Brooks Sprout

The Brooks Sprout is a simple but very effective dry fly designed to imitate a single adult midge sitting in the surface film. Midges may be tiny, but they are available to trout throughout much of the year, which makes patterns like this especially useful during colder months, slower hatches, and those times when trout are feeding selectively on very small insects.

In this video, I walk through the Brooks Sprout step by step and explain not only how to tie it, but why the pattern is built the way it is. The dark body gives the fly a clear silhouette, the hackle helps support it on the surface, and the white post makes a very small fly much easier to see on the water.

I also show the difference between tying this pattern on a size 18 hook and taking it all the way down to a size 30. A size 18 is already considered small by many tiers, but a size 30 is truly microscopic. The basic tying process stays the same, but thread control, material selection, and proportion become much more important as the hook gets smaller.

The Brooks Sprout works especially well when trout are rising to individual adult midges rather than larger clusters. That is where it differs from a pattern like the Griffith’s Gnat, which is generally used to suggest a group of midges gathered together on the surface. The Brooks Sprout gives you a more precise single-insect imitation for fish that are focused on one small adult at a time.

When fishing a fly this small, I usually pay close attention to where the fish is rising and try to make a careful presentation with as little drag as possible. The white post helps with visibility, but in difficult light or at longer distances, the fly can also be fished behind a slightly larger and more visible dry fly.

This is one of those patterns that does not require many materials, but it teaches a lot about proportion and thread control. Even if you do not plan on tying all the way down to a size 30, learning to keep the body, post, and hackle balanced on a small hook will improve your tying on larger flies as well.

📌 Links I recommend
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Check out Veevus for some of the best fly tying threads available. When you sign up for their VIP membership using my link, you’ll get a free bobbin holder plus 10% off your entire order:
https://veevus.com/pages/membership?via=McFly

Check out my sponsor Risen Fly for high-quality hooks, beads, and some of the best fly rods I’ve ever used. Use code McFly at checkout for 15% off your first order: www.risenfly.com

Shop my custom McFly Angler fly boxes and gear here: www.amazon.com/shops/McFlyAngler

If you enjoyed this video, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more fly tying tutorials, and fly fishing content. 🎣
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🛠️ Materials
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Hook: Risen 2488 (Size 18) - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/hooks/products/barbless-emerger-24…
Thread: Veevus 10/0 (black) - https://veevus.com/pages/membership?via=McFly
Shuck: McFlylon (black) - https://amzn.to/4xEywDx
Post: Foam Cylinder (1/16") - https://www.jsflyfishing.com/products/foam-damsel-hopper-small-fly-bodi…
Hackle: Dry Fly Cape (black) - https://amzn.to/4wbzW7l
Dubbing: Spirit River Fine and Dry (black) - https://www.jsflyfishing.com/products/spirit-river-uv2-fine-and-dry-dub…
Cement: Solarez Ultra Thin UV Resin - https://solarez.com/bone-dry-intro-kit.html

🛠️ Tools
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Vise: Renzetti Traveler - https://amzn.to/2t2FFmo
Bobbin: Veevus Bobbin - https://veevus.com/pages/membership?via=McFly
Razor Blades: https://amzn.to/4xinzYE
Scissors: Risen Spring Assist - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/fly-tying-tools-and-accessories/pr…
Whip Finisher: Dr. Slick Brass - https://amzn.to/2tGYwDW
Fly Tying Bench: Oasis Walnut Compact Bench - https://www.oasisbenches.com/oasis-benches/compact-bench/
UV Light: Solarez High Output - https://solarez.com/uv-cure-flashlight-high-output.html

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#flytying #flyfishing #brookssprout #dryfly #midge #troutfishing