Martyn White | Thursday, 25 September 2025
I thought I'd stick with the recent focus on flies this week by looking at another terrestrial insect that, while not a reliable hatch or fall, can still be a handy addition to the box; the yellow dung fly or coo dung flee as I know it.
The coo dung is a pretty small terrestrial, that will be between 5mm and 1cm in length but it's fairly chunky. They're a dirty yellow colour with prominent brownish eyes. Which is all the detail we need as anglers.
I don't know what it is about them, but on days when they are falling or being blown on to the water fish very quickly turn on to them. I don't think multiple patterns are necessary for imitating them but depending on how you're fishing there
are a couple of useful non-specifics that you might have in the box anyway. The main one I like is a wee thing I can fish both wet & dry. That's going to cover pretty much every day I encounter dung fly on the water.
Here's the dressing:
Hook: short shank special 12
Thread: brown 70den
Tag: mirage
Body: 50/50 mix of golden olive and sunburst seal fur.
Rib: doubled tying thread.
Wing: light tipped deer flank dyed yellow or similar
Legs: knotted pheasant tail
Hackle: cheap Indian cock,, cree dyed yellow
The legs are utterly superfluous on this pattern, but when I used to sell flies anglers liked them. To the point where some would convince themselves that legs make a difference having never tried the pattern without them. As mentioned this one fishes wet or dry. You could fish it singly on top or a couple, only putting the mucilin on the dropper and allowing the point fly to drown-or vice versa to keep the drowned fly nearer the surface. Alternatively it's a good point or middle wet fly pattern, especially for fishing in front of a drifting boat. In this situation, I'd combine it with Rab Adams' lethal weapon or maybe a wee invicta. Both of these are roughly the right colour and a bit bulkier so will do more of a job in the waves. If pressed, it's the lethal weapon for me, but that's just to do with confidence really. And there's always the possibility of a bug mad thing on the top dropper with the imitators behind. I've deliberately not included the old coo dung winged wet, it will catch fish but I don't have a use for it when the others do everything it does and more.
The invicta is very well known so I doubt I need to provide the pattern, but here's the dressing for the lethal weapon:
Hook: competition heavyweight, 10-14
Thread: black
Body: 60/40 blend of invicta yellow seal fur & natural hare's ear
Rib: flat gold
Body hackle: Chinese or Indian red game cock
Head hackle: brown partridge
I'm quite enjoying these, so maybe I'll continue with a fly of the week for a while.