Shaving Brush

Shaving Brush Emerger

When trout are rising but passing over your dry fly, they may be feeding on insects in the surface film rather than fully emerged adults. The Shaving Brush gives you an emerger option for those moments, inviting a more deliberate approach to fish feeding at the boundary between water and air. Available in size 12, it belongs alongside your dry flies and subsurface patterns as another way to approach a hatch.

The pattern's angling background is particularly associated with Australia and New Zealand, where it is a popular emerger choice. That regional connection is part of its appeal, but its application is not limited to Southern Hemisphere waters: presenting an emerger to trout feeding in the surface film is an approach you can carry to your own rivers, lakes, and ponds. This fly is just as deadly anywhere in the world!

On moving water, cast ahead of a feeding fish and aim for a drag-free drift through its lane. Mend carefully and avoid pulling the fly across the current before it reaches the trout. On stillwater, watch for cruising fish, place the fly ahead of their path, and allow a quiet presentation rather than immediately starting a retrieve. If trout are refusing a higher-riding dry, try the Shaving Brush as a different presentation and pay close attention to subtle takes.

Pattern Details

• Style: Emerger
• Best water: Trout rivers, lakes, and ponds where fish are feeding in the surface film
• Techniques: Drag-free drifts, stillwater presentations ahead of cruising trout, and targeting fish that refuse dry flies
• Size available: 12

Keep the Shaving Brush ready for the rises that do not turn into dry-fly takes, and give feeding trout an emerger presentation with a strong Australian and New Zealand following.