Close Carpet Fly Pattern
The Close Carpet Fly pattern was created by George Close, a fly fisherman from Kiel, Wisconsin. I was told by Jason Freund that his great uncle, George Close, first tied the fly pattern back around 1980. He wanted a flush floating imitation for the Brown Drake hatch (Ephemera simulans) on the Wolf River in Northeast Wisconsin.
While tearing out the carpet in their cabin near Langlade, WI George wondered if he could use the wornout Antron carpet to keep the large fly flush in the film by tying a variation of Ed Haaga's Cap's Hair-Wing Fly Pattern, which is another famous Wolf River fly pattern. The fly worked tremendously well and the rest is history.
Close Carpet Fly Pattern
tied by Jason Freund
Thread: Brown 6-0 thread
Hook size: Mustad dry fly hook, size 10/12 or similar
Tail/Body: Fine deer hair
Rib: Tying thread
Wing: Comparadun deer hair
Hackle: Antron carpet fibers
Notes: Wrap the thread so it entirely covers the hook shank, then bring the thread back towards the eye of the hook to where the abdomen should end. I then brushed super glue (or flexament) on the abdomen section and laid the deer hair over that. Loosely tie the thread back towards the tail and then back towards the eye of the hook again, in an "X" pattern. Don't use to much thread pressure or the deer hair tail will flair. Trim the deer hair butts and then tie in the comparadun wing in the normal fashion. Trim the comparadun deer hair butts but you do not need to cover up the butt ends with thread. Cut some carpet fibers and untwist to straighten them out. Take a dubbing loop and place the fibers across the thread inside the loop. Twist the loop tight and then carefully wrap the carpet flibers behind and in front of the wing. Tie the head and whip finish.
This fly can be also be used effectively to imitate the other larger mayflies found throughout Wisconsin.
