Fran Better’s Wonderful Dry Fly “The Usual”
The first time I saw Fran Better’s wonderful dry fly -“The Usual” was in his Adirondack Sport Shop on the West Branch of the Ausable River in Wilmington. As far as dry flies go, the fly was nothing fancy, nothing usual. It was sort of rag-a-muffin thing, looking almost a bit unfinished. But trout loved that rag-tag shaggy appearance, especially in fast water.
It gradually became a legend thanks to Fran’s friend Billy Phillips, a highly accomplished musician, who fished it successfully and often in the Adirondacks. Before you knew it the popularity of Fran Better’s wonderful dry fly spread far and wide.
The Usual is constructed from a single material – fur from the base of the rear foot pad on a snowshoe rabbit. This tough hair is very waterproof and durable. The wing is placed about halfway back on the shank to balance the fly and spread 180 degrees around the shank, making Eric Leiser call it a bit like a Compara dun. The body is the same hair dubbed on the shank.
All told it is a rugged fly and fairly easy to make. Today Fran Better’s wonderful dry fly is typically done in white, yellow or orange. Thread color varies from white to fluorescent red when fishing over Sulphur duns. Hook sizes range from 10 to 16.
