Fran Betters's 1949 rough-water dun — the fly the Comparadun was refined from. A coarse deer-hair wing fanned upright over a buggy cream body, no hackle at all: it rides the Ausable's heavy pocket water flush and visible where delicate flies drown, and big-river browns have approved for seventy years.
1. Thread base — Attach tan thread and wrap to the bend.
2. Tail — Tie in a small bunch of deer hair, tips one gap-length past the bend.
3. Wing — At the 1/3 point behind the eye, tie in a generous stacked bunch of coarse deer hair with tips forward. Lift and post upright with tight wraps in front, fanning it wide.
4. Body — Dub a robust cream-tan body from the tail to the wing, and continue in front of the wing.
5. Head — Whip finish and cement. It should look — as Betters intended — like a haystack.
hook
thread
tail
wing
body
