Learn/Fly Box/Dry fly/Shadow Mayfly
SM
Dry fly

Shadow Mayfly

Dusk-visibility drake
Trout · GraylingSurface

Dark-hackled large mayfly dun tied for low-light and dusk visibility during the Ephemera 'mayfly' hatch.

Fish this when

In the last low light of an Ephemera mayfly hatch, when standard pale duns disappear against the darkening water but fish are still rising steadily.

Why it works

The darker hackle and body silhouette against the sky rather than trying to match a fading natural's colour, keeping the fly visible to the angler while its bulk still reads as a struggling dun to the fish.

Naturals it imitates
Green Drake / Mayfly dun (low-light)
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: medium
Hook range#10–12
Quick facts
Tying difficulty
Beginner-friendly