Tying the All Purpose Emerger Fly Pattern: A Proven Lake Fly for Washington Trout

How to Tie and Fish Denny Rickards’ Go-To Emerger for Washington Lakes

Fly Tyer, Video & Image: Greg Sisson | Article: Ryan May

Denny Rickards' All-Purpose Emerger has earned its place in countless fly boxes for one simple reason: trout love it. A consistent performer in stillwater fisheries, this top fly mimics emerging aquatic insects—the vulnerable stage trout simply can't resist.

In the short video below, Greg Sisson, President of Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds, demonstrates the pattern after attending a recent session of our Beginning Fly Tying Class. His approach emphasizes the simplicity and effectiveness of Rickards' original vision while adding one or two customizations of his own...

Watch Greg Sisson’s customized take on Denny Rickards’ All-Purpose Emerger, tied with a red thread head and sparse soft hackle—an effective pattern for trout in Washington’s lakes during spring and summer hatches.

Materials Needed

• Hook: Standard nymph or emerger hook, sizes 12-16 (e.g., Tiemco TMC 2487)

• Thread: Gray or olive UTC 70 denier thread (for body) & red UTC 70 denier red thread to create a hot spot (for head)

• Tail: Dark olive marabou fibers

• Body: Gray or olive rabbit’s ear; SLF Prism Dubbing (optional) (Color: Hare’s Ear)

• Ribbing (optional): Fine copper or gold wire

• Thorax: Peacock herl

• Hackle: Soft hackle, brown or olive partridge feather

• Head Cement: Clear lacquer or UV resin

• Dubbing Wax (optional): Wapsi Premium Dubbing Wax

• Quality beer (optional): To fortify the tyer and control hackle fibers

Step-by-Step Tying Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Your Hook

Secure your hook firmly in the vise. Begin wrapping thread behind the eye and continue wrapping down the hook shank toward the bend.

Step 2: Tie in the Tail

Select a small clump of dark olive marabou fibers, measuring roughly half to three-quarters the length of your hook shank. Tie these fibers in securely at the hook bend, leaving a natural, wispy tail.

• Rickards Tip: Denny Rickards recommends sparse tails for subtle, realistic motion.

Step 3: Ribbing (Optional)

You can omit ribbing for simplicity, but adding fine copper or gold wire will improve durability and segmentation. If adding ribbing, secure it along the hook shank at this stage.

Step 4: Dub the Body

If you’re using dubbing wax, rub a little onto your thread. Then apply a thin, even layer of olive dubbing by twisting it onto the thread with your fingers. Twist your dubbing on in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion, but only twist in one direction.

• Greg’s Tip: Use a few small strands of SLF Prism Dubbing (color: Hare’s Ear) to add some flash to the body at this point.

Finally, wrap forward, building a slender, tapered body. Keep wraps tight for durability.

Step 5: Ribbing the Body (Optional)

If you've added ribbing, wrap the wire forward in evenly spaced turns over your dubbing. Secure the wire near the hook eye and trim excess.

Step 6: Peacock Thorax

Select two or three strands of peacock herl and secure them near the eye of the hook. Twist the strands together lightly and wrap to form a small, bulbous thorax. Secure the herl and trim excess.

• Rickards Tip: Peacock herl adds a natural iridescence mimicking air bubbles trapped by an emerging insect, a key trigger for trout.

Step 7: Soft Hackle Collar

Choose a soft hackle feather (brown or olive partridge works great). Prepare the feather by pulling off the fuzzy base fibers. Tie in by the tip, then carefully make one or two wraps just behind the hook eye using hackle pliers, creating a soft, sparse hackle collar. Secure the feather and trim the excess.

• Greg's Tip: Less is more—too many hackle wraps will stiffen the collar and reduce the fly’s subtle action. NOTE: You can also use beer to smooth the hackle feathers back.

Step 8: Whip Finish, Red Head (Greg’s Version), and Head Cement

Whip finish to secure the fly then take a beer break to celebrate making it this far. Working with tiny materials is never easy – you done good!

Now finish up by adding 5 or 6 wraps of red thread to create a hot spot at the head and whip finish again to secure. Then apply a small drop of head cement or UV resin to lock it all in place and protect your wraps. Give it a flash of UV light if using UV resin.

You’ve just tied Greg’s customized version of the Denny Rickards AP Emerger! Let us know how it fishes in the comments below.

Greg Sisson’s customized take on Denny Rickards’ All-Purpose Emerger, tied with a red thread head and sparse soft hackle—an effective pattern for trout in Washington’s stillwater lakes during spring and summer hatches.

How to Fish this Killer All Purpose Emerger Fly Pattern

If you’re headed to a Washington lake with fish rising (but refusing the dry), the All-Purpose Emerger deserves a spot on your leader. This pattern shines when trout are feeding just below the surface—or right in the film—during the emergence stage of key hatches like Callibaetis or midges.

Best Seasons & Times

Late spring through early fall is prime time. On calm mornings or early evenings, especially during an active hatch, trout often key in on emergers just before they switch to dries. You’ll also find this pattern productive on overcast days when bugs are still active but sitting low in the column.

How to Rig It

Fish it as the lead fly in a two-fly setup, especially under an indicator or with a slow, hand-twist retrieve on an intermediate line.

Or run it as a dropper 18” to 24" below a buoyant dry fly like a Parachute Adams or Purple Haze. This setup gives you coverage for both surface sippers and subsurface cruisers.

Good Companions

If you’re using it as your top fly, pair it with a small unweighted chironomid or midge emerger on the dropper.

When fishing solo, fish it on a long leader with fluorocarbon tippet (5X or 6X), especially in clear water.

Retrieve Tips

Let the fly settle, then use a slow, steady hand-twist retrieve. Greg favors a twitch-and-pause approach—just enough to suggest life without yanking it unnaturally through the water.

Where It Works in Washington

Club members and regional anglers have reported success with this pattern on:

• Lenice and Nunnally Lakes – during spring and early summer hatches.

• Dry Falls Lake – especially when fish are feeding in the top third of the water column.

• Blue Lake (Sinlahekin) – noted for consistent Callibaetis activity.

• Chopaka Lake – a prime candidate for slow-strip emerger tactics.

• Bonaparte Lake – where fish key on midges and emerging mayflies.

Whether you’re float tubing a desert basin lake or walking the bank of a highland reservoir, the All-Purpose Emerger is a quiet killer—especially when fish get picky.

Why It Works

Denny Rickards designed this all purpose emerger fly pattern to imitate a wide range of hatching insects. Its sparse, lifelike appearance triggers strikes even from wary fish. The peacock herl thorax is especially effective, suggesting trapped air bubbles that indicate vulnerability—exactly what trout look for in an easy meal.

Give Denny Rickards' All-Purpose Emerger a prominent spot in your fly box. It's a versatile, reliable choice that Greg Sisson—and countless other skilled anglers—trust to catch trout season after season.

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Video Soundtrack: (1) Khruangbin – Lady and Man; (2) Hermanos Gutiérrez – Hermosa Drive; (3) Khruangbin - Cómo me quieres