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Dry fly

Pink Albert

Short answer

The Pink Albert is a dry fly that imitates epeorus albertae mayfly duns. It is usually tied in sizes 14 to 18. Fish it summer, particularly evenings, on western freestone rivers. Dead drift to working fish on fine tippet. A pale mayfly with a distinctly pink cast, and a western evening hatch that anglers reliably fish the wrong color for.

Dry fly Intermediate #14-#18

Pink Albert — 2 of hearts from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description
2 of hearts · Dry Fly in the deck

Imitates Pink Albert mayfly (Epeorus albertae); effective Western PMD variant.

Printed on the 2 of hearts

The Pink Albert is Epeorus albertae, a summer mayfly of western rivers whose body carries an unmistakable pink or salmon tint. It is often lumped in with the Pale Morning Duns hatching around the same time, which is exactly the mistake that gets anglers refused: the sizes are similar, the timing overlaps, and the color is not the same.

It matters because these hatches can be dense and the fish get a long look. When trout are working steadily during a summer evening and a good PMD imitation is being ignored, the pink body is very often the missing variable.

It hatches in the warmer parts of the day and into the evening, and like most Epeorus species the emergence happens close to the riverbed, with duns arriving at the surface already able to fly. That makes the surface window short and the emerger stage disproportionately important.

What does a Pink Albert imitate?

Epeorus albertae mayfly duns.

How do you fish a Pink Albert?

Dead drift to working fish on fine tippet. Because the duns leave the surface quickly, an emerger fished in the film often outproduces the dun.

When should you fish a Pink Albert?

Summer, particularly evenings, on western freestone rivers.

What are the quick tips for fishing it?

  • If a PMD imitation is being refused during a summer evening, try the pink.
  • Carry the emerger — the duns do not sit on the water long.
  • Match the tint, not just the size.

How is a Pink Albert tied?

  • Hook: standard dry fly, #14-#18
  • Tail: light dun Microfibbets
  • Body: pale pink or salmon dubbing
  • Wing: light dun poly or hackle tips
  • Hackle: light ginger

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

Parachute Adams — King of diamonds from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Salmonfly — King of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Yellow Sally — Queen of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description March Brown — 8 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description

The physical version

Pink Albert is 2 of hearts 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.

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