nymph, #16-#20
  • Thread: olive or tan 8/0
  • Tail: brown hackle fibres
  • Abdomen: dubbing to match the hatch
  • Wingcase and thorax: darker dubbing

Dressings vary by tier and region. Treat this as the common recipe, not the only one.

Caddis Pupa — 5 of spades from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description RS2 — 6 of spades from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Split Case PMD — 4 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Blue Wing Olive Emerger — 2 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description

The physical version

Barr's Emerger is 3 of clubs in the deck.

All 54 flies, drawn by hand, on Genuine Bicycle Rider Back stock with the patented Air-Cushion finish. A reference you can actually deal out — which was rather the point.

Order now See the deck Browse the library