The RS2 pattern was developed by Colorado angler and tier Rim Chung more than three decades ago. The name of the fly is short for “Rim’s Semblance 2,” and it fishes well as both a midge or a mayfly emerger. The original version featured natural beaver fur dubbing and saddle hackle for the wing. As with many great patterns that have stood the test of time, you can fish the RS2 in many different ways–on the surface, in the film, subsurface, or as a dropper off another emerger pattern. Colorado angler Ferenc Horvath maintains a website devoted to the RS2, which contains lots of great information, as well as a chart of good color combinations.
In this video, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions offers step-by-step directions for tying his version of this venerable pattern. Of course, he also shows you a few neat tricks–such as using a short piece of extra thread to splay the tails and creating a tight dubbing rope–that will help you tie other small flies.
RS2
Hook: Straight-eye dry-fly hook (here a Lighting Strike DF3 ), size 20.
Thread: Black Veevus, 12/0.
Tails: Medium-gray Microfibetts.
Adhesive #1: UV-cure resin.
Abdomen: Adams gray beaver dubbing.
Wing: Natural dun CDC Puff.
Thorax: Adams gray beaver dubbing.
Adhesive: Head cement or UV-cure resin.
Tools: Plunger-style hackle pliers, dubbing whirl.