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Peter Hayes would be one of the countries top fishing guides, his level of professionalism and innovation in the industry is well known, as well as being a former Australian fly fishing champion. Nine times Australian casting champion only adds to the list of impressive credentials. Peter fished as a member of the 2000 Australian Fly fishing Team in the U.K, where he finished 13th, which is a huge effort. He also caught the biggest fish of the championships, a 6 pound brown, on the River Test, no less. Peter's best mayfly pattern is called the Possum Emerger, and is quite unique in the way it is tied, and the way it is fished. It really is a cross between a nymph and a dry fly; it sits half in the water, and half out. It adopts a terrific lifelike profile, really mimicing the hatching mayfly.

Wing: Brown or natural possum fur, tied so it lays back over the hook, giving it the same profile as a natural dun wing.
Body: Tied as you would a nymph, with brown or greyish possum fur, dubbed so that it has a relatively loose and scraggly appearance. Peter ties his with a bright flouro head, so as to help it stand out in the crowd, so to speak! Please yourself if you wish to tie in a rib, a copper one is probably best.
The great thing with possum fur is that is has the right colour naturally, and does not require any dying or additional treatment. The inherent buoyancy of the material also helps create the "perfect" imitation.
There are two ways to fish this fly, either as a static pattern, simply cast in front and left to be eaten, or stripped as you would a wet fly. To get the full drum on this technique, read the article, "dry flies with attitude', elsewhere in this issue.

There are plenty of  possum emergers out there. Generally they have a nymph like body and then either a brush type wing or a bud type wing. I like brush type wing emergers better as dense wing traps more air and consequently they float better. The little thorax of seals fur is also good because it sheds water with a flick of the fly.

Materials

Process

A	Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook. Understanding hooks Load a little dubbing on the thread and build up a cigar shaped body. Single strand dubbing Return the thread to the bend of the hook.

B	Tie in a tail of 5 or 6 pheasant tail fibres at the bend of the hook. Wrap the but ends of the pheasant tail fibres round the thread forming a rope.

C	Wind the rope forward to the 2/3 position in touching turns. Tie the rope off and trim the excess.

D	Cut a bunch of possum fur and without removing the under-fur tie it in at the 80% position. Trim the butt ends of the possum fur and tie the possum fur down well.

E	Load the thread up with a little seals fur and dub on a thorax that covers the tie in of the possum fur and also fills the gap in front of where the possum fur is tied in and lifts the wing into its final position. Build up a neat head of thread. Neat thread heads Whip finish and varnish the head Trim the wing to size.

F	Brush the underside of the thorax with Velcro so as to release a few fibres of seals fur to represent the legs.

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