This fly has always been great for me when there aren’t a lot of anything in particular hatching. Growing up in Northern MI i used to put on a male beaverkill pattern almost every trip and it nearly always caught brook trout on the smaller low pressure streams I fished. It is a pretty basic pattern and isn’t particularly realistic looking, but it seems to work well as a general attractor fly pattern; however had good success with this fly during march brown mayfly hatch’s.
The male beaverkill fly is a great floating fly due to the palmered style hackle and it does a great job of looking “buggy” to the fish because I am guessing the palmered hackles look like legs to the trout. I doubt I need to give you a materials list here because the tying of this fly is pretty obvious. Brown hackle, brown wings and a light tan colored dubbing or floss for the body.
