Timberline Emerger

• Hook: TMC 3761 #10-18
• Thread: Danville Gray 6/0
• Rib: Medium Copper Wire
• Tail: Gray Marabou (Original: 4-5 strands of Dark Moose Hair)
• Body: Blend of Bleached Aussie Possum and Gray Antron
• Wing: Grizzly Hen Hackle tip
• Legs: Brown Neck Hackle

Notes: The Timberline Emerger was one of the first flies designed by Randall Kaufmann in the mid 1960's. It is named after the numerous timberline lakes that Randall would hike into from the Eastside Sierra areas out of Mammoth and Bishop. Randall felt that he needed a stillwater pattern that would be subsurface and would represent the caddis and mayfly emergers that many of the trout would feed upon just under the surface film. The pattern is actually a hackle wing wet fly. The fly is cast and retrieved with a slow hand twist. This fly continues to be popular throughout the Sierra and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Randall attributes the success of this fly to the natural grizzly wing tips which need to have a good barring and also a wide width that only hen hackles can provide. The wings are tied downward and divided with the curves facing away from each other. The tail was originally 4-5 strands of Dark Moose Hair, Randall replaced this hair with Marabou in the early 1980's since it provided better movement. For the Gray Timberline Emerger, I like to use the natural gray marabou found at the base of Ringtail Pheasant Body feathers. The hackle is is tied sparsely with only 2-3 turns. The fibers are stroked down and swept back secured with thread wraps. The hackle fibers should not extend beyond the hook point.
Many guides consider this a must-have fly for High Sierra lakes with Goldens and Rainbows.

Variations:

• Hook: TMC 3761 #10-18
• Thread: Danville Olive 6/0
• Rib: Medium Copper Wire
• Tail: Olive Marabou (Original: 4-5 strands of Dark Moose Hair)
• Body: Blend of Olive Angora Goat and Olive Haretron
• Wing: Olive Dyed Grizzly Hen Hackle tip
• Legs: Olive Neck Hackle

• Hook: TMC 3761 #10-18
• Thread: Danville Brown 6/0
• Rib: Medium Copper Wire
• Tail: Brown Marabou (Original: 4-5 strands of Dark Moose Hair)
• Body: Blend of Brown Angora Goat and Brown Haretron
• Wing: Brown dyed Grizzly Hackle tip
• Legs: Brown Saddle Hackle

• Hook: TMC 3761 #10-18
• Thread: Danville Tan 6/0
• Rib: Medium Copper Wire
• Tail: Tan Marabou (Original: 4-5 strands of Dark Moose Hair)
• Body: Blend of Natural Aussie Possum and Olive Tan Haretron
• Wing: Brown dyed Grizzly Hackle tip
• Legs: Brown Saddle Hackle