The Quill Gordon is one of heaviest mayfly hatches in the East. In the mountain streams close to my fly shop in Edinburg, VA I start seeing the beginning of the duns coming off in mid March when the water temperature holds at 40 degrees for four days. This usually occurs 2-3 weeks earlier in the Smokies. In the Catskills, it is usually 2-3 weeks later.
I have fished wonderfully heavy hatches of this fly one hour before dark in the Blue Ridge Mountains when the spinner fall and the hatching duns overlap.
Flies to Match the Hatch
- Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly size 14
- Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry Fly size 14
- Quill Gordon Dry Fly size 14
- Murray’s Drake Dry Fly, Olive size 14
- Mr. Rapidan Emerger size 14
- Quill Gordon Nymph size 14
- Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14
Fish these on a Murray’s Mountain Leader 6ft 5X or Murray’s Classic Leader 7.5ft 5X. For more information on hatch charts and stream access for the native brook trout, see my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park.
We conduct guided fly fishing trips on the native brook trout streams in April to mid June. See our website for more information or call us.