FLY OF THE WEEK

Black Tetra(70)

Justin Pittman, President of Cumberland Valley Chapter TU and fishing buddy of mine gave me a fly that he has been having good success with on many waters in the Cumberland Valley and on Pine Creek and Kettle Creek. Since the fly had no name and looks like a fish that my wife, Gayle, has in her aquarium, I named it the Black Tetra fly. Justin is a Pennsylvania licensed guide and owns property on Kettle Creek so he spends a number of weekends in that area guiding and fishing. Soon Justin will have cabins for rent and those that rent his cabins will have a short walk to some great fishing on Kettle Creek. Justin maintains an interesting website and if looking for an amiable and knowledgeable guide for the Cumberland Valley and Pine and Kettle Creek areas, Justin is the person. The website is www.pafinsandflies.com and the phone number is 717.243.7642.

Justin provided the recipe and tying instructions for the fly that was created by his friend Brain Trussell who is also a CVTU member.

Recipe:
Hook: Eagle Claw size 6 or 8
Thread: 3/0 Uni-Thread, black
Eyes: Large Pseudo Eyes Green or Red
Tail: Black Marabou, Black Barred Rabbit Strip Olive,
2 Barred Silli Yellow/Gold Black,
2 Silli Legs Black/Blue Flake, 4 Strips of Midge Flash
Body: .025 Lead and Zonked Rabbit Half Skin Olive

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws.
2) Secure the hook in the vise, attach the tying thread behind the hook eye and wrap over the hook shank to the hook bend.
3) Return the tying thread about 3/8 inch behind the hook eye and secure the Pseudo Eye to hook. Be sure to wrap tight.
4) Wrap thread to back of hook and secure Black Marabou to shank. Enough to make a tail like a woolly bugger. Then tie on a strip of Black Barred Rabbit Strip Olive over the Marabou of equal length. Add your Silli Legs and Midge Flash all of equal length now.
5) Wrap .025 lead from the Pseudo Eye back to the tail and cut off lead. Tie thread all over the lead to secure in place. Return thread to tail. Add a dab of glue to tail area and immediately do step 6.
6) Tie on one long strip of Zonked Rabbit Half Skin Olive to the head of the tail area. Return thread to front of hook past the eye. Palmer the Zonked Rabbit Strip to the front of the fly. Go slow and wet fingers brushing the hair back to the tail with each wrap. Stop at Pseudo Eye.
7)Wrap the Zonked Rabbit Strip over the Pseudo Eye in a figure 8 pattern. End with strip at front of eye. Tie thread over strip tightly. Cut off Rabbit Strip and make a nice head of thread behind eye covering all the rabbit skin. Whip or half hitch and glue.

V Midge Hammer(69)

I noted in past writings that the midge in winter is an important food staple for trout on many streams. Actually the midge plays an important role as a consistent supplier of food for trout throughout the four seasons. I modified the V Midge Emerger listed further down on this Fly of the Week link and found the modified pattern to provide excellent winter midge fishing for trout. Just as the V Midge Emerger is easy to tie, highly visible and successful on the water so is the V Midge Hammer. Nothing has changed but the addition of a grizzly hackle tied Klinkhammer style. The attributes of the V Midge remain: the CDC forces the body of the fly into the surface film (to facilitate the upright or V appearance, wet the body but not the CDC) and mimics the appearance of the natural midge emerger. When necessary, brush fumed silica powder into the CDC to help keep the fly in the vertical position. Liquid floatant on CDC tends to retard floatable. A commercial powder floatant product found in most fly shops is Frog's Fanny. However, I have found that catching a few fish out of a pod tends to wisen up the group and fish will come up and inspect the fly but not take it. The catching process is stymied and one must move along to find new fish. I dislike leaving fish to find fish in the happenstance that they will be more receptive to the fly I am using. Fortunately, the addition of the hackle behind the CDC butts allows more fish to be caught before moving along the stream. Could it be the hackle adds one more vital part to the fly that more closely resembles the naturals? Or the hackle forces the abdomen lower in the surface film making it more visible (exposed) to the trout? What ever the reason(s), in the early 80s when Western European Hans Van Klinken designed the fly known as the Klinkhammer Special, he did a good thing for fly fishers. The V Midge Hammer can be modified without difficulty and used when the little blue winged olives are present on the water. With the proper thread color body, the V Midge Hammer becomes the V Olive Hammer. Tie up a few flies and go out and hammer a pod of trout.

Recipe:
Hook: Quality dry fly hook sizes 22-24
Thread: Black 8/0 or, the applicable color for the natural.
Body: Black thread, or the applicable color for the natural.
Rib: Black thread or the applicable color for the natural.
Wing: Light Dun CDC
Hackle: Grizzly

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws. Secure the hook in the vise and attach the tying thread behind the eye. Lay down a layer of thread to the curve of the hook. Next, spin the bobbin clockwise to tighten the twist of the thread to enhance the appearance of the rib.
2) Rib the twisted thread to near the hook eye and tie in two to three similar size CDC feathers. The tips of the CDC feathers will face over the hook eye. The amount of CDC material overlapping the hook eye will generally equal the hook shank. Snip and cover the CDC butts with thread.
3) Tie in the hackle over the CDC butts and take two turns of hackle around the base of the CDC feathers.
4) Return the thread to the eye of the hook and under the CDC fibers to build the head. The head helps uplift the CDC and thus make it easier to thread and tie the tippet material while fishing. Half hitch or whip finish and cement.

October Caddis(68)

The October Caddis fly is productive in September, October and November. Chet Hagenbarth, a fishing buddy, and I were using the October Caddis as late as Thanksgiving Day on the Yellow Breeches. We were using the large caddis as an indicator fly because of its size and burnt orange color, which enhances visibility for those of us with aging eyes. The other important reason was that the October Caddis attracts fish. Blue Winged Olives were starting to lift off the water so we were dropping a size 22 emerger type fly that a fishing buddy from Virginia highly touts. That fly will be covered in a later update. The combination of October Caddis and olive emerger fished in shady spots under overhanging brush and trees proved successful that afternoon. It was interesting fishing to watch the October Caddis indicator fly, not knowing if the fly would disappear in a splashy surface take or simply disappear under the surface. We had good action on the surface and below the surface with the tandem rig. When the blue winged olives are not present on the surface, I fish only the October Caddis under the vegetation along the stream banks. The other common names in this area for the adult October Caddis are Pumpkin Caddis (Yellow Creek) and Cinnamon Caddis (Penns Creek).

Why the renewed interest in the October Caddis? Ken Okorn and I fish together often but come October my fishing wanes in the Cumberland Valley and other stream areas a hundred or so miles from my home because of archery deer hunting and steelhead fishing in New York. Ken was on several destination fishing trips with other fly rod anglers and reported having good to excellent experiences with the October Caddis that he tied. Others that fished with Ken asked to "borrow" a few flies and they too had good results. Now Ken is busy tying October Caddis not only for his use but for use by fishing buddies that do not tie flies. Ken noted that the October Caddis dry fly worked well on Yellow Creek when he and Doug Matty fished there this past October. Last year, Ken caught trout on it out there just before Thanksgiving. Tom Brennan and Ken used the October Caddis successfully during the Coot Hill trip to Yellow Creek in 2011. Again, the October Caddis worked well on Penns Creek last fall and again on the trip that Cumberland Valley Chapter TU members made to Mark Campbell's Kaarondinhah's Camp Guttalata in October of this year. Ken has seen the October Caddis on Big Spring as late as mid December in 2011 and 2012. This is a good all around fly that can provide many hours of enjoyable fishing.

I want to thank Ken Okorn for providing the fly that I photographed for this update and information regarding his success with the October Caddis fly and the tying instructions. I also want to recognize Mark Campbell as a good friend of Cumberland Valley Chapter TU and his past years of hosting Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. (PWHFF) which is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education as well as outings. Information about Camp Guttalata can be obtained by visiting www.pennscreekcabin.com. Contact can be made by emailing mark@pennscreekcabin.com.

Recipe:

Hook: Any #14, 2X long dry fly hook
Thread: 6/0 orange Uni-thread
Body: Burnt orange dry fly dubbing
Hackle (Optional): Ginger, dry fly grade, sized to hook gap
Wing: Golden brown deer body hair
Head: Burnt orange dry fly dubbing

This fly is tied similar to an Elk Hair Caddis or Deer Hair Caddis. Note that the hackle is optional. If the fly is skittered on the surface, the hackled version works better. If the fly is dead drifted, the version without the hackle is better. I recommend both versions in your fly boxes.

General Tying Instructions:

1. Pinch down the hook barb and place the hook in the vise.

2. Start the thread about 1/16" behind the eye, and wrap back only to above the hook point.

3. If using the optional hackle, tie it in by the tip at this point with the concave side facing the tyer. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap forward to 1/4" behind the eye.

4. Palmer the hackle feather forward over the dubbing to where the dubbing ends and tie off the feather. The hackle should be wrapped sparsely at the rear and more heavily at the forward part of the body.

5. Cut a bunch of deer hair slightly less than 1/4" in thickness at the base. Comb out the underfur and stack the hair. Tie in the hair on top of the shank, with the tips extending back beyond the bend. The overall length of the fly should be at least 1". Do not allow the hair to spin around the shank. Work several turns of thread through the hair butts to seat it firmly on top of the shank. At this point, place several half hitches in front of the deer hair to keep the thread tight.

6. Trim the hair butts to a rounded shape.

7. Work the thread back through the hair butts to the point where the deer hair was first tied in. Apply some dubbing to the thread and wrap forward, covering the hair butts.

8. Whip finish behind the hook eye.

The Sulphur Money Fly(67)

The Ray Fly(66)

Our Cumberland Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited has scheduled numerous trips to fish Penns Creek in the months of April and June. Providing the precipitation is not a problem with water level higher than normal, the fishing is usually very good with impressive hatches for that time frame. Over the last couple of years a few of our gang members have met a nymph fly fisher by the name of Ray. I don't remember his last name as I am pretty sure he has not disclosed that information. My first encounter with Ray was on the Blue Stone Hole just above the confluence of Cherry Run and Penns Creek. Ray only fishes the fast water to the left of the stone that gives the hole its name. This day Ray eased into a seam of slower moving water and, without a strike indicator, cast a nymph rig into the rapidly moving water that parallels the foot of the high wall that contains the namesake stone. About three fish later Ray had my attention. I felt I was positioned in the best spot to catch the lunker size trout that hole holds. Wrong! The fourth trout Ray caught put an impressive bend in the fly rod and several times the lunker brown trout thrashed and sent water spraying an impressive distance. I congratulated the fly fisher and engaged him in the usual conversation about what fly or flies he was using and any special presentation tactics he had employed. The high stick nymphing tactic was evident but when he described what flies he was using, now, that really got my attention. Unfortunately the water that separated us was pushing hard and crossing would have been treacherous. Ray went on to catch several more trout and a few were in the lunker size. His walkie talkie crackled and as a result of a short conversation, he made ready to leave to go upstream. Shucks, I really wanted to see those nymphs he was using. A few hours later, as I was fishing around an island upstream, I saw Ray walking towards me. Great! This was my opportunity to see those flies. Not only did Ray show me the flies he normally uses on Penns Creek while nymphing but he gave me several. The following year I ran into Ray again at the Blue Stone Hole and his performance was a repeat of the one the last time I saw him. I had some success on Penns Creek, Yellow Creek and the Yellow Breeches with the flies I duplicated from those that Ray gave me and told him so.

That particular year, Ken Okorn was one of the gang staying at the cabin near Cherry Run and he met Ray almost under the same circumstances as did I. Ray was putting on his usual fishing clinic with his nymphs. As a result, Ken does real well with the nymph/emerger pattern on Penns Creek and several other waters. Ken took one of Rays nymphs and turned it into a must have fly on the South Holston River in Tennessee. This is how Ken relates his meeting with Ray and Ken's subsequent use of the Ray Fly pattern on the South Holston River.

Gene…….This is my encounter with Ray: Trout were rising at the Blue Stone Hole on Penns Creek, and I was catching some on dry flies. I watched a nymph fisherman across the stream catching one trout after another. I caught a nice brown, and when I reached to unhook the fish, I noticed a tiny nymph in its mouth next to my dry fly. Another similar fly was attached by a short dropper. I removed those flies first and placed them on the patch on my vest, before releasing the fish. I noticed the bit of white foam at the head, and guessed the flies were broken off by the fisherman that Gene had told me about, presumably the guy across the stream. I crossed the stream and asked if they were his, and he said that they were. He had lost them to a trout several days earlier. Ray showed me his fly box, which contained tiny nymphs tied with various materials and in different colors. One thing that all of the flies had in common was a piece of white packaging foam tied in behind the eye of the hook. He gave me several to try, in addition to the two I retrieved from the fish I caught. He also showed me his method for fishing. Three of the nymphs were attached to the leader in tandem, without droppers. He used enough heavy shot about a foot above the flies to reach the stream bottom in the fast, deep section he was fishing. His theory is that the foam caused the flies to bob in the current just above the bottom, at the eye level of the fish. I thanked him and put the flies in my fly box, assuring him that I would try them sometime when the trout were not rising. He told me that I shouldn't be wasting my time fishing dries. I later tied a number of flies in that style and used them locally and on the South Holston River in Tennessee. I have been impressed with the results, although I rig them in a more conventional manner. I lost a lot of flies to the stream bottom when I tried his method."

Remember if you are fishing Penns Creek between Cherry Run and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Cabin and notice a fly fisher putting on a fishing clinic with nymphs, walk up and ask if his first name is Ray! Below is my personalized modification of the Ray Fly.

Recipe:
Hook: Midge/Emerger curved style, size 20-22
Thread: 8/0 Black
Wing: White polyurethane packaging foam
Hackle: Peacock or dark gray ostrich herl
Body: Black Krystal Flash and clear midge Larva Lace

General Tying Instructions:
1) Pinch the barb if the hook has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise and starting behind the hook eye, wrap thread back to 1/3 point, then forward, stopping just behind the hook eye.
3. Tie in a sliver of white polyurethane packaging foam on top of the shank. The sliver of foam should extend out over the hook eye approximately one hook gap in length.
4. Wrap the thread back to the hook bend and tie in the clear midge larva lace.
5. Tie in the black Krystal Flash and wrap forward to behind the foam wing.
6. Wrap the clear midge Larva lace forward forming tight segments to behind the foam wing.
7. Dub the thorax area at the base of the wing with a pinch of fur (optional) or use the method I prefer, tie in a few wraps of peacock or black ostrich herl.
8. Wrap the tying thread just ahead of the wing to position the wing on a 45 degree angle out over the hook eye.
10. Finish the head.

Ausable Bomber(65)

Ken Okorn has used the Ausable Bomber successfully on a number of trout streams, so I asked him to prepare a Fly of the Week piece for my website. The results were so impressive that I suggested he submit the article to one of the fly fishing magazines. Below are a few paragraphs from that piece that Ken sent to me. Also, the fly pictured is tied by Ken Okorn and photographed by me.

"Gene Giza and I stopped in Fran Betters fly shop a number of years back for some information on fishing conditions. Fran was always more informative if a purchase was made, so we both selected some flies. Before ringing up the items we purchased, Fran added a couple of very large and strange looking flies to the collection, noting that these were the "money" flies.

Several days later, Gene and I were having some slow fishing on West Canada Creek. Looking through his fly box, it was hard not to notice Fran's large and gaudy creation. Gene tied it on, made a cast, and promptly lost it to a large trout that darted out from a rock ledge. I wouldn't use mine, because I wanted to have some of Fran's flies for my fly collection. That left us wondering if the fly was that good, or that was just a coincidence.

During an early June trip to Mark Campbell's cabin on Penns Creek, nice browns were rising each evening to the large adult stoneflies that were returning to lay eggs. A size 8 Bomber skittered over the riffles at the head of the Blue Stone pool accounted for a number of these fish when nothing else worked.

The next day, I fished Weikert Run in the afternoon and found that a dead drifted size 12 version was very effective on wild browns and brookies. It was also very visible under typical mountain stream conditions of a broken water surface and mixed sunlight and shade. I rarely fished anything but an Adams on small mountain streams, but now the Bomber has become my first choice. Several trips to East Licking Creek further convinced me of its effectiveness.

October or pumpkin caddis appeared on Big Spring, the Yellow Breeches, and Yellow Creek in the fall. Although there were very few flies on the water, the trout rose readily for a skittered size 12 Bomber on all of these streams. The buoyant fly supported cress bug and scud patterns on droppers."

As mentioned, the above several paragraphs are a sampling of Ken's article and I am looking forward to reading Ken's complete article in a fly fishing magazine. You bet!

Recipe:
Hook: 2X long dry fly, sizes 8 - 16.
Thread: 8/0 Fire orange
Wing: White calf tail for large sizes, white calf body hair for smaller sizes.
Tail: Woodchuck hair
Hackle: Dry fly grade, one brown and one grizzly, sized to hook gap.
Body: Dull orange dry fly dubbing.

General Tying Instructions:
1) Pinch the barb if the hook has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise and starting behind the hook eye, wrap thread back to 1/3 point, then forward, stopping 1/8" behind the hook eye.
3. Comb and stack a bundle of calf hair, and tie in on top of the shank. The tips should extend out over the hook eye approximately shank length.
4. Trim the hair butts on a taper and wrap the thread back to the hook bend.
5. Tie in the woodchuck hair tail, approximately the length of the hook shank.
6. Tie in the hackle feathers by the stems, concave (dull) side facing the tier.
7. Dub the body material lightly on to the tying thread, and wrap forward to behind the wing.
8. Palmer the hackles over the dubbed body, one feather at a time, and tie off just behind the wing.
9. Apply a small amount of the dubbing to the tying thread and wrap it just ahead of the wing to brace the wing on a 45 degree angle out over the hook eye.
10. Finish the head.

Royce Shiner(64)

As noted in Recent News and Happenings, Royce, my fishing buddy from the Erie area, spends a considerable amount of time on the Lake Erie tributaries steelhead fishing when he is not guiding. The early October trip for steelhead produced good results using his emerald shiner imitation with a modified streamer or wet fly quartering downstream swing and strip technique. Since the water was low and clear there was no need to use valuable time searching the entire water in the hope of catching a steelhead. The big fish were fairly easy to spot as many were in pods consisting of ten to twenty steelhead. We concentrated on picking a spot for accurate casting and presentation. Once properly positioned, the cast was made several yards upstream of the fish and the necessary maneuvering of the streamer was accomplished with a mend or mends of the fly line allowing the fly to sink and then to swing in front of the foremost steelhead. Fishing wet flies and streamers on waters such as Penns Creek, Little Juniata River and the Yellow Breeches has helped to provide the experience and skill needed for steelhead fishing. Most hookups occurred when the streamer reached the foremost steelhead and the inherited territorial instinct took control. On those occasions when the streamer passed the foremost steelhead without a hookup, a short but rapid stripping of the fly line often resulted in one of the big ones leaving the pod and attacking the fleeing baitfish which, in this case, is the sparsely dressed streamer.
FYI……….A second and third steelhead fishing trip to the Erie area in October solidified the veracity of the Royce Shiner. It is inspiring to fish with anglers that are innovative and are willing to share information.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 9672 streamer hook, size 12-10
Thread: UNI-Thread 6/0 fire orange
Head: Small pearlescent plastic bead
Tail: Same material as body
Body: Peacock Krystal Flash or similar material
Wing: Pearlescent Wing n Flash or similar material, White and Olive marabou barbules
Throat: Fire Orange thread

General Tying Instructions:
1) Pinch the barb if the hook has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise and lay down a layer of thread to the bend of the hook and tie in 6-7 strands of Peacock Krystal Flash to form the tail that is about ¾ length of hook shank in size.
3) Twist and wind the Peacock Krystal Flash forward to form the body.
4) Tie in 5-8 strands of the Wing n Flash, 6-10 white marabou barbules and 6-10 olive marabou barbules in that order behind the plastic bead and finish with the fire orange collar

Mini Money Fly (63)

I was one of eleven Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter volunteers serving as gillies for the fourteen youths involved in the second annual Cumberland County Youth Action Team program entitled Street to Streams. The event consisted of an introduction to fly fishing, fly rod casting, the gillies and fishing in the Yellow Breeches Catch and Release Section at Allenberry. The event lasted two days and was a huge success. On the second day while fishing downstream from the Allenberry Pavilion, a fishing friend of mine, who resides in Virginia and fishes the Yellow Breeches quite often, approached me with a question. He had recently been spending some time fishing Yellow Creek and the outline of his question unfolded as follows: He and his son and later with a fishing buddy noted a smallish mayfly in large numbers and fish up working the surface. They initially thought the mayfly was a Trico. But the up and down mating flight pattern belied the bug as a Trico. Tricos mate in an oblong mass that often resembles the outline of a huge football that can be twenty feet long and four feet high. Besides as he noted, it was too early in the season for the appearance of Tricos. They tried numerous small flies without success. On return trips to Yellow Creek they encountered the same scenario. On the last trip they observed another fly fisher taking a few fish with the Blue Quill fly. It appeared to them that the fish were taking the naturals in the water not as a drifting dun but as a collapsed cripple. With that background the question was asked……….what was the bug?

I informed him that I had been experiencing similar scenarios on Yellow Creek with the same mayfly and a capture of several live specimens revealed that they were Slate Winged Mahogany Duns. As outlined in Recent News and Happenings, I was fortunate to see spinner activity around noon and again in the late evening and ON the same day! But not having rousing success with fishing a dry fly spinner pattern, I concentrated on fishing with an emerger pattern. I tend to think that after the spinner activity, the bugs fly to nearby vegetation where the females ripen their eggs and the males die. Perhaps the females deposit their eggs after dark? Any way, with the good results fishing the emerger pattern, the Mini Money Fly was destined to become the Fly of the Week. The Mini Money Fly, when presented as an emerger, also works when midges and small BWOs are evident.

Recipe:
Hook: TMC 2488, size 20-22
Thread: 8/0 Uni-Thread, black
Wing: Coastal deer hair, natural
Dubbing: Rumpf, beaver dark tan

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise, attach the tying thread behind the hook eye and wrap over the hook shank to the hook bend.

3) Return the tying thread to near the hook eye and tie in a small bundle of coastal deer hair, with tips extending over the hook eye. Here's how…pinch the bundle about 3/8 inch from tips and tie in about one eye width behind the hook eye with about 8-10 snug wraps.

4) Trim butts of deer hair and wrap thread over any butt remnants.

5) Dub the thorax over the thread wrapped deer hair butts.

6) Lift wing and half hitch behind the eye.

Grannom Emerger (62)

The Grannom Emerger is one of three fly patterns that has provided excellent results in early April when the Grannoms appear as rollover hatches in concert with Hendricksons. The Grannom adult is number 16 on the Fly of the Week link. The Grannom Emerger appears from early to mid morning and accounts for a good number of trout, so fish it accordingly. Add this one to your fly box.

Recipe:
Hook: Size 14 - 16 curved scud or caddis hook.
Thread: 8/0 black Uni-Thread
Body: Charcoal gray dubbing
Rib: Chartreuse 6/0 Uni-Thread or BR Ultra Wire
Shuck: Ginger Z-lon, straight style
Thorax: Charcoal gray dubbing
Wing: Snowshoe rabbit feet medium dun
Legs: Reddish brown hackle
Head: 8/0 Black Uni-Thread

General Tying Instructions:
General Tying Instructions:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws. Secure the hook in the vise jaws and attach the tying thread behind the eye and lay down a thread base slightly beyond the curve of the hook.
2) Tie in the Chartreuse thread or wire rib material.
3) From the hook bend, dub a quarter of the hook with the charcoal gray material
4) Wind the Chartreuse thread or wire counterclockwise to form the rib.
5) Tie the ginger Z-lon in front of the dubbing so that it encircles the body dubbing and rib and extends well beyond the bend of the hook. Tie an overhand knot of 6/0 thread around the Z-lon about equal to the hook shank length. Cut the thread tag ends. Cut the Z-lon behind the knot approximately one sixteenth of an inch and singe it with a lighter. Super glue the tip if necessary.
6) Dub the body forward leaving room for hackle legs, wing and head.
7) Tie-in and wrap two turns of hackle.
8) Tie-in a wing the length of the body using snowshoe rabbit feet hair. Half hitch or whip finish, snip the butts to form the head and cement

Egg Laying Grannom (61)

The Egg Laying Grannom rounds out the Grannom collection. At pre-dusk the surface action begins and it is time tie on the Egg Laying Grannom. Remember, prior to this, we were using the Grannom Emerger in the morning, then using the adult Grannom from about noon to mid afternoon. Now as evening approaches, it is time to use the Grannom Egg Layer to close out the day. To recap, the rollover hatches of Grannoms and Hendricksons occur from about 2:00 to 5:00 PM and then the egg laying Grannom caddis provides the incentive for the evening fishing. What a great way to enjoy the first major hatches of the spring season.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 94840 or TMC 900BL, size 14-16
Thread: Black, 6/0
Body: Charcoal gray or black pseudo seal
Rib: Chartreuse, 6/0 Uni-Thread
Under Wing: CDC black or baetis
Wing: Gray natural deer hair
Egg Sac: Chartreuse 6/0 Uni-Thread

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook. Tie in two four inch pieces of chartreuse 6/0 thread at the bend of the hook. Use one of the pieces to form the egg sac.

3) Select the charcoal gray or Pseudo Seal black dubbing and form a body. Next rib the body in a counterclockwise direction with the remaining chartreuse thread. Leave enough room behind the hook eye to tie in the CDC and deer hair materials.

4) Select two matched CDC feathers and tie in behind the eye of the hook. CDC fibers should extend to the bend of the hook.

5) Tie in the gray natural deer hair, which closely resembles the natural's wings. Three or four soft turns and several tight turns with the tying thread will prevent the deer hair wing from overly splaying. Lift the deer hair butts, take four turns of thread around the hook shank and half hitch.

6) Form a slight head and half hitch or whip finish.

CIA Aquatic Bug (60)

Sowbugs, cressbugs, and scuds are names that are often used interchangeably by new comers to the fly fishing arena when referring to the aquatic bugs that inhabit freestone and limestone streams. Call them by other names like freshwater shrimp, or side swimmers or aquatic pill bugs, or whatever, but these bugs have a common denominator and that is the color, which is mostly olive gray or grayish olive. These bugs can be found hiding in aquatic weeds and other places that offer concealment. But they all are of importance to trout as a readily food source because they remain in the water in basically one form (size will vary) year round and fish consume them in good numbers. The distinction that should be made at this point is that scuds and sowbugs (cressbugs) are totally different critters living in a similar habitat, but can be imitated by one fly…. The CIA Aquatic Bug. Sowbugs and scuds are found in productive streams with substantial weed growth. Generally, this means limestone spring creeks. Freestone streams are not generally known for having significant populations of scuds and sowbugs. However, sowbugs can be present in large numbers in freestone streams that are organically enriched by human activity. Greg Hoover, who teaches Entomology at PSU, recently wrote an interesting article on Aquatic Sowbugs and noted that some sowbugs species do very well in organically enriched conditions. A biologist friend of mine cited the Clarion River as an example. Many years ago, the bottom of the Clarion River was covered with sowbugs back when the paper mill discharge at Johnsonburg was not well treated. Now with improved discharge guidelines, sowbugs are no longer present in large numbers downstream.

Water events like bank top floods will dislodge the critters downstream to waiting fish. One such event happened recently while I was fishing the catch and release section on the Yellow Breeches, albeit not a natural occurrence but the results were the same. A permitted water release of Children's Lake in Boiling Springs was underway one day during the third week in January. I was fishing above the Allenberry Dam and noticed a gradual change in water clarity from gin clear to a spring creek milky hue. Along with the change in water color, free flowing aquatic weed fragments were on the increase. I deducted that the gradual changing stream condition was the result of discharging water from the nearby lake, so I thought there must be some aquatic sowbugs and scuds in the lot. I then changed my fishing tactic from midge surface dry fly fishing to subsurface fishing with the CIA Aquatic Bug fly. Bouncing the fly along the bottom produced four trout and numerous nicks and misses. The aquatic weed fragments were on the increase resulting in the need to remove the green stuff from the tapered leader, split shot and fly. I moved downstream several hundred yards to get ahead of these weed fragments but the fish were not overly interested in the CIA Aquatic Bugs. Conditions were not favorable until the milky water and weed fragments caught up to me. Fishing would be OK for twenty to thirty minutes until the dense weed bits and pieces caused constant line and fly fouling. I would once again leapfrog downstream and wait for the free flowing sowbug and scud banquet to arrive. While waiting I decided to tie on a sucker spawn fly that is often very productive not only on the limestone creeks but on the Lake Erie tributaries in the Erie area. Steelhead are receptive to this fly especially in March. When the sowbug and scud banquet caught up to me I would switch to the CIA Aquatic Bug fly and once again the action would be on. One never ceases to learn when fly fishing, so be observant. The unexpected sowbug and scud banquet resulting from the controlled water release from Children's Lake into the creek while I was fishing was one such occasion. Remember when life hands you a lemon, make lemonade or better yet, tie one fly, CIA (Cover It All) style, and use it to mimic a couple or several different bugs. Why carry 4-6 different fly patterns when one will cover it all?

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad C49S, size 14-18
Thread: 6/0 Uni-Thread, olive dun
Ribbing: Ultra Wire BR chartreuse
Shellback: sow-scud back 1/8" light gray
Dubbing: olive-gray muskrat
Legs: See note below general tying instructions

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise, attach the tying thread behind the hook eye and wrap over the hook shank to the hook bend.

3) At the bend of the hook, tie in the chartreuse wire ribbing and the shellback strip. Next with the thread at the hook bend, form a dubbing loop by arranging the muskrat fur into an elongated oval shape and place in the loop. Spiral the thread to near the hook eye. Now spin the dubbing loop (which was left at the hook bend) to form the fur "noodle" and wrap it forward to just behind the hook eye and tie off.

4) Pull the shellback up and over the body, tie off and trim. Next wrap the chartreuse ribbing wire forward creating four or five segments and tie off.

5) Form a head and whip finish.

Note: After completing the fly, take a dubbing needle or dubbing teaser and pick out the dubbing along the bottom to mimic legs. This action will favor the scud appearance. Picking out both sides will have the horizontally flattened appearance of the sowbug.

The "Eyebrow" Streamer (59)

I could tell from the tight loop and the amount of fly line involved that the fly fisher was Art Rorex. Art is a well-traveled fly fisher and fishes other countries as routinely as the majority of us fish other streams in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Art's reputation as a well-traveled fly fisher is legitimate. Many of you probably know Art from his time in the Yellow Breeches Outfitters fly shop in Boiling Springs, PA. This day Art was fishing the Yellow Breeches Creek and having a pretty good outing, catching and releasing several fish that I observed. I questioned Art as to the fly he was using and he showed me the rabbit-strip fly. The rabbit-strip fly that we refer too as a Zonker streamer is subject to fouling. The tag end of the Zonker strip can wrap around the bend of the hook rendering the fly less effective for catching trout. Art missed his calling and should have been a college professor as he went into detail describing to me how to prevent the Zonker strip from fouling around the bend of the hook. He covered the aspects of the monofilament loop, the mono spike and soda straw split lengthwise methods. Finally he opened the fly box that contained a zillion streamers and plucked out a dozen flies and handed them to me saying try these in your fishing travels. End result after fishing the various flies was an olive rabbit-strip Zonker with two different body colors that consistently caught trout. One was tied with a dark olive fuzzy wool yarn and the other was tied with a golden olive pearl chenille. The dark olive fuzzy wool yarn was obtained from a craft store under the Lion brand, labeled Amazing Rain Forest. The pearl chenille in golden olive was obtained from a fly shop. The golden olive body was favored for steelhead fishing in the Lake Erie tributaries. Several of us were fishing Penns Creek when I caught and released almost back to back wild brown trout that were near the twenty inch range. This Zonker strip fly is a keeper.

We referred to the Zonker strip fly simply as the bunny fly. Last month my wife, Gayle, had both knees replaced. While Gayle was in the hospital recovering from her surgery, I would stay with her for eight hours or so a day so I could assist her with her needs. I brought my portable fly tying equipment with me and was tying the Zonker rabbit-strip critter by Gayle's hospital bedside. A woman from housekeeping walked into the room and proclaimed in a high singing gospel like voice "What are those eyebrows?" and in the same breath, she said "I want a pair, Oh Lordy!" Thus was born the Eyebrow Streamer. The two previously tied streamers were on the bedside table with the zonker rabbit-strip facing the woman so I can see how she mistakenly thought the streamers were eyebrows. She was quite taken with the whole fly tying/fishing thing and was truly fascinated by the "eyebrows" I was tying.

Recipe:

Hook: # 2-14 standard to 8Xlong streamer
Thread: 6/0 color to match fly
Body: fuzzy wool yarn (color to compliment Zonker strip)
Wing: Zonker strip standard or large (to fit hook size) (various colors)
Throat: red yarn, wool or hackle fibers (optional)
Lead: .015" - .035" (see note)
Bead/Cone: optional

General Tying Instructions:

1. Pinch the barb and insert the hook in the vise.
2. Tie in the thread just forward of the hook point.
3. Tie in the lead wire forward of the hook point; wrap forward to two turns behind the hook eye; wrap back over the initial layer towards the hook bend; stop 1/3 to ½ way back to the tie in point; use additional thread wraps to form smooth transitions (cones) at each end of the wire and at the end of the second layer. See photo on home page.
4. Tie in the Zonker strip at the hook bend; the hair should flow back over the hook bend; spread the hair at the tie in point and tie down only the leather (don't tie down the hair fibers); have no more than ¼ inch of leather extending back past the bend; fold the remaining strip back over the bend.
5. Tie in the wool yarn at the hook bend forward of the Zonker strip (match the cut end of the yarn to the end of the lead wire); wrap the thread back towards the hook bend to make sure the yarn is tied in snug to the Zonker strip (no gaps between the strip and the wool); spiral wrap the thread to the hook eye.
6. Wrap the yarn forward in tight wraps towards the hook eye; leave one or two wrap spaces for the head; tie off the yarn and trim the excess.
7. Pull the zonker strip forward over the yarn and tie in behind the hook eye; spread the hair and tie down only the leather; trim the excess.
8. Form a thread head over the cut end of the Zonker strip; whip finish.
9. Use a toothbrush or soft wire brush to "fuzz up" the wool body (optional).
10. Note: For bead/cone heads attach the bead/cone as step one and then proceed with remaining instructions; lead wire is optional with a bead/cone head; whip finish behind the bead/cone.

Pheasant Tail Emerger (I like to refer to this fly as Ken's Pick) (58)

Ken Okorn and I frequently fish together on numerous waters within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in other states. I ask Ken to guide with me when a booking entails three or more clients, so between fishing together and guiding together, I get to see Ken on the water using some interesting flies that he ties. Ken has a fly that has had impressive results not only when Ken fishes it, but when I and a few other fishing friends have fished it. Ken got the idea for this fly by watching Tom Baltz, another well known guide, and a respected and accomplished fly tier, tie his para-nymph. Tom's para-nymph is like a Hare's Ear nymph suspended under a parachute Adams. Ken tied some and they worked very well for him. Ken thought that if a Hare's Ear works, why not a Pheasant Tail. Made sense since the Hare's Ear and Pheasant Tail are probably the two most popular nymphs. Ken tied the pheasant tail version and first fished it last November on Clark Creek. It worked very well, especially on wild browns and brookies in the riffle areas. He tried it on the Yellow Breeches and Yellow Creek, and caught a good number of trout on it well into December. He thought his success with the fly was unusual, because there were no significant hatches present. If fish were rising, it was to midges or small BWOs. Casting the emerger to the sipping trout would often result in an aggressive take and solid hookup. Another fishing friend, Doug Matty, also caught trout with Ken's Pix this past November on Yellow Creek and the Yellow Breeches. It appears that the basic pattern has the potential to work during many hatches by varying the size, and the color of the thorax and hackle. Plans for next spring and the following dynamic fishing months are to have a supply of Ken's Pick flies in Hendrickson, March Brown, Sulfur, Olive and Slate Drake versions for some outstanding surface fishing not only when trout are surface active but especially when trout are not surface active. Ken's Pick goes beyond what is expected and achieves success when confronted with limited surface activity.

Recipe:

Hook: Size 14 Dai Riki 135, or any curved scud or caddis hook.
Thread: 8/0 Fire Orange Uni-Thread
Post: White calf body hair
Hackle: One reddish brown and one grizzly
Tail: Woodchuck or fox squirrel guard hairs (I have also used brown Antron as a shuck with good results.)
Body: Natural pheasant tail fibers
Rib: Fine copper wire
Thorax: Muskrat belly fur
Head: tying thread

Instructions:

1. Bend down the hook barb and place hook in vise.
2. Start the thread behind the eye and wrap back to the midpoint of the hook, then about three or four turns forward. This forms a base for tying the post. It also helps to place a half hitch at this point to help keep the post in place.
3. Stack the calf hair to even the tips. Tie the calf hair on top of the hook shank with the tips of the hair extending forward. Take several turns of thread around the base of the post and stand it upright, bracing it with thread. Trim the butts of the hair on a taper towards the hook bend.
4. Tie in the two hackle feathers at the base of the post with the stems down and concave sides towards the post. Make several thread wraps to secure the stems to the post.
5. Bend the ends of the hackle stems back along the hook shank and wrap thread over them to a point well around the bend of the hook. Cut off the excess stems.
6. Tie in the guard hair tail, copper wire rib, and several pheasant tail fibers where the thread wraps end, and bring the thread forward to the base of the post.
7. Wrap the pheasant tail fibers to the base of the post and tie off.
8. Counter wrap the copper wire rib to the base of the post and tie off.
9. Wrap four turns of each hackle around the post, parachute style, and tie off.
10 Apply a small amount of muskrat belly fur to the thread. Wrap one turn of the dubbing behind the post and several turns in front. Use care to ensure that there is no gap in the dubbing under the post.
11. Whip finish the head, and apply head cement. Also apply a drop of head cement to the base of the post at the point where the hackles are wrapped.

The Unusual Fly (57)

Cell phone communication has become a vital part of fishing and here's one good example why. I had just returned to the fifth wheel RV from a morning of archery hunting when my cell phone rang. Thom Livingston was the caller and he was on I-90 at Northeast, PA, about to enter NY en route to steelhead fish the special year round catch-and-release sections of Eighteen Mile Creek and Salmon River. Thom brought me up to date on his past several days of steelhead fishing. In PA, Elk Creek held few fish, while Walnut was too crowded but held a large number of fish and 20 Mile Creek had a combination of few fish and too many anglers. However, the special year round catch-and-release section on Chautauqua Creek, about a 12 mile drive into NY from Northeast, PA, held a moderate number of steelhead and fewer anglers. Thom advised that Chautauqua Creek would be a good place to begin my steelhead fishing.
Gayle and I are fortunate to have property in NY near the steelhead tributaries and when Thom called with the steelhead update, he was about five miles from the property location. I knew Thom was on a mission to continue his steelhead fishing so I did not invite him to stop at the RV and have a mid morning cup of coffee with Gayle and me.

On an earlier steelhead/archery trip I had received permission from a NY vineyard/orchard owner to access 20 Mile Creek. The access required some physical endurance to get into the gorge and out again but that is why I make an effort to stay fit. I wanted to scope out the waters on the upper sections of 20 Mile Creek before driving over to Chautauqua Creek as suggested by Thom. I didn't make it to Chautauqua Creek because I found a holding pool of impressive sized steelhead about a mile upstream from the gorge access. Unbelievably, I had the pool to myself! Keeping a low profile I crept to the edge of the pool and cast the first of many tried and true flies to the steelhead holding in the gin-clear water. Lockjaw!! Not a steelhead was interested in any of the offerings. I downsized the tippet to 5X and tied on the last of the flies I tied prior to leaving home. This fly was flashy but scantly tied and I only had one. Most unusual. I carefully cast upstream of the pod of steelhead and as the strike indicator floated over the pod with the fly dangling about four feet below, it disappeared. Remember I am low to the ground and needed the strike indicator to alert me when a steelhead took the fly. Did the indicator disappear because it hung up on the bottom? The rod tip was lifted with minimal pressure because of the 5X tippet and joyfully, I was fast to a steelhead. I stood up and played the steelhead as it dashed and rumbled up and down the pool, coming out of the water several times. The 5X tippet held and the steelhead was released. The pool was rested for ten minutes (something you can't do when other anglers are about) and two more steelhead were caught and released. The forth hookup ended in disaster. The previous runs up and down the pool had chafed the tapered leader and the only fly that was unusual from the batch tied earlier was lost. I chastised myself for not checking the tapered leader while resting the pool between steelhead hookups. Interestingly, had I been guiding a client, I would have checked the condition of the tapered leader after each catch and release and encouraged my client to do likewise when fishing alone. Guess we really need to practice what we preach!

One final note………….this fly does work on other trout in other areas of PA.

Recipe:
Hook: Gold Jig Head 1/124, Size 10 (Obtainable from Bass Pro)
Thread: Uni-Thread Fire Orange, 6/0
Body: Glo Bug Micro Cream Delight or Peachy King

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws.
2) Secure the hook in the vise, attach the tying thread behind the jig ball and wrap over the hook shank to the hook bend.
3) At the bend of the hook, spin the bobbin clockwise to tighten the twist in the thread, and use the twisted thread to form a rib.Whip finish the twisted thread, after wrapping the rib, to maintain the tight twist.
4) Tie in one end of a two inch piece of Glo Bug Micro material about 1/3 hook shank distance behind the ball of the hook eye. Loop a short section of Glo Bug Micro material, tie it down and repeat process to form a second loop. Clip the excess Glo Bug Micro material. The resulting two bumps should resemble an Inchworm in motion.
5) Build a slight thread dam behind the jig head and whip finish.
Note: The hook will be in an upright position when fished, lessening the chance of a snag. The Glo Bug Micro material will be on the bottom of the hook, which seems to enhance the fish's attraction to this fly.

Blood Dot Egg Fly (56)

Two years ago on an early October Elk Creek steelhead fishing trip, we caught some lunkers. The water in Elk Creek was low and clear, resulting in the fish being overly alert to anglers. Many fly choices were ignored, but one fly, the veiled blue egg, (see Fly of the Week # 36), did take a good number of steelhead. Thus, Ken, my fishing buddy of many streams, and I concentrated on presenting the veiled blue egg to various pods of steelhead. The veiled blue egg fly was most effective when attached to a 5X tippet, and consequently, we lost a few fish. Higher, less clear water would have enhanced our success in the number of fish landed by using a stronger tippet. The veiled blue egg is a simple to tie fly and needs to be fished from the "first run" fall appearance of the steelhead right up to ice over, and again for ice out until the steelhead leave the tributaries in the spring.

Recently, another fishing buddy, Scott Douglas, fished Elk and Walnut Creeks (I missed seeing Scott on the water by a few days) during the six day rain event in the Erie area. He was using a modified blue egg fly with a blood dot and you can see the results in the photo of Scott and a football shaped steelhead. I plan to tie a dozen or so modified blue egg flies for my upcoming steelhead trips to the Erie area.

Recipe:
Hook: Curved caddis type, size 14-16
Thread: Light Blue, 6/0
Body: Blue Glo Bug Yarn
Dot: Blood Red Glo Bug Yarn
Egg Veil: Hareline Milky White (optional)

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, and secure the hook in the vise jaws. Attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
2) Start the egg body using the Egg Gun. After tying the blue yarn to the middle of the hook shank, overlay a smaller diameter piece of red yarn and tie down in the same location. The red yarn should extend slightly beyond the eye and the bend of the hook. Figure eight tie the combination of blue and blood red yarn to the hook shank. Tie off the thread behind the eye of the hook, clip the blue yarn from the egg gun and then clip
the blood red yarn flush with the blue yarn forming the egg shape fly. The Egg Gun is a fast and easy way to tie egg patterns and reduces material waste.
3) Fold a ¼ inch wide by 1.5 inch long piece of milky white veil material on the tying thread and wrap several times between the egg body and the hook eye. The veil material should overlap the upper portion of the fly and protrude behind the fly. NOTE: The veil is an optional attractant on this fly.
4) Tie off the thread and apply cement if desired.

Hackled Trico (55)

Most fly fishers, including me, only think of tying and fishing the male and female spinner phase of the Trico hatch. For years, I neglected the dun phase because fishing to the spinner phase yielded moderate returns. The occasional voids during the morning Trico activity was justified with casting practice and the hope that the next cast would result in a hookup. I must admit the voids did improve casting accuracy. During the early season appearance of the Tricos, the duns do not appear to be evident on the water in the morning. However, my approach to Trico fishing was altered when a few of my fishing buddies started using a hackled Trico. We went on to catch a fair number of trout using the hackled Trico even when the male Trico spent spinners were on the surface after 9:00 A.M. The males usually spin out about that time and the fishing can be good. Now my fly box contains hackled and spent wing versions of the Tricos. I normally tie both versions on size 26 wide gap hooks and take a fair share of the feeding/sipping fish on the Yellow Breeches and other waters that feature the morning appearance of the Trico hatch. The hackled Trico in conjunction with an early morning trek to the stream and a good presentation establishes a sound platform for some outstanding summer and early fall fishing.

Recipe:

Hook: Any Wide Gap in Sizes 26 - 24
Thread: Black, 8/0 Tail: None
Abdomen: Black Thread Thorax: Black dubbing
Wing: White, Light Blue Dun, Medium Dun, Smokey Dun or Grizzly Hackle (I tie a selection of different wing colors and change flies when the action on one fly ceases.)

The Money Fly (54)

As noted in Recent News and Happenings the Money Fly has a unique background and provided interesting pre dark fishing on Penns Creek. I would like to add that it is paramount to treat the calf hair portion of the Money Fly when it no longer floats high on the water's surface. The calf hair is the beacon that shows up so nicely at dusk and again when darkness overtakes the creek. The floatant I use is fumed silica or Frog's Fanny that is available in fly shops.

I could call this fly the CIA (cover it all) Emerger because it works just as well in the evening for any large mayfly regardless of the dun's body color. After all, all mayfly bugs exhibit pretty much the same dark tan color when emerging. I have been fishing the Money Fly on the Yellow Breeches since mid June with excellent results. I suspect it will continue to work well throughout the summer because this water harbors a grand selection of large mayflies. If any emerging activity takes place in the evening the Money Fly is my fly of choice. Should be interesting when the late evening Hexagenia appear in mid August to mid September.

One last note, when trout hit the Money Fly it is no subtle take. The take can be so forceful and splashy that it surprises the angler and, in that split second, the instinct to set the hook is too late. After the first two or three surprisingly splashy takes one is then prepared to immediately respond to future takes in the waning light.

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad, 94831 2x long, size 14
Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0 Fire Orange
Body: Rumpf Beaver Dubbing Dark Tan
Wing: White Calf Hair (from body or tail)
Head: Fire Orange Thread
NOTE: This is a simple fly to tie, which makes it one of my favorites.

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one and secure the hook in the vise jaws.
2) Attach the thread behind the hook eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
3) Dub a tapered body to within a quarter inch of the hook eye.
4) Tie in a clump of calf hair with the tips extending over the hook eye. The extending calf hair (over the hook eye) should equal the hook shank.
5) Cut and dub over the calf hair butts, completing the body.
6) Lift the calf hair extending over the hook eye and form a thread head behind the hook eye.
7) Half hitch the thread head and apply a few drops of cement.

Illegal Nymph (53)

In early spring of 1998, I received, in the mail, a Xerox copy of tying instructions for a wet fly. My fishing buddy, Scott Douglas, from the Winchester, Virginia area fishes many of the popular trout waters in Pennsylvania and had been experiencing good results in the spring with a wet fly known as Steve's Illegal Nymph. He suggested I tie a few and try them when the Black Stoneflies were crawling about in late winter and early spring and again when the Grannom Caddis were hatching in my area which is late March and early April. I had missed the time frame for the Black Stoneflies so I decided to try the new addition to my wet fly box on Grannom Caddis. The only changes to the pattern for the Grannom Caddis were a curved caddis hook and no tail.

I arrived on the fly fishing only section at Yellow Creek and was dismayed to find a half dozen vehicles occupying the limited parking area near the project waters. That has since changed with the construction of a 10-12 vehicle parking lot at the project water site. I knew of a place to park further up the road that would not infringe on private property but would require a hearty walk to reach the fly fishing only project waters. The walk was worth the effort as I later experienced trout that savagely hit the Grannom Caddis Illegal Nymph..
For years now I have used the Illegal Nymph as a mayfly wet fly and as a Grannom Caddis wet fly on most of the big name destination waters in Pennsylvania and in several New York waters with fair to good results. I usually do not put a fly on my web site unless I personalize it in some manner and notice a positive result while fishing. Several years ago, I made the personalization of the wet fly by always adding a rib. The fine copper wire ribbing listed in the recipe sent to me by Scott, was optional. Also, I used 3/0 chartreuse thread as the ribbing material. I recently changed the 3/0 chartreuse thread for the sturdy and highly attractant chartreuse Ultra Wire in size small. Chartreuse thread in 6/0 is the tying thread and a dam of chartreuse behind the clear glass seed bead adds extra appeal. The tail of Hungarian Partridge fibers on the mayfly wet fly is optional. I do not add the tail when tying this fly, but some fly fishers feel more comfortable with a tail on a mayfly type wet fly. As mentioned above, another benefit of this fly pattern is when tied on a curved caddis type hook it makes an ideal wet fly for Grannom Caddis. The results of the personalized flies are major improvements for fly longevity and for the number of resulting trout hookups.

Several years ago, I was guiding two highly placed individuals in the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, on the Yellow Breeches. It was in the spring and I selected the Illegal Nymph as the fly for the morning. As I was tying on the wet fly one of the individuals asked what was the name of the wet fly I was tying to the tippet and as I replied the Illegal Nymph. His eyes widened and I quickly explained the benign history behind the wet fly. In short, I reiterated that the tyer of the wet fly showed it to a friend and the friend said something to the effect that the wet fly looked so good that it should be illegal. Judging from some of my fishing experiences with the wet fly across various pressured fishing waters it should be illegal!

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 9672, size 14 or size 14 Curved Caddis Hook for Grannom Caddis
Thread: Chartreuse 6/0
Bead: Clear Glass Seed Bead Lined With Silver, Medium Size
Tail: Hungarian Partridge Fibers (Optional)
Rib: Chartreuse Ultra Wire, Small Size
Body: Peacock Herl (3 or 4 strands)
Hackle: Gray Hungarian Partridge and sparse clump of downy fibers (Optional) from lower stem area

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, insert bead behind hook eye, and secure the hook in the vise jaws.
2) Attach the thread behind the bead and lay down a single layer of thread to hook bend. Tie in the tail (optional).
3) Tie in 3 or 4 peacock herls by the tips, next tie in the rib wire.
4) Form the body with peacock herl strands and tie off.
5) Counter-wrap the chartreuse wire rib over the body and tie off.
6) Tie in the clump of downy fibers (Optional) on top of the hook shank behind eye of hook. Next tie in the Hungarian Partridge hackle by the tip behind the glass bead, make two wrap and tie off.
7) Build a dam with chartreuse thread behind the glass bead. Do not go higher than the bead with the thread wraps.
8) Whip finish and apply head glue to the thread wraps.

Titan Minnow (52)

Prior to my mid March steelhead fishing trip to the Erie area, Tony Dranzo gave me one of his Smolt flies. The fly was about 6-7 inches long and was tied with Holographic Flashabou type fibers in an assortment of colors including but not limited to pearl, silver, light green, silver red and light blue. I also added the Titan Minnow steelhead fly that Tony had given me earlier. A good move on my part as you shall see. Tony ties the Titan Minnow in a variety of colors but this one was copper Flashabou. With the Smolt and Titan Minnow added to my fly box, which also contained Emarald Shiner flies and the standard assortment of egg patterns I was set for the trip. I lost the Smolt fly early on in the trip when it hung up on the leading edge of a jagged slate ledge. The next fly out of the fly box was the Titan Minnow and on the second cast into the soft water of a large pool I was fast to a respectable size steelhead trout. Later, as I worked downstream the Titan Minnow continued to be productive on the steelhead trout. Gradually I came upon Ralph Gomora and two of his fishing buddies. Ralph had just lost a fish and offered that I fish the spot while he re-rigged the rod and reel steelhead outfit that he proudly proclaimed he had bought for a few bucks and had caught lots of fish with it since. I thanked Ralph for his kind offer and cast the Titan Minnow into the water at the base of an overflow. The copper colored minnow disappeared in the frothy foam and was swept downstream. The take was obvious, no need for a strike indicator, as the assuredness of the fish sent a jolting tremble up the line to the 9 foot, 6 weight fly rod. I had Ralph's attention, but unfortunately the fish dislodged the fly. The next cast resulted in a hookup and after the gratifying battle with the steelhead, Ralph offered to net the fish and take photos. That done, Ralph wanted a closer inspection of the copper colored Titan Minnow and I obliged. I would have given Ralph the fly but it was the only one I had with me this trip and I had two more days left to fish. I explained to Ralph the materials needed and the tying directions needed and then offered to place the fly on my website under the Fly of the Week link. He liked that arrangement. I have found that fly fishers are most cooperative anglers and they rarely hesitate to share information as well as flies.

Well Ralph, see below for my personalized tying instructions as they vary somewhat from the originator's (Tony Dranzo) version of the fly.

Anyone interested in other flies tied by Tony Dranzo can obtain the book entitled CVTU's Favorite Flies, which contains fifty-three productive fly patterns from Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited fishers and tiers. Information is available at www.homestead.com/cvtu.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad Streamer Type Hook, 9672, size 10 - 8
Thread: Camel 6/0
Body: Copper Flashabou (experiment with other colors as well)
Eyes: Medium Gold Bead Chain

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, and secure the hook in the vise jaws.
2) Attach the thread behind the hook eye and lay down a single layer of thread for about ½ inch wide. Tie in bead chain, on top of hook shank, about ¼ inch behind hook eye, forming the eyes.
3) Flashabou is about 9 inches long in the packet. Select 40-50 strands of copper Flashabou and cut where attached to packet. Extend Flashabou tips 2 inches behind hook eye and out over bend of hook. Tie in behind hook eye and wrap the thread about 1/8 inch behind hook eye.
4) Lay remainder of Flashabou (approximately 7 inches) over bead eyes and tie in with several thread wraps. Fold remaining Flashabou under bead chain and when even with tail of the fly, loop the Flashabou forward and tie in behind bead chain. Cut formed loop.
5) Take remaining Flashabou and lay over bead chain and tie in behind hook eye. Fold Flashabou under the bead chain and tie in. Important: All Flashabou is tied down behind the eye of the hook.
6) Whip finish and apply head glue to the thread wraps.

Flash Caddis Emerger (51)

The young man fishing above me in the Run, just below Children's Lake in Boiling Springs was having outstanding success catching trout. I ventured upstream and engaged the young man in conversation. Not an uncommon tactic when we see a fly fisher having a good strain of luck when one is just getting by with their own favorite fly offerings. I asked what type of fly he was using and he graciously showed it to me. The materials for the fly were purchased online and the young fly fisher did not recall the name or brands of material used in the fly pattern. The materials appeared to be an assortment of Krystal dub in peacock green, sparkle braid in fluorescent chartause/pearl and polar flash. Normally if I see a fly I can tie an approximate copy. That episode on the Run resulted in my tying of a flash type caddis emerger that proved to be highly effective on the next day of fishing the Run. I gave one of the flash type caddis emergers to a relatively newcomer to fly fishing and he went on to catch well over a dozen trout in the Run. This particular fly is effective on rainbow trout as well as brown trout and most importantly, your skill level in nymph fly fishing is not that critical. My type of fly!

Free-Living Caddis Larva (50)

Ken Okorn relayed the following information to me regarding his ongoing experiment with the free-living caddis larva pattern. He and Jim Ritter fished for a couple of hours on the Yellow Breeches catch and release section below the Allenberry Dam. Ken caught six browns and lost about that many more. He fished a stonefly nymph with the caddis larva as a dropper. Five fish were caught on the caddis and one (a little wild brown) took the stonefly. Ken had tied three of the caddis larvae and lost all three of them to fish within an hour. One was really nice because after the hook up, it stayed deep. Ken fought the fish for about 30 seconds and but didn’t get to see it. Later, he lost a few other fish before he got to see which fly they took. His guess is that they took the caddis larva. Once he lost those three flies, he tied on the conventionally dubbed version that he used without success on the last outing. It didn't work this time either. Ken thinks the appearance of the clipped fur chenille body and /or the muskrat fur in the mixture may have something to do with the effectiveness of the pattern.

Remember from reading Recent News and Happenings, Ken is in physical therapy post surgery on his right hand and next week the therapist will start working on Ken’s grip. Perhaps soon Ken will be allowed to start holding the rod in his right hand, and using the reel. Being able to play a fish should save a lot of flies, especially since tying flies with one hand in recovery is a chore. In the two recent trips to the Yellow Breeches after surgery, five fish have broken the 5X leader and a number of others got off. Bottom line is……..Ken was on the stream doing what he likes best…..fly fishing for trout!!

Recipe:

Hook: 2X long shank nymph, size 14 or 16
Thread: Olive Dun, 8/0
Tail: Brown Olive Antron yarn
Body: Haretron dark olive dubbing (75%) and muskrat belly fur (25%) mixed well.
Rib: Clear monofilament, 5X or larger
Head/Thorax: Dark brown squirrel dubbing

General Tying Instructions:

1) Pinch the barb if the hook has one.

2) Secure the hook in the vise and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Tie in a piece of Antron yarn to form a short tail about 1/8" in length

4) Tie in the piece of 5X or larger monofilament for the rib.

5) Form a dubbing loop and place the body dubbing mixture in the loop. Spin the loop to form a fur chenille. Bring the tying thread to a point about 1/8" behind the hook eye. Wrap the fur chenille to this point and tie off.

6) Trim the body into a thin cylinder, with a slight taper at the tail. Spiral wrap the monofilament rib tightly over the body and tie off.

7) Form another dubbing loop and place the squirrel dubbing in the loop.

8) Spin the loop to form the fur chenille. Bring the tying thread forward to just behind the hook eye.

9) Wrap the fur chenille to form the head and tie off the fur chenille. Trim the head keeping it slightly thicker than the body.

10)Whip finish.

Emerald Shiner (49)

Scott Douglas sent me a photo and information regarding a 31 inch, 12 pound steelhead trout that he caught and released on Walnut Creek in early December. Scott is a well traveled fly fisher and this steelhead was the largest one that he caught thus far on any of the Lake Erie tributaries. Scott caught the monster on an Emerald Shiner fly that he had tied. I asked Scott to provide the recipe and tying instructions. I tend to tie using natural or colored tying materials and noticed that Scott uses indelible ink in his Emerald Shiner pattern. Below I list Scott's method of tying (using ink) and also list my method of tying (using colored material).

If you read Recent News and Happenings you will realize why I am excited about this particular fly.

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad, 79580 streamer hook, size 10
Thread: Danville's white flat waxed nylon
Tail: White marabou
Body: Diamond Braid Pearl
Wing: White marabou
Topping: Light Olive Marabou or indelible green ink
Throat: Red egg yarn
Head: White thread (use Sharpie pens in black and red for eyes and throat.)

General Tying Instructions:

1) Pinch the barb if the hook has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise and lay down a layer of thread to the bend of the hook and back to the tie in point and once more to the bend. The three layers of white thread provide a good background under the diamond braid.
3) Tie in the diamond braid and then tie in the white marabou for the tail. Wind the diamond braid forward but stop short of the eye to allow room for the thread head.
4) Tie in the white marabou for the wing allowing room for the thread head. The wing marabou should extend slightly beyond the tail.
5) Next select a few light olive marabou fibers and tie in as a topping or overwing. The light olive marabou butts should be even with the white marabou wing butt. The sparse light olive topping or overwing should extend just over half the length of the white marabou wing.
6) Tie in the red throat and form the thread head, which should be about the same thickness as the body.
7) Now for the ink Art work: Make two eyes with the black Sharpie; For those that prefer ink and are not using the light olive marabou or red egg yarn, turn the fly over and coat the bottom of the thread head with the red Sharpie; Turn the fly upright and stroke (use thumb and index finger) the wing white marabou down onto the hook shank forming a natural V and then with the green Sharpie, color the space between the V.
8) This fly is easier to tie than what you might expect from reading the above tying instructions. Also, the Danville flat waxed nylon thread allows the red throat and light olive topping wraps to show through when wet. A nice plus.

October Olive (48)

The early October day was typical, colorful leaves on the trees and a good showing of spent leaves on the ground. The day was further fortified by an abundance of sunshine and air temperatures in the low 60s. Most importantly to the fly fisher, many bugs were in the air and the fish were up taking those bugs that were on the water. The majority of the bugs were Little Blue Winged Olives in size 24 and smaller. I had tied several experimental October Olive flies in a size 26 a few days earlier and now was the time to test them out on the rising fish. Larry Roscoe was fishing above me and after I released three fish he asked what I was using. I waded upstream and gave him two of the three October Olives I had tied. Since Larry does not tie flies, the extra October Olive was to be given, as a model, to his friend that ties flies. Larry said the buddy would then tie up a dozen or so for him. After a short while and another couple of releases, I lost the October Olive. Shortly afterwards, Larry lost his October Olive and decided to tie on the remaining October Olive, which he later lost. As Larry trudged off the Yellow Breeches to return home, he asked that I put the October Olive on my website as the Fly of the Week and I agreed.

I continued to use the October Olive with success not only on the Yellow Breeches but also on Yellow Creek and Clark Creek. However, it was necessary to downsize the October Olive to a size 28 for the finicky trout in the gin clear Clark Creek water.
I ended the month of October fishing the Yellow Breeches with Joe Knisely. Joe is a well traveled fly fisher and wears a well traveled (faded) Four Seasons Fly Fishing cap. The trout were up sipping midges and Little Blue Winged Olives among the matt of floating autumn leaves. We caught and released more leaves than fish and the results would have been better with fewer leaves on the water. The method employed was the recoil cast that I had highlighted in an article that appeared in an issue of the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide. The October Olive was a size 26 coupled with 8X fluorocarbon tippet. One last item I should mention. Substituting beaver dubbing in dark tan for the beaver dubbing in light olive seems to mimic the spinner version of the Little Blue Winged Olive natural. I have switched to the dark tan version in mid afternoon when supposedly the spinners are not about and have taken fish. Be flexible with the light olive and dark tan versions of the October Olive. Remember, the month of November will offer some fine fishing days when the little olive bugs will appear. Only then we will have to call the October Olive fly the November Olive fly!

Recipe:
Hook: Quality dry fly, sizes 24-26
Thread: Olive 8/0 (Camel, 8/0 for spinner version)
Tail: Wood duck flank feather barbules
Rib: 8/0 Olive dun thread
Body: Beaver dubbing, light olive (beaver dubbing dark tan for spinner version)
Hackle: Smoky dun

General Tying Instructions:
1) Pinch the barb and secure the hook in the vise.
2) Lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook and tie in 2-3 wood duck flank feather barbules as the tail. The tail should extend beyond the bend of the hook about 1.5 times the width of the hook gap.
3) Move the tying thread to slightly beyond mid hook shank and tie in the Smoky Dun hackle.
4) Dub the body with the beaver light olive. Use the beaver dark tan dubbing for the spinner version. Also when tying the spinner version, use Camel 8/0 thread.
5) Rib the abdomen with the olive dun thread.
6) Wrap the hackle three times around the dubbing, do not overlap but space out the turns, then tie off.
7) Form the thread head, half hitch and apply head cement.

As noted in Recent News and Happenings, my October 1-4, 2009, initial steelhead fishing trip to the Erie area was productive. A bonus was when my son-in-law, Glenn Klinger, joined me for the weekend fishing. The recent rain event of October 2 permitted a large number of steelhead trout and some brown trout to join other previously early arriving fish and that set the stage for some outstanding fishing. The flies of choice were the Royce Bugger, the Ugly Bugger and the Pumpkin Picker. The Veiled Egg in Blue, Light Roe and Shrimp Pink also took many steelhead trout at dusk. Scan through the listing of previous Fly of the Week offerings and locate the mentioned flies, tie some up and go steelhead trout fishing in the Erie area. Oh, if you catch a few huge brown trout that is simply icing on the fly!!

This steelhead season I plan to do more guiding in the Erie area. If you are interested in booking a trip, you will not be disappointed with the size and quantity of fish.

Hexagenia Dun (46)

On August 7, I was on the Yellow Breeches fishing to rising trout taking midge adults. It was about 7:15 p.m. and the midge fishing was going about as well as could be expected. You know how it goes, a few hookups but many missed takes because the minute fly (size 26) would seem to pass through the deepest shaded section under the overhanging branches when the resulting swirl of the trout’s hit and spit action would occur and seeing this was next to impossible. The uptake of the rod tip always seems to be an instant too late to hook the trout.

Twenty minutes later, I noticed a large bug fly by but could not readily ID it because of the same shaded/dark patches that were hindering the visibility of the midge fishing. A minute later another large bug flew by but much closer to me and I positively ID the bug as a Hexagenia. The flight of the large bug was slight in numbers for about the next ten minutes or so but by 8:00 p.m. a good number of Hexagenia were passing by my position in the water. I quickly re-rigged my rod to support the larger hand tied Hexagenia Dun fly and headed for faster moving water.

When fishing to the Hexagenia, I only use the Hexagenia Dun fly. Years ago I sifted through the various spinner fly patterns but found that the dun with the hackle clipped on the bottom was my cover it all fly pattern. Why waste time changing fly patterns in low, to dim, to no light when fish are abundant and active? Additional Hex’s continued upstream to the riffled water and as I waded into position the first of many splashy rises occurred. I targeted what appeared to be a good sized fish and the large fly landed exactly where I wanted it to land. The take was so savage that I was startled but fortunately the fish literally hooked itself. No ”hit and spit” occurred as when midge fishing because now the fish were working under the cover of pre darkness and their confidence abounded because, with reckless abandon, they became the ultimate predator. I welcome the next several weeks of Hexagenia pre-dusk fishing and in another week the White Fly will join the Hexagenia for at least two weeks!

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad 94831, size 10 or larger
Thread: Olive Dun, 6/0
Tail: Dark Dun and Ginger Hackle Tips (optional two dark dun or black Microfibetts)
Rib: Yellow Kevlar Thread
Body: Medium Olive Polypropylene
Hackle: Dark Dun and Ginger
Wings: NONE

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws. Secure the hook in the vise and attach the tying thread behind the eye. Lay down a layer of thread to the curve of the hook.

2) Tie in one each dark dun and ginger hackle tips or dark dun or black Microfibetts for the tail. Tie in a four- inch piece of Kevlar thread. Next tie in the piece of medium olive polypropylene. Return the tying thread to near (1/4 inch) the eye of the hook and tie in one each large dark dun and ginger hackles. On size 10 hooks, the barbules should be about 3/4 inches in length.

3) Wrap the polypropylene forward and tie off at the two tied in hackles. Spiral the Kevlar thread forward to the tied in hackles to form the rib. Tie off the Kevlar thread. Next wind the remaining polypropylene through the tied in hackles to form the thorax and tie off at the eye.

4) Spiral the ginger hackle forward and tie off at the eye. Next spiral the dark dun hackle forward and tie off at the eye. The spiraled hackles should help form a dense thorax. Trim the hackles on the bottom for flush floating in the surface film. No need for a wing on this fly and best of all, it will float well! An application of a permanent waterproofing liquid is optional.

5) Now is the time to half hitch and cut the tying thread!

Y2K Fly (45)

A few years ago I was guiding a client on the Yellow Breeches and we were not having much luck with catching trout on the slightly high and off colored stream. The client suggested we try a fly that he had purchased while fishing in Arkansas. The fly had an interesting name, Y2K, and I immediately thought of the Y2K software bug hype many years ago. The fly was reportedly originated in Arkansas by Bob Knowles and was an outstanding fly when the water was high and discolored. The Y2K resembles (I think) an egg fly. However, with its copper bead head and yellow and orange colors it may be more of an attractor pattern.

The Y2K may not rank up there with the highly respected flies like the Pheasant Tail and Gold Ribbed Hares Ear nymphs but as I found out that day and even since, the Y2K does catch fish! When guiding and my clients are not catching fish I go to the Y2K. Some fly fishers express disdain for the fly and will not fish it. Colorful flies like the Y2K, Glo Bugs, pink San Juan Worms, Green Weenies, Honey Bugs, etc. fall into my category of Christmas Flies for obvious reasons.

I want clients to catch fish and when the traditional and highly respected flies are not producing I go to the Y2K and so should you!!

Recipe:
Hook: Size 12 or 14, Curved caddis style.

Bead: Copper 1/8 inch

Thread: Light Cahill, 6/0

Body: Yellow and Orange Glo Bug Yarn

General TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb, insert the copper bead onto the hook and secure the hook in the vise.

2) Attach the tying thread behind the bead and form a thread dam to secure the bead to the hook eye. Apply a light drop of Fishin’ Glue on the thread dam.

3) Optional is several wraps of lead wire behind the bead and then push the lead wire wraps into the crevice of the bead. Follow step 2 next.

4) Cut 2 inch lengths of yellow and orange Glo Bug material and split each piece in half lengthwise. Result is four pieces of yarn sufficient for two flies.

5) Tie in yellow piece on far side of hook immediately behind the bead. Repeat on near side of hook with the orange piece. Equal amounts of yarn should extend front and aft of bead.

6) Wrap thread under and around material front and back to secure yarn to hook and prevent twisting.

7) Whip finish behind bead and cut the tying thread.

8) Cut rear section of yarn even with the hook. Pull up front section of yarn and cut off at an angle.

Soft Hackle Porcupine Black Caddis (44)

As noted in Recent News and Happenings, the soft hackle porcupine black caddis is not to be overlooked! The dark porcupine guard hair ties into a fine abdomen and the slight bump of black dubbing in front of the dark dun or black hen hackle profiles the natural black caddis pupae nicely when wet. The black caddis in late June and July is a favorite food item of trout and also appears to be a source of entertainment for the fish as they will leap out of the water to take the natural that is dancing a few inches above the surface. I have been fishing a tandem of soft hackle porcupine black caddis, tied on size 20 - 18 curved caddis hook. I am beginning to favor the size 18 version simply based on the number of trout caught. The standard down and across cast presentation has been effective. A few pieces of clam shot weight in a size 8 or 9 are sufficient to pull the tandem offering under the surface. Trout seem to prefer the tandem offering in the dawn to late morning and again from late afternoon to dusk. One last observation, do not bypass thin water without swinging the tandem soft hackle porcupine black caddis through as you might be surprised at the trout lurking there. The July issue of the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide has an article entitled Thin-Water Trout that I authored which expands on my above comment regarding fishing thin water.

Recipe:
Hook: Curved caddis style. Size to match the natural fly, usually no smaller than a size 20 and no larger than a size 18.

Thread: Black, 6/0

Abdomen: Porcupine guard hair

Thorax: Black dubbing

Hackle: Hen, dark dun or black

General TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb and secure the hook in the vise. Attach the tying thread behind the eye and lay down a layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

2) Tie in the porcupine guard hair near the tip. The first wrap of thread will be at the white/black junction. Return the thread to 3/16th inch behind the hook eye.

3) Advance the porcupine guard hair in even wraps to form the abdomen.

4) Apply a bump (about two/three turns) of black dubbing behind the hook eye, leaving room for the soft hackle.

5) Tie in the soft hackle in front of the dubbing bump and wrap with two turns. The soft hackle when wet, folds over the dubbing bump and exhibits the caddis pupae profile.

6) Half hitch and cut the tying thread.

Blue Winged Olive Biot Nymph (43)

We were on Yellow Creek and the rain and resulting somewhat miserable conditions rewarded our presence with numerous olives that were appearing on the water’s surface. I tied on a tandem set of number 22 BWO nymphs and after a few casts was into a huge brown trout. The fish was in the 17 inch range and I was pleased. Several fish later, with a few in the 20 inch range, I knew the combo I was using was a winner. Fish were now beginning to work the surface and the BWOs that floated by were obviously the main item on the menu. I greased the tandem setup with liquid floatant and cast the pair as dry flies. Again, the fish took the surface floating nymphs. It was great to be able to use the same fly combination for both surface and sub surface fishing. Saves a great deal of time in not having to change the fly.

Want to catch trout on the bottom and again on the surface with the same set up? Then try this duo combination on your favorite stream when olives are evident. I suspect this tandem will work on the larger olives that appear on Penns Creek in late June so don’t go back to the restaurants and hibernate just yet, because some good fishing is still available. Carrying an assortment of nymph sizes will be beneficial and will allow you to adjust to the size of the natural BWO bugs in the area you are fishing. So far the size 22 and size 16 nymphs have covered the BWO situations I have encountered on many of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania streams.

Recipe:

Hook: Size 22 or 16 Nymph Hook

Thread: Olive Dun 8/0

Tail: Wood Duck Fibers

Abdomen: Olive Goose Biot

Thorax: Blue Winged Olive Dubbing

Wingcase: Olive Flashabou

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the bead and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Tie in several wood duck fibers to form the tail.

4) Tie in a single olive goose biot with the stubbled leading edge and notch at the wide end facing the hook shank and hook eye.

5) Wind the goose biot forward. The stubbled leading edge should represent the ribbing.

6) Tie off the goose biot and tie in a single one inch piece of olive flashabou for the wingcase. For the size 16 hook use 2-3 strands of flashabou.

7) Form the thorax with the BWO dubbing and overlay with the single strand of olive flashabou.

8) Form a thread head, whip or half hitch behind the head and apply a few drops of cement.

March Brown Flymph (42)

Hopefully you read Recent News and Happenings so that the following will be in concert with my quest for a March Brown Flymph to be used on the May, 2009 Cumberland Valley TU Chapter trip to Pine creek.

I was not satisfied with the Flymph fly that I had patterned after the one described to Ken Okorn and me at Pine Creek last year. However, while attending the February 2009 Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, a CVTU acquaintance, who is an excellent fly tyer, suggested I look at a March Brown emerger that was being tied by one of the fly tying exhibitors. He was tying an interesting style of emerger but what caught my attention was the one-piece shuck and underwing tie in method. Immediately I knew what would enhance the March Brown Flymph that I was planning to use on the upcoming trip to Pine Creek. See below for the general tying guidelines and the enhancement gleaned from the fly tyer at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad 94831 size 12 or 10.
Thread: Camel 6/0
Shuck: Enrico Puglisi's tan Sparkle material or tan Antron if Puglisi's material is not available.
Abdomen: Beaver dubbing dark tan or Superfine Mahogney
Rib: Kevlar thread Light Cahill color or similar yellowish color.
Thorax: Ginger dubbing
Underwing: Same as shuck above
Wing Collar: Hungarian Partridge and Ginger Hackle
Head: Camel tying thread

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in a three-inch piece of sparkle material for the shuck and the underwing. The underwing end of the sparkle material should extend an inch beyond the hook eye and the shuck should extend ¾ inches beyond the hook bend.
4) Tie in the ribbing Kevlar thread at the hook bend.
5) Dub the abdomen to within ¼ inch of hook eye and rib with the Kevlar thread.
6) Fold the sparkle material that is protruding over the hook eye, over the abdomen and take two to three turns of tying thread to hold it in place. The underwing is thus formed.
7) Tie in the partridge hackle and the ginger hackle. Dub in a small amount of the ginger dubbing to form the thorax. The dubbing should slightly overlap the front portion of the underwing.
8) Individually wrap the partridge and ginger hackles, two to three turns and tie off.
9) Trim the overwing so it does not extend beyond the bend of the hook and trim the shuck to length if necessary.
10) Form the thread head, whip or half hitch the head and apply a few drops of cement.

Black Bead Head Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (41)

The Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter had a booth at the recent Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show and the hundreds of flies sold at that event are hand tied by Chapter members. Ken Okorn, a Chapter member and also on the Board of Directors, was responsible for tying dozens of Bead Head Black Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymphs. I really did not pay much attention to that particular fly until we began fishing together and I saw how effective the fly can be in late winter and early March. The black stone flies are usually active in mid or late February and Ken’s fly does take trout when fished at that time. I fish the fly as a part of a tandem rig coupled with a cream egg fly. Suckers will be spawning in the spring and trout seems to key in on the egg fly about the same time the black stones make there presence known. So between the stonefly and pre-spawning activities, the tandem rig is a good one. The following are the general tying instructions that Ken provided and I slightly modified to fit the Fly of the Week format. The photo accompanying this update is one of my hand tied Bead Head Black Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear fly based on Ken’s tying instructions.

Recipe:

Hook: Size 16 or 14 nymph hook

Thread: Black 6/0

Bead: 1/8 inch gold

Tail: Optional (black hackle fibers)

Body: Dubbed black hares mask fur

Rib: Ultra Wire Gold

Collar: Black hares mask, (use loop method with guard hairs aligned)

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, and place the bead on the hook.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the bead and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Tie in hackle fibers to form the tail (optional).

4) Insert the gold ribbing wire under the bead, hold the wire back along the hook shank, and tie in the wire by wrapping the thread up to the bead and back to the bend.

5) Cut sufficient hair from the hares mask to dub a tapered body and rib with the gold wire.

6) With the thread behind the bead, form a dubbing loop.

7) Cut a small amount of fur with plenty of guard hairs from the hares mask. Do not mix or blend the fur. Spread the fur in the dubbing loop with the guard hairs pointing in one direction.

8) Spin the dubbing loop tightly. The result is a rough “fur chenille” with many guard hairs protruding.

9) Wrap the resulting fur chenille two to three times behind the bead. While wrapping, stroke the fur and guard hairs rearward to form a buggy looking collar.

10) Whip or half hitch behind the bead and apply a few drops of cement.

CIA Nymph (40)

This pattern complements the CIA (Cover It All) dry fly that is effective on a number of trout streams in Pennsylvania and other states, including out west, especially Montana. As noted in past updates, I picked up this pattern's body style years ago from a fly fishing acquaintance. I tied up a few and experimented with abdomen and hackle colors, and found they worked well as Sulphurs, Hendricksons, March Browns, Gray Foxes, Slate drakes, Green and Brown Drakes, etc., and have since included the CIA dry fly assortment in my fly box. This unique pattern, I believe, mimics the dun phase and most importantly the emerger or flymph phase when it is in the surface film.

So why not build a CIA nymph pattern based on the same principal? Change the basic nymph pattern to reflect the trigger items that induce trout to search out and destroy a fly that is moving through its window of feeding opportunity. Those trigger items are the standards built into all effective fly patterns; size, shape and color. Change the hook size, the abdomen color, the tail material to match other mayfly nymphs and do the same for matching stoneflies. Then follow the CIA Nymph general tying instructions. The results should be more hookups!

Recipe:
Hook: Quality wet fly/nymph hook.
Thread: Camel 6/0
Tail: Wood Duck
Body: Ginger Dubbing # 43
Thorax Bump: Ginger Dubbing # 43
Wing Case: Mottled Turkey Quill Rib: Ultra Wire Gold
Legs: Hungarian Partridge (from lower neck area)
Head: Camel tying thread

Wiggle Body Nymph (Hinge Style) (39)

During an October steelhead fishing trip to the Erie area I met a fly fisher on Elk Creek that was hooking up with large size steelhead on a frequent basis. I worked my way down the creek to within respectable distance of his position. He continued to catch and release steelhead at an admirable pace. I began a conversation with him and soon discovered that the fly fisher was amiable and willing to talk about his obvious fishing success. Elk had a fair number of anglers in that same area and it was obvious that the other anglers were fishing and this fly fisher was catching. I also discovered that he was using a size 12 articulated (hinged style) pheasant tail nymph. He offered to give me one to try, but since it was nearing late afternoon and he had been fishing since early morning and had lost all but the fly on the line, that didn't happen. I asked if I could see the fly. Basically it was two pheasant tail nymphs joined together by monofilament tippet material. The fly fisher said he usually had good results with the articulated fly in October and again in March.

A 2003-04 Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission survey shows that the catch rate per hour of fishing for steelhead in March is high. The other highest catch rate per hour fishing month is December. Seems less number of anglers catch more fish per hour in those months than in the other five months of steelhead fishing. Probably because there are more steelhead in the tributaries and, although less anglers in the tributaries in winter, they are apparently more skilled. Winter steelhead fishing tends to bring out the veteran anglers. Regardless, a good supply of articulated pheasant tail nymphs will be in my steelhead fly box, not only for the upcoming steelhead fishing trips in March, but for those days in February when hopefully the ice loosens its lock on the Erie area tributaries.

NOTE: The following recipe is for the wiggle style Pheasant Tail Nymph but the same hinge style tying format can be applied to other nymph like the Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear, Prince Nymph, etc. Also, the wiggle body hinge nymph can be used not only for steelhead but other trout as well.

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad, 3906, size 14 or 12
Thread: Camel, 6/0
Bead: 1/8 Inch Gold
Tail: 4 Pheasant Tail fibers
Rib: Dark Grey Ostrich Herl or Gold Ultra Wire
Body: Beaver Dubbing Rusty Brown
Wing Case: Dark Brown Turkey
Hackle: Dark Brown
Hinge: 5X Monofilament or 5X Fluorocarbon Tippet Material (I use Fluorocarbon for its stiffness and abrasion resistance qualities.)

General Tying Instructions:

1) Secure the body extension hook in the vise and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook. No need to de-barb the hook since the hook point will be clipped near the bend.

2) Tie in 4 or 5 pheasant tail fibers for the tail and also tie in a single dark grey ostrich herl as the rib material. Optional rib would be Gold Ultra Wire. Wind the pheasant tail fibers forward and rib with the ostrich herl. Tie off and the extension body is complete.

3) Remove the extension body hook from the vise and clip the hook point near the bend.

4) Secure a gold beaded de-barbed hook in the vise and tie a 5inch piece of 5X fluorocarbon to the hook shank.

5) Insert the end of the fluorocarbon through the eye of the body extension hook and fold over the main hook shank. Wrap with tying thread and cover with Fishin' Glue or other brand of super glue. The finished loop should be large enough to allow the body extension hook eye to move freely.

6) Tie in the turkey wing case and brown hackle at the hook bend. Dub the rusty brown body, palmer (three turns) the brown hackle and overlay hackle and dubbing with the wing case. Trim the wing case overhang and then trim the hackle fibers flush with the bottom of the dubbing.

7) Tie off the tying thread behind the gold bead and apply a dab of cement.

Mosquito Olive (The MO Fly) (38)

Blue winged olives have been a mystery to me for years. I have been on streams when big or small sized olives were present and caught a few fish. I have never caught an extraordinary amount of fish that would allow me to feel as though I was in charge. I have tried various patterns from emergers to duns with limited success and could never quite figure out what was happening.

During a late October trip to Yellow Creek, size 24-22 olives were present for a period of time that allowed me to experiment with the assortment of olives that have accumulated in my fly box. Again, I caught a few fish but was disappointed. A few days later, after returning home, I ventured into the Yellow Breeches Creek and while surveying the surface activity, a mosquito landed on my right hand. I thought why not combine the features of the mosquito and the olive into one fly? When olives are active, usually, so are the mosquitoes with winter being the exception in most parts of my home state. I returned to the house, which is a stone’s throw from the creek, and tied what I call the Mosquito Olive, the MO fly. Returning to the stream I caught and released eight sipping trout. Satisfaction maximus!! The following afternoon the fish were up sipping what appeared to be olives and again the MO fly distinguished itself by attracting an exceptional number of trout. I may have partially solved the olive mystery that has challenged me for years! However, more on water testing is needed because at this point the question is whether the MO fly will work in the spring when larger olives are present and the appropriate size MO fly is offered. Think Spring! Incidentally, Gayle asked me if I named it the MO Fly because it catches mo fish. Hopefully, it will!

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad, 94840, size 24 or larger depending on season.

Thread: Camel, 8/0

Shuck: Dark Brown Antron Yarn

Body: Beaver Dubbing Olive

Post/Wing: Dark Brown Antron Yarn

Hackle: Dark Dun

General Tying Instructions:

1) Pinch the barb if the hook has one.

2) Secure the hook in the vise and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Cut a two inch piece of Antron yarn, separate in half, length wise, and tie in one of the Antron pieces as the shuck. The shuck should extend beyond the bend of the hook about 1.5 times the width of the hook gap and the remainder of the Antron should extend over the eye of the hook.

4) Grasp the opposite end of the Antron and with the Antron stretched along the hook shank, secure with thread wraps to within 1/3 distance of the hook eye. Loop the Antron into the post/wing position and tie off and clip the tag end. The loop should be equal to the length of the hook shank. Now dub the body.

5) Tie in a small dark dun hackle behind the loop post/wing and take two to three turns (parachute style), tie off and clip excess.

6) Form the thread head, half hitch and apply head cement.

Pumpkin Picker (37)

This Fly of the Week is the Pumpkin Picker from the CVTU’s Favorite Flies booklet. Several years ago, the fly of the month segment was added to the CVTU Chapter’s monthly newsletter, Tight Lines. The Chapter members responded and over a period of time, a great selection of favorite fly patterns was posted in Tight Lines. The formation of the booklet was inevitable. Seems that all fly fishers have a common bond in wanting to share the bug patterns that have brought them success while fishing various waters. As a result, the monthly fly patterns submitted were arranged into a neat and informative booklet that many fly fishers in the CVTU Chapter, as well as those outside the Chapter, use with success. Also, the 86 page booklet makes an ideal Christmas gift for the fly fisher in your family. To order copies of CVTU’s Favorite Flies, visit www.homestead.com/cvtu/ or to pick up copies of CVTU’s Favorite Flies, by shopping the Yellow Breeches Outfitters or TCO Fly Shops in the Boiling Springs and Carlisle areas.

The Pumpkin Picker can be found on page 76 and was submitted by Tony Dranzo. Tony has been fishing the Erie area tributaries for over three decades and the Pumpkin Picker had become one of his favorite flies. Several of us used the Pumpkin Picker on various steelhead fishing trips to the Erie, PA area this fall. It was an effective fly from the hot/warm days of early October, when the steelhead first entered the Lake Erie tributaries, to the cold/ice forming days of early December. It will continue to be effective throughout the winter and into early spring. Fish the Pumpkin Picker as you would a Wooly Bugger. Tony covers the slow sink rate approach real well but in case access to the booklet is unavailable, here it is in simple form. With an un-weighted Pumpkin Picker, fish the pools by allowing the fly to sink slowly in front of a targeted fish. As Tony emphasizes, “hang time” is very important. The targeted steelhead usually remains in place while the fly slowly sinks and when the fly is near eye level the steelhead will move the short distance and take the fly. The beauty of this method is that fish see better looking up than looking down. At least that is how one of my fishing buddies sees the scenario playing out.

I especially like the Pumpkin Picker in ripply water. Cast up and across and let the current bring life to the fly as it bounces and flounders it way downstream. A small strike indicator positioned about four feet above the fly will aid in detecting the possible hookup. Steelhead are strong fish but don’t be lulled into the mistaken belief that takes will be forceful. Expect your strike indicator to exhibit subtle movements (twitches, hesitations, downward flinch or upstream flinch) when a steelhead intercepts the fly and you react accordingly. The strength of the steelhead is exhibited after the hook is set!!

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad 79580 or 9672, size 6-8

Thread: Black, 6/0

Tail: Dyed Black Marabou

Body: Sparkle Braid, Florescent (Fl.) Chartreuse

Hackle: Black , Palmered over body

Head: Black Thread (Optional 4.0 mm Hot Bead or small Fl. Chartreuse lead eyes)

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Tie in the Fl. Chartreuse Sparkle Braid (about 4-5 inches long) at the bend of the hook.

4) Tie in the black marabou, forming a tail about 1.0 to 1.5 inches long. The stems of the marabou are tied along the hook shank and form the core for the body.

5) Tie in the hackle by the tip at the bend of the hook.

6) Wind the Fl. Chartreuse material forward to form the body and tie off behind the eye of the hook.

7) Palmer the hackle forward and tie off behind the eye of the hook.

8) Build a small thread head, whip or half hitch and apply a few drops of cement.

Veiled Blue Egg (36)

As reported in Recent News and Happenings, a recent steelhead fishing trip to Elk Creek produced some lunkers. The water in Elk Creek was low and clear resulting in the fish being overly alert to anglers. Many offerings were ignored but one fly, when teamed with the technique I described in Recent News and Happenings, did elicit a good number of takes. Thus, Ken, my fishing buddy of many streams, and I concentrated on presenting the veiled blue egg to various pods of steelhead. The result? Many hookups. The egg pattern was most effective when attached to a 5X tippet and consequently we lost a few fish. Higher, less clear water, would have enhanced our success in the number of fish hooked and landed. The veiled blue egg is another simple to tie fly and needs to be fished from the “first run” fall appearance of the steelhead right up until the blustery wintry days of January and February.

Recipe:

Hook: Curved caddis type, size 16

Thread: Light Cahill, 6/0

Body: Blue Glo Bug Yarn

Veil: Orvis halo in white

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, and secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

2) Construct the egg body using the Egg Gun. The Egg Gun is a fast and easy way to tie egg patterns and reduces material waste.

3) Fold a ½ inch wide by 1.5 inch long patch of halo veil material on the tying thread and wrap several times between the egg body and hook eye.

4) Secure the thread with half hitch or whip finish ties and then apply cement.

One Fly White Fly (35)

Unusual name for a White Fly but this versatile fly pattern negates the need to change fly patterns during the White Fly hatch. The White Fly males appear near dusk, briskly lift off the surface and later are joined by the White Fly females. After the short span of time necessary for the mating process, spinners softly fall to the water surface. During the emergence, and later the spinner fall activity, the water surface is constantly disrupted with fish taking the abundance of naturals.

My technique for fishing the One Fly White Fly is to be in position prior to the first sighting of the White Fly. I add two small split shot about 12 inches above the fly and then a strike indicator, two or more feet above the split shot. Depending on water depth, the strike indicator may be higher on the tapered leader. The One Fly White Fly is fished near the bottom as a nymph. Continue to fish the nymph phase until the first of the White Flies are spotted and then remove one of the split shot and fish the fly as an emerger. The fly should be about mid level in the water column, if not, remove the second split shot and after casting pull the fly under the water. Maintain a vigil on the strike indicator for the fish are aggressive as they take emergers. The next step is individual preference because, as the fish begin to work the surface with splashy rises, one can continue with the strike indicator and the fly in mid water column, or remove the strike indicator and false cast/air dry the fly and present it as a White Fly emerger or dun. This is important…..a subtle twitch of the rod tip will give the action to the fly which is needed to trigger impressive takes from the trout. As darkness settles in, the spinners fall to the water’s surface and the sipping begins. Again, dry the fly but add floatant and settle in for the challenging attempt to hook a fish using primarily your ability to hear the fish take the fly. Occasionally the eyes will provide some assistance by observing the faint white bubbly surface disturbance of a fish taking the fly, but mostly, it is sound fishing after dark!! This can be challenging to beginner anglers but, with a little experience, it is a rewarding fishing technique.

I have just taken you through an hour and half of White Fly fishing using the unique One Fly White Fly and, most importantly, there was no need to change flies. My eyes are not as sharp as they used to be and changing flies at near dark or after dark is now a challenge. The One Fly White Fly can add some years to your ability to fish at this time of the evening and can add extra enjoyment to one of our exciting August hatches.

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad 94831, size 14

Thread: White, 6/0

Tail: White Calf Hair

Body: White Calf Hair

Rib: Danville’s White Flat Waxed Nylon

Hackle/Wing: White Calf Hair and White hackle

Head: White Thread Colored Black

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, and secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

2) Tie in a four inch section of white flat waxed nylon thread for the rib.

3) Tie in a long section of white calf hair. Extend the tips of the hair about ¾ inch beyond the bend of the hook for the tail.

4) Spiral the thread over the calf hair to approximately 1/3 behind the eye of the hook, forming the body.

5) Spiral the white flat waxed thread forward as the rib.

6) Lift up the butt ends of the calf hair and build a thread dam. The thread dam at the base of the calf hair should flare the hair.

7) Tie in a white hackle and flare it through the calf hair. The calf hair and hackle combine to provide the enhanced fly sight.

8) Form the thread head and finish with whip or half hitch knots.

9) Take a Sharpie type fine point permanent marker and color the thread head black.

Dwayne, a fly fisher from nearby Mount Holly Springs, occasionally fishes in my back yard and when he does we usually have a conversation that centers on fly fishing. This particular morning the Tricos were on and Dwayne was in the ideal spot so I ventured upstream to fish the next pool. Fortunately the popular pool was open and I settled in for what amounted to three hours of prime fishing. The Trico activity was heavy, as it usually is on this pool in the morning, and the fish brought to hand were better than average size. About 9:00 a.m. the Trico activity dwindled and I tied on my favorite fly at this time of year, the Comet Caddis. The morning fishing continued to be productive as noted in the Recent News and Happenings update. However, it is important to tie a durable fly so I will reiterate a few tying tips from the current Recent News and Happenings update.

The CDC is suspect to loss unless extra attention is given to the thread winds around the feather. After winding the tying thread around the CDC tightly several times, I then pass the thread two times under and in front of the CDC just behind the hook eye. This tends to anchor the CDC in place. Also the CDC is suspect to slippage when removing the hook from the fish's mouth with forceps, so extra care is necessary.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, Curved Caddis, size 24
Thread: Camel, 8/0
Body: Natural Hare’s Ear
Hackle: Cul-De-Canard (CDC) Natural Dun

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Build a slight to moderate body with the natural hare’s ear dubbing.

4) Tie in a single CDC natural dun feather behind the eye of the hook. The CDC should extend slightly beyond bend of hook. Reread above tips for securing the CDC. IMPORTANT…one CDC feather can be used for 2-3 flies.

5) Whip finish behind the eye of the hook.

Bead Head Zebra Midge Wet Fly (32)

A father and his young son were fishing the Yellow Breeches in late May and doing well on what was described as a Zebra Midge. The time of day did not fit with the productivity of the midge type fly so I asked to see the fly. It was the standard black zebra midge with a black thread body and gold wire. However, it had a small hen hackle neatly wrapped around the hook behind the gold bead. The fly looked buggy and that night I tied a half dozen. The following day I used the fly on the Yellow Breeches with success in the morning and again in the afternoon and again late in the day. I had a similar experience on Spring Creek and a few other prime trout streams in PA. The clincher was a trip to Spring Creek to fish the waning of the Cicada outbreak. According to the local fishers, the fish had been stuffing themselves with the big bug for the past three weeks. Cicada were not about that particular day so I decided to use a tandem rig of the size 20 Bead Head Zebra Midge wet flies. I was not overly optimistic thinking the trout were still lethargic from the steady diet of Cicada. Trout responded nicely to the tandem rig offering and since that day the tandem Bead Head Zebra Midge wet flies rig have become one of my subsurface go to rigs.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, Curved Caddis, size 20
Thread: Black, 8/0
Bead: Gold 1/16, 5/64 or 3/32 sizes
Body: Black Thread
Hackle: Medium or Dark Dun Soft Hen
Rib: Small Gold Ultra Wire

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Slip a gold bead on the hook to the eye.

3) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the bead, build up a dam of thread to secure the gold bead and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

4) Tie in the gold wire as ribbing and form a black thread teardrop shaped body and rib with the gold wire.

5) Tie in a medium to dark dun soft hen hackle behind the bead and after two to three turns, tie off and clip excess.

6) Whip finish behind the gold bead.

Czech Style Pheasant Tail Nymph (31)

I have been reading a book entitled Czech Nymph by Karel Krivanec and Friends. It is stated in the book that choosing the right pattern (s) (one usually fishes with 2-3 nymphs) and having the ability to detect takes is vital, along with a suitable rod, and a short amount of fly line and leader beyond the top guide. The initial nymph that I tied from the numerous nymph patterns listed was the # 135 Goldhead Pink PTN found on page 93. Some materials listed were not available so I substituted what I felt would closely resemble the original materials. I have used the modified Czech Nymph pattern on several streams with darn good results. Hopefully, I'll have the same results with a few of the other nymph patterns listed in the book. The fishing techniques of Czech Nymphing is interesting reading and warrants more use of the unique nymphing style on several other streams that I fish.

Not wanting to infringe on any copyright issues, the following is the modified version of the nymph that I have been fishing with success.

Recipe:
Hook: Any quality wet fly/nymph hook, size 14.
Thread: Red 6/0
Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
Body: Pheasant Tail fibers Rib: Ultra Wire red, small (medium seems too heavy and bulky)
Collar: Ice Dub UV Shrimp Pink
Head: 1/8 Gold Bead

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one.
2) Slide the gold bead onto the hook and secure the hook in the vise jaws, build a thread dam behind the gold bead and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in 4-5 pheasant tail fibers near the tips to form the tail.
4) Tie in the ribbing red wire at the hook bend.
5) Wind the remainder of the pheasant tail fibers forward to form the body and rib with the red wire.
6) A short distance behind the gold bead, dub in a small amount of the Ice Dub UV Shrimp Pink to form the collar.
7) Whip or half hitch the thread behind the gold bead and apply a few drops of cement.

Pheasant Tail Wet Fly (30)

I noted recently that I tie a limited number of streamer patterns for trout fishing and the same is true for wet flies. Years ago I tied about a dozen different streamer patterns and about the same number of wet fly patterns. Of the three wet fly patterns that now occupy my fly box, the Pheasant Tail Wet Fly (P.T.W.F.) receives a lot of use. It is the subsurface fly of choice when the March Browns and Gray Foxes are about and again when the Sulphurs are present. Simply vary the hook size for the species of mayflies present. The P.T.W.F. is not difficult to tie, looks good and catches fish!

Recipe:
Hook: Any quality wet fly/nymph hook. I use Mustad 3906 or 3906-B in sizes 14, 12 or 10.
Thread: Camel 6/0
Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
Body: Pheasant Tail fibers
Thorax Bump: Natural Hare's Ear Plus
Wing: Wood duck flank feather section about ¼ Inch Wide. Rib: Ultra Wire Copper
Hackle: light to Medium Gray hen soft hackle
Head: Camel tying thread

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in 4-5 pheasant tail fibers near the tips to form the tail.
4) Tie in the ribbing copper at the hook bend
5) Wind the remainder of the pheasant tail fibers forward to form the body and rib with the copper wire.
6) A short distance behind the eye, dub in a small amount of hare's ear material to form a thorax bump.
7) Tie in the ¼ inch wide section of wood duck fibers for the wing. The wing should extend to the tail.
8) Tie in the soft hackle by the tip at the front of the wing and take two complete wraps and tie off.
9) Form the thread head, whip or half hitch the head and apply a few drops of cement.

Crane Fly (29)

As noted in Recent News and Happenings, the Crane fly is not to be overlooked! The spindly, awkward bug is a favorite food of trout. I was fishing late into the evening on the Yellow Breeches recently and the trout were up. I pitches several fly patterns that I thought should work with no positive results. I felt something on my forearm and picked the critter off and looked at it in the fading light. It was the adaptable Crane fly in the egg-laying phase. I tied on a CIA type Crane fly and my evening turned to fly-fishing bliss!! Fish after fish came up to the pattern and I thought, good thing I rolled my shirtsleeves up or I might not have noticed the discreet Crane fly that was the featured food item on the trout's menu that evening.

Recipe:
Hook: Size to match the natural fly, usually no smaller than a size 20 and no larger than a size 12.
Thread: Light Cahill , 6/0
Body: Cream or light yellow polypropylene yarn or dubbing. I prefer the poly yarn found in craft stores.
Rib: Camel thread, 6/0
Hackle: Ginger with barbules no larger than 1.5 times the hook gap.
Secondary Hackle: Partridge feather from the head area.

TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb and secure the hook in the vise. Attach the tying thread behind the eye and lay down a layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
2) Tie in the ribbing material and poly. Return the thread to 3/16th inch behind the eye.
3) Tie in the ginger and partridge hackles and then advance the poly to form the body and then rib.
4) Wrap the ginger hackle and tie off. Next wrap the partridge hackle through the ginger hackle and tie off.
5) Half hitch and cut the tying thread!
6) No tail is necessary.

The Creek Muddler (28)

I tie a limited number of streamer patterns for trout fishing. Years ago I tied about a dozen streamer patterns and at one time or the other I caught a few fish. I prefer streamer fishing in the late winter, early spring seasons. Fish are "eager strikers" at that time and stripping line with a hefty minnow type meal attached is usually received with a line stopping, rod rebelling jolt. Several streams that I fish at this time of year with streamers are the Yellow Breeches, Conewago Creek, Yellow Creek, East Licking Creek and Black Moshannon Creek.

The Creek Muddler has been my fly of choice because Brown, Brook and Rainbow trout attack it. My next experiment, in a week or two, will be the Creek Muddler on Lake Erie Tributaries for the mighty Steelheads. Oh, did I mention the Creek Muddler is a simple streamer to tie?

Recipe:
Hook: TMC 5263 BL or Daiichi 2220 or Mustad 9672, size 12
Thread: Camel 6/0
Tail: Red Calf Tail
Body: Kreinik Metallics Gold (Silver optional)
Under Wing: Fox Squirrel
Wing: (2) Mottled Turkey Quill Sections about ¼ Inch Wide. Hackle: Yellowish Deer Hair Spun and Clipped Short.

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one.
2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in a tuft of red calf tail at the hook bend.
4) Tie in the Kreinik material at the hook bend and form the body.
5) About a ¼ inch behind the eye, Tie in a small clump of fox squirrel tail hair that extends about 1.5 inches beyond the hook bend.
6) Above the fox squirrel hair, tie in two mottled turkey quill sections that equal or slightly extend beyond the fox squirrel tail hair.
7) Spin and clip short the deer hair to form the head.
8) Whip or half hitch the head and apply a few drops of cement.

Bead-Head Pheasant Tail Nymph (27)

As noted in Recent News and Happenings, the BHPT nymph works wonders on a multitude of trout streams in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in many other states known for trout destination fishing. There are times when I think this little beauty should be known as the Miracle Nymph!!

Recipe:
Hook: Any curved caddis style hook in size 24.
Thread: Camel, 8/0
Tail: Three or four male pheasant tail barbules.
Body: the same three or four male pheasant tail barbules
Rib: Very fine gold wire.
Bead- Head: 1/16 or 5/64 gold bead.
NOTE: The 5/64 gold bead may slip over the hook eye on some hook brands in which case use the 1/16.

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, and slip the gold bead onto the hook.
2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye, build up a dam of thread behind the gold bead and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in 3 or 4 pheasant tail barbules to form the tail.
4) Tie in a four-inch section of fine gold wire for the rib.
5) Wind the pheasant tail barbules forward to form the body and tie off behind gold bead.
6) Spiral the fine gold wire forward to form the rib and tie off behind the gold bead.
7) Whip or half hitch behind the gold bead.

This installment of the Fly of the Week does not highlight one fly but many flies that have proven worthwhile when fishing Montana's Bighorn River. Gayle and I have had success with the flies on our 2003 and 2005 trips to Montana to fish the Bighorn River. We hope to repeat past successes on our upcoming September 2008 trip.

The common names of the flies shown on the plate are as follows from the 12:00 o'clock position clockwise. Wonder Nymph PMD, Caddis Emergers, Foam Post LBWO Emerger, LBWO Goose Biot Nymph, Bead Head Olive Emerger, San Juan Brown and Red Worms, Illegal Nymphs, Pink Sow Bug, Ray Charles (2), Flying Ants, Orange Scud, Ray Charles, Trico, Trico Cluster, Flying Ants, Dirty Scud, Pink B.H. Sow Bug and Trico Spinner.

If you should have questions on how to tie any of the shown flies, stay tuned for the date that Scott Douglas will appear at the Yellow Breeches Outfitters to demonstrate his tying skills. He would be happy to tie any one of the flies shown.

The Royce Bugger (26)

Royce Terrell and I were fishing the Yellow Breeches between the Christmas and New Years holidays. Royce had success with a Wooly Bugger that he ties and fishes exclusively for trout in the Yellow Breeches and Steelhead in his Erie area tributaries from Elk Creek to Twenty Mile Creek. A few days after Royce left, a friend of mine who was fishing upstream of Royce asked me who he was because of the large fish Royce caught in the Yellow Breeches. I told my friend, Joe, that Royce was a guide from the Erie area and that he has unlimited confidence in a wooly bugger he ties. Joe asked me to describe the wooly bugger and I did so. I also told Joe that I would post Royce's wooly bugger as the Fly of the Week. And so Joe, here it is.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad 79580 or 9672, size 10 to 14
Thread: Olive Dun, 6/0
Tail: Light Olive Marabou
Flash: Krystal Flash or Pearl Flashabou
Body: Light Olive Rayon Chenille (medium for size 10 hooks, fine for size 12-14 hooks)
Hackle: Grizzly, Palmered over body
Head: Green Glass Bead

Pink Ice Attractor (25)

The Recent News and Happenings link details how the Pink Ice Attractor fly can be used successfully while steelhead fishing. However, this fly works equally well on the Yellow Breeches in the winter and probably will work as well on other trout streams. I have not had the opportunity to use the fly during other seasons of the year but will try it in 2008.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 3906, size 14-12
Thread: Pink, 6/0
Body: Pink Micro Ice Chenille

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws. Occasionally, the hook will break when pinching the barb so it is better to have that happen prior to spending time tying the fly.

2) Secure the hook in the vise and attach the thread behind the eye and wind back to the bend of hook. Repeat twice to build a substantial pink colored hook shank.

3) Tie in a section of Pink Micro Ice Chenille at the bend of the hook and wind forward to the eye of the hook.

4) Build a small head and whip or half hitch finish.

Late Season Cricket (24)

The crickets observed along the stream in late September and into October are usually large in size. Depending on weather conditions, crickets can be an important offering while fishing not only for trout in our favorite streams but also for steelhead in Lake Erie area tributaries.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 94831 size 10
Thread: Black, 6/0
Body: LAFONTAINE'S Tri-Lobal Yarn Black
Overlay: Bill Skilton's Hard Shell Stretchy Foam
Legs: Black Hackle Tips
Hackle: One Each Black and Brown
Antennae: Brown Goose Biots
Saddle Sight: Orange foam

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws. Occasionally, the hook will break when pinching the barb so it is better to have that happen prior to spending time tying the fly.

2) Secure the hook in the vise, attach the thread behind the eye and wind back to the bend of hook. Tie in a strip of foam about twice the length of the hook shank and about the width of the hook gap. Cut one end to a point for ease of tie in. Point should face toward eye of hook.

3) Tie in a four-inch piece of yarn at hook bend and wind thread only from bend of hook to mid shank.

4) Tie in two black hackles for legs at mid shank. Each hackle should extend out to the side about an inch.

5) Wind thread to eye and tie in two brown goose biots for antennae. The two brown goose biots are optional because they tend to break off. I have noticed no major difference in hook ups with or without the biots.

6) Tie in one each brown and black hackle about quarter inch behind eye. Wind and weave yarn forward and tie off at eye. Palmer hackles forward to eye, tie off and then clip top fibers.

7) Overlay foam, make sure legs are out to the side and tie off. Tie in orange foam at tie off spot. Cut black and orange foam to form head and sight indicator. Trim edge of black foam to give head distinct shape. Whip finish at tie off spot.

Slate Drake (22)

Purple Pearl Midge Emerger (21)

Recently I guided Steve Parker and Darwin Gaston on the Yellow Breeches. Steve was interested in expanding his knowledge on fishing midge flies and Darwin was interested in fishing the big stuff like the Hexagenias. Darwin was successful during the Hex Spinner activity that evening using the CIA Green Drake pattern that is listed on the Fly of the Week section of this web site. A size 12 2X hook is ideal for the Hex Spinner activity tied CIA Green Drake style. Steve fished a Purple Pearl Midge Emerger that I had recently been experimenting with on the Yellow Breeches and a few other streams. This has been the ultimate fly during July and August for midges and I wanted someone else to fish the fly. Steve had better than good success with the Purple Pearl but, then again, Steve is modest and won't admit to his ability to successfully fish nymphs. A few days after our session on the Yellow Breeches, Steve sent me the following email:

I went right out the next day (Saturday) and found the Purple Pearl Flashabou and hooks I needed to tie those awesome little Midges. I tied two types, one with a bead with no wings and one without a bead with wings. That Sunday I was on the water by sunrise, caught two right off the bat. Funny thing, both fish had dry flies in their mouths. Lucky me! I stopped midging because there were so many fish rising around me. I saw only one angler who was catching fish and I was struggling with the dry flies. So I went back to my trusty midges. I noticed a Palomino about 20 feet in front of me so I gave it a cast up stream and wound up hooking up a BIG brown instead, which immediately broke off. My heart was pounding. I re-rigged, same spot, hooked up with a HUGH rainbow that went air borne about 2 feet in the air. And when it came down the splash captured every fisherman's attention on the stream. Broke that one off too. Heart pounding even harder, re-rigged again. Same spot, only using a single midge, hooked another brown. This time I landed the 20"+ brown! Too much excitement in one day for me, so I reeled in my line and went home. I AM A MIDGE BELIVER. Thanks for showing me the light!

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 94840, size 24
Thread: Black, 8/0
Body: Purple Pearl Flashabou
Thorax: CDC Dubbing, Light Gray
Wing: Purple Pearl Flashabou

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Tie in a strand of Purple Pearl Flashabou and wind forward to the eye, forming the body.

4) Form a small loop with the remaining strand of flashabou above the body and tie off at the eye.

5) Dub in the CDC light gray behind the eye, forming the thorax.

6) Cut the small loop of Purple Pearl Flashabou so that it extends beyond the bend of the hook equal to the hook gap.

7) Half hitch or whip finish to form the head.

8) Now contrary to the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, where the phrase is uttered "Take what you can, give nothing back"! Practice Catch and Release while fishing. The Purple Pearl to the fly fisher is akin to the Black Pearl to the Pirates of the Caribbean!

Ugly Bugger (20)

The first morning of the 2007 Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp held at Allenberry Resort Inn on the Yellow Breeches got off to a good start with a swarm of size 20 winged black ants on the water at first light. The ensuing mornings that week offered fly selection challenges to the students, but none of the mornings were as positive as the last morning on Friday. The previous evening I had tied four Wooly Buggers and, on Friday morning at first light, I gave the Buggers to the first four students that arrived at the stream. The students have approximately one hour and forty-five minutes to fish in the morning before heading to breakfast. Grant caught seven good sized trout and Chris caught a thick nineteen inch brown trout. All too soon the claxon sounded alerting the students it was time for breakfast. As we left the water the buzz was about the Wooly Bugger and it's unusual size and shape. I said it certainly looked ugly compared to other Wooly Buggers. As a result of my comment, we agreed to call it the Ugly Bugger. The camp held graduation exercises early Friday afternoon and the students were reunited with their family members and departed. Several days later I received an email from Grant highlighting the success he had with the Ugly Bugger on streams in his area and asked if I would post the Ugly Bugger as the Fly of the Week on my website. He wanted to tie a supply of Ugly Buggers for future use. Well Grant, here it is, as you requested so tie up a bunch and GOOD LUCK!

Recipe:
Hook: TMC 5263 BL, size 12
Thread: Olive Dun, 6/0
Tail: Olive Long Marabou
Body: Olive Long Marabou
Hackle: Grizzly Dyed Dark Olive, Palmered over body

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb of the hook, if it has one, before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise jaws, attach the thread behind the eye and lay down a single layer of thread to the bend of the hook.

3) Tie in a long hackle (4-5 inches) about an inch from the tip. The longest barbs on the hackle will eventually be palmered around the body.

4) Tie in the olive long marabou, forming a tail about 1.5 to 2.0 inches long. DO NOT cut the marabou at the bend of the hook!

5) Wrap the uncut marabou around the hook shank forming the body. Trim the marabou behind the eye, leaving enough room to form a thread head.

6) Palmered the hackle forward and tie off.

7) Form the thread head and finish with whip or half hitch knots. Apply a few drops of cement to the head.

8) Note: the Ugly Bugger pictured is wet.

CIA GREEN DRAKE (19)

During the Green Drake season this year we were fortunate to be on Yellow Creek two days during the third full week of May and, during the last week of May, to be on Pine Creek at Slate Run for two days. The Green Drake fishing on both waterways was impressive! Penns Creek and a few other streams that offer fine Green Drake hatches were not on the fishing radar screen because of guiding commitments.

The Green Drakes on Yellow Creek and Penns Creek are larger than the Green Drakes on Pine Creek, so it is necessary to tie patterns according to the size of the Green Drake a particular stream offers up. Fishing large size Green Drakes on Pine Creek will leave you frustrated. Remember the statement I use often when writing updates and other correspondence…………..KEEP A TIGHT LINE and A SHARP MIND! I might also add "a sharp eye"

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, 94831 size 12 or larger
Thread: Olive Dun, 6/0
Tail: Dark Dun and Ginger Hackle Tips
Rib: Yellow Kevlar Thread
Body: Medium Olive Polypropylene
Hackle: Dark Dun and Ginger
Wings: NONE

Caddis Wet Fly (18)

I was guiding two young men on the Yellow Breeches. The fish were up and taking tan caddis off the surface. However, the takes were of naturals that were hoping along the water surface prior to taking flight. The Caddis would emerge, hop, well, actually skip about one to two inches above the water surface. The trout were keyed in on the hop/skip activity and motionless Caddis went unscathed. Mimicking the hop/skip of the naturals by twitching the fly brought several fish to the net but my gut feeling was that trout were actively taking Caddis Emergers prior to the naturals reaching the surface.

Yes, we could have concentrated on the trout taking naturals off the surface and continued to take a modest number of trout but early in the afternoon, I recommended tying on a tandem of Caddis wet flies that I tied the evening prior. One split shot carried the tandem of flies just under the surface and the serious action of catching trout began. My clients caught numerous trout with the tandem wet flies and after several savage strikes resulting in rip offs; they used up the quantity of wet flies I had tied the night before. I excused myself and walked the short distance to my house and sat down at the fly tying table. In twenty minutes I had tied several caddis wet flies and returned to the stream. My clients tied on the freshly tied flies and the action resumed. An hour later they ran out of flies. So once again I returned to the tying table and tied up another half dozen flies. The total catch and release of trout from the surface and later subsurface, over the eight hours of fishing, was impressive. What a day of fishing!