In the early spring, from April through May, a dark, steely gray mayfly comes off the water. Ephemerella Subvaria is one of the long-awaited mayfly hatches of the season in most parts of the eastern US. I personally look forward to it all winter long. Because the spring brings swifter water flows and often discoloration, I tie this fly a size larger than most of my adult and emerger mayfly patterns that I use in mid-summer. The same holds true for my March Brown patterns. Typically, a more bushy fly that can float like a cork in a faster current is an early spring staple for my first cold days of fishing in spring creeks. In general, the trout are a little less discriminating when the hatch is on in the very early season. The emerger shown in this entry is tied on the venerable Hanak 300 BL in sizes #14 and #16. This particular hook is somewhat robust, using a “medium” wire, but Hanak hooks generally lean toward heavy-gauge wire, so care has to be taken when dressing these hooks to ach...