When to use it
- During PMD dun activity in slower seams and flats.
- When fish reject higher-riding hackled dries.
- For selective risers keyed to a low silhouette.
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Reviewed technical illustration← Fly Box
Dry · guide 14
PMD Comparadun
A low-riding, hackleless Pale Morning Dun dry with a fan-shaped deer-hair wing.
- Common size
- #14–18
- Colors reviewed
- pale yellow, cream, dun wing
- Imitates
- Pale Morning Dun adult mayfly, low-riding mayfly dun
A pale slender body, split tail, upright semicircular deer-hair wing, and no hackle define the Comparadun profile. Sulfur and BWO Comparaduns are color or hatch-specific destinations, not automatically PMDs.
Technical illustration
Identification views
PMD Comparadun reviewed side profile
A schematic profile emphasizing upright fan wing and split tail fibers.
- View
- reviewed side profile
- Color shown
- pale yellow body and dun hair wing
- Look for
- upright fan wing; split tail fibers; slender pale body; no hackle
On the water
Understand it. Then fish it.
The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation. These are reviewed starting points—not a claim about what is happening today.
How to fish it
- Present on a drag-free dead drift.
- Keep floatant off the lower body if a low ride is desired.
- Match body shade and hook size to the local PMDs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using PMD as a synonym for every pale mayfly.
- Calling a Sparkle Dun or parachute pattern a Comparadun.
- Ignoring the identifying fan wing and hackleless construction.
Variant control
Small changes matter.
Three reviewed technical illustrations provide a profile, material map, and presentation view. They are identification aids, not photorealistic substitutes for tied examples.
Reviewed core form
A pale slender body, split tail, upright semicircular deer-hair wing, and no hackle define the Comparadun profile. Sulfur and BWO Comparaduns are color or hatch-specific destinations, not automatically PMDs.- Colors shown
- pale yellow, cream, dun wing
- Weighting
- Weighting is stated in the identification and use notes when it defines the reviewed form.
Review trail
Sources, rights, and limits.
Pattern facts were reviewed on 2026-07-12. Every image has its own rights record; photographed hand-tied flies may still vary slightly in proportion.