TYING LAFONTAINE’S SPARKLE EMERGER

Going fishing for trout, you will need a few caddises. The Sparkle Emerger was invented by Gary LaFontaine and imitates a hatching caddis pupae. It can be tied both weighted or unweighted, and some tiers think it should have a tail. You can tie the LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger in several sizes and color variants.

• Materials
• Video Instructions
• Slideshow
• How to Fish the LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger

Materials for LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger

Part:	Materials:	Size/Color:
Hook:	Demmon	DSD 100BL #14
Thread:	UTC	70 Dark Brown
Shuck:	Antron Yarn	Cream
Body:	Ice Dub	Olive
Wing:	Deer Hair	Natural
Head:	Hends	Rabbit Fur #28

Video Instructions on How to Tie a LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger

Slideshow on How To Tie a LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger

Step 1 – Make the Body

Start tying in the thread 2/3 up the shank. It will be easier to make a more excellent casing for the body. Cover the hook shank with tying thread, then return to the starting point. Now you have to divide a strain of antron yarn into two. If you are tying smaller flies, you might divide it into two twice to get the right amount.

Tie in the two strains of antron yarn on each side of the hook. Go back to where the tread meets the bend of the hook. The next step is to dub the body. Make a dubbing noodle on your thread and cover the area up to 2/3 of the hook where you started tying in your thread.

Here’s the trick to get the shuck case right. Make a few loose turns towards the head. Then fold the antron yarn over the body. Tie it off, and push it back to where you finished the dubbing. This will make an even casing for the body. If the casing is not evenly covering the body, you can adjust it using a dubbing needle.

Step 2 – Tie in the Wing

Take a small pinch of natural deer hair. Any fluff should be removed, and use a hair stacker to even up the tips. Remove the hair from the stacker and place them on top of the hook. You want the hairs to curve in the same direction as the hook. The wing should have the same length as the full body. Tie the wing off and remove any excess deer hair.

Step 3 – Make the Head

Again make a dubbing noodle on your tying thread—this time, you want to make a darker one to create the head of the emerging caddis. Cover the head area with dubbing and finish off the fly with a whip-finish and some glue.

How to Fish the LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger

You can use LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger for sight- and blind fishing. Unweighted, it can even be used as a dry fly. Weighted, it can reach the deeper parts of the river. Some fly fishers fish it dead drift upstream, while others swing it. The swing will pressure the fly line and make the fly go closer to the surface, imitating a hatching caddis.