Harrop Hair Wing Green Drake 02/09/2026 Photo Album

For the story on my introduction to the Harrop hair wing green drake check out my post of 12/29/2015. I really enjoyed rereading this recounting of my trip to the Conejos River. This is the third western green drake imitation that I carry in my fly box.

The Harrop hair wing was very effective on the Conejos River, but I cannot say that it has exhibited similar productivity on other western rivers. Of course, I tend to default to it as a third choice, so perhaps it would outperform the other styles, if I gave it more of an opportunity.

Size 14 and 12

Like the comparadun, I find the hair wing difficult to track because of its earth tones. The wing that is slanted back almost reminds be of a stimulator, but the key is to have it angle against the hackle to force it to a more slanted upright position. I think this is important for the effectiveness of the fly. As was the case with the parachute green drake and comparadun, I utilize long moose mane fibers for the tail.

Different Angle

Since I resort to the hair wing less frequently than the other green drake imitations, I did not deplete my supply; and, thus, I did not tie any new versions. Nevertheless, I carry four or five in my green drake box just in case.

Parachute Green Drake 02/08/2026 Photo Album

A click on this link to my 09/11/2012 post, returns you to my first attempt to create a parachute western green drake to mimic the large mayflies that populate many western streams. Every summer I seek these hatches out, as they are my favorite of all the western emergences. The flies are large, and all the trout in the stream seem to tune in when they are prevalent. In fact, I have had decent success weeks after the hatch ended; that is how eager the trout are for the large tasty morsel represented by a western green drake.

Finished Product

This fly has evolved for me over time, so the materials table on the 09/11/2012 post is a bit outdated. After much experimentation I concluded that the moose mane tail is a critical triggering characteristic for this fly, so that remains in my pattern. I retained the maroon rib and the pale olive body, so no change there as well. The biggest modification is the wing. The original pattern called for white calf body, but I substituted white poly yarn such as McFlylon. The McFlylon is much easier to work with than the slippery calf body hair. I am also a proponent of creating a very tall wing. I believe that the large wing is another key triggering feature of the western green drake fly. When I tied the pattern in 2012, I did not possess grizzly hackle dyed olive, but I have a decent supply of that, and I prefer the dark olive hackle on my parachute green drakes.

I tie four styles of green drakes, and all have their moments during a hatch. The parachute green drake is generally the most productive. I lead with it in the morning, when I know that green drakes are present, and it rarely disappoints. The low riding body and high wing imitation dupes fish until around 1PM, when naturals begin to appear. On some days I hang with the paradrake throughout the afternoon, and it produces fish after fish. But for some reason, there are days when fish begin to ignore or refuse the parachute version.

Opposite Side

In these instances I generally shift to a green drake comparadun. Natural green drakes emerge with a large amount of flutter, and I suspect that the large fan wing of the comparadun more accurately represents the wild fluttering action of the emerging adults. I also carry Harrop hair wing green drakes, but their effectiveness does not measure up to the paradrake and comparadun.

Materials Included

Within the last five years I also created some user friendly green drakes. These provided sporadic glimpses of effectiveness, but they also never yielded the consistency that I desire. However, during the summer of 2025 on trips to South Boulder Creek, I gave my son, Dan, and friend, Nate, a user friendly to cast. They both experienced great success; and, in fact, I switched to a user friendly to capitalize on the action. I plan to discuss the user friendly in more detail, when I post on that fly in the near future.

I counted my parachute green drakes and concluded that I needed to replenish my supply with five additional size 14’s. In addition, I refurbished two damaged in size 12. All these flies possess long moose mane tails and high white poly wings colored black with white tips. Dyed olive grizzly hackles are wound around the wing post parachute style. I cannot wait for green drake season.

Green Drake Comparadun 02/08/2026 Photo Album

A second style of western green drake dry fly that I tie is the comparadun. Here is one of my early posts on the comparadun style of green drake. This narrative goes into great detail about my technique for splitting microfibbet tails, but I have since reverted to long moose mane fibers. The moose mane seems to float the comparadun that is void of hackle better than the microfibbets, and more importantly, the trout seem to favor the long dark tails as well.

Size 14 GD Comparadun

I also attempt to make a very full fan wing on my comparaduns. My theory is that the comparadun style shines after lunch when the naturals appear because the large dark wing triggers a response akin to the large fluttering wing of the naturals.

Nice Large Fan Wing – Trout Key on the Big Wing

I generally begin my day during prime green drake hatch season with a parachute green drake, and sometimes that is all I need. But I have also experienced days when the trout begin to refuse the parachute, and in these instances I shift to the comparadun, and quite often the low riding comparadun with the long tail and full wing does the trick. The muted colors of the comparadun make it difficult to track, but under the proper lighting conditions and because of its substantial size, I can generally pick it up.

Looking Closer

I counted my supply of green drake comparaduns and concluded that my stock was adequate. I found one unraveling version, so I repaired it, and I am prepared for the 2026 green drake season.