Duckworth’s Dargle Delight (DDD)

The Duckworth’s Dargle Delight is a uniquely South African dry fly created in November 1976 by renowned angler and writer Tom Sutcliffe. It was originally tied to imitate a sudden and heavy fall of large beetles that Sutcliffe encountered while fishing the Umgeni River. Though initially inspired by beetles, the fly's broad, bushy profile also makes it a convincing imitation of other large terrestrial insects such as grasshoppers or moths.

The pattern is named after Bill Duckworth, a good friend of Sutcliffe and a passionate angler who spent many days fishing the waters of the Dargle Valley in KwaZulu-Natal. The name “Dargle Delight” reflects both the joy the pattern brought to those early fishing days and the region where it proved highly effective.

With its high-floating construction, shaggy silhouette, and excellent visibility, Duckworth’s Dargle Delight remains a dependable attractor fly during warm months when trout are tuned in to large terrestrials. It stands as a testament to observation-driven fly design and the shared experiences that shape meaningful patterns.

Submitted by: Matt O.

Submitted by Matt O. - It's a buoyant, versatile dry fly that finds itself in the box of almost every South African fly fisher, and rightfully so.

Evening Search Pattern: Use it as a prospecting dry fly in the last hour of daylight. Its size and profile make it a great silhouette in low light, and trout will often commit even in slow water.