FLY OF THE WEEK

Hackled Trico (55)

As noted in a previous Fly of the Week (Hackled Trico, Number 23), 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. But Ken Okorn caught fish as I describe below.

Two Trico fishing seasons ago, Ken Okorn was using a hackled Trico during the early morning Trico female dun appearance. The rest of us were still using female and male spent spinner patterns in the morning. Ken was out catching us by a significant margin. It took some time that Trico season for the rest of us "regulars" that fish the morning Trico hatch, to smarten up. 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. See Recent News and Happenings for Trico fishing tips.

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.)

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws.
2) Secure the hook in the vise and attach the tying thread behind the eye. Tie in the hackle of choice next, bend the stem back, and wrap over the stem to the bend. The hollow stem adds some additional floatation, plus it doesn't bulk up the head.

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. Half hitch the twisted thread at the front of the abdomen, after wrapping the rib, to maintain the tight twist.
4 Dub a black thorax around the hackle. Wind the hackle forward to the eye and tie off.
5) Build a thread head and half hitch or whip finish.
6) Clip the bottom hackle fibers for a flush floating appearance.

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

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.
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 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. The fly was based on the hackled Trico fly pattern that Ken Okorn tied and used successfully the past two summers. 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 in October 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, the well traveled fly fisher, in the well traveled 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 the July 2009 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 will 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.

Well Larry, Below is the October Olive fly recipe and hopefully your fly tying buddy will tie a dozen or so for your fly box. 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: Mustad, 94840, sizes 24-26
Thread: Olive 8/0 (Camel, 8/0 for spinner version)
Tail: Wood duck flank feather barbules
Body: Beaver dubbing, light olive (Beaver dubbing dark tan for spinner version)
Hackle: Smoky dun (Collins Hackle Farm)

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 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.
4) Move the tying thread to slightly beyond mid hook shank and tie in the Smoky Dun hackle.
5) 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.
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.

Para CIA (Cover it All) (47)

Two flies work well for me while fishing mountain streams in the Snow Shoe area, North of State College. Also, both flies have fared well on Spring Creek in mid summer. The two flies can be fished individually or in tandem. The tandem rig caught my interest when a good number of trout were caught in the shadowy darkness of overhanging branches. I realized the fluorescent orange post enabled me to confidently follow the flow progress of the tandem flies through the low light conditions induced by the overhanging vegetation. As noted in Recent News and Happenings, the Para CIA works great in tandem with a Trico fly.

One of the flies, the Soft Hackle Black Caddis is currently listed as a Fly of the Week (FOW). The other fly is not, so the purpose of this FOW entry is to bring to your attention a fly that not only catches fish, but is a pleasure to fish because of the adequate visibility it provides. Vary the size and color of the Para CIA and you have a fly that is an excellent visual aid when used alone or in tandem with another fly. AND it catches fish!!

Recipe:

Hook: Mustad, 94840, size 24
Thread: Camel, 8/0
Shuck: Dark Brown Antron Yarn
Body: Natural Hare's Ear Dubbing
Post/Wing: Fluorescent Fire Orange Antron Yarn
Hackle: Grizzly

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 Dark Brown 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. The two inch piece of Antron should be sufficient for several flies.
4) Move the tying thread to slightly beyond mid hook shank and tie in the orange Antron yarn for the post. The post height should be equal to the length of the hook shank.
5) Tie in a small grizzly hackle behind the post.
6) Dub the body and then take two to three turns (parachute style) of the grizzly hackle around the post and tie off.
7) Form the thread head, half hitch and apply head cement.

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 Modification (35)

In the current Recent News and Happenings I mentioned the request for a modification to the One Fly White Fly pattern. The request was to enhance the fly sight during low light or dark conditions. The modification was made and the results on the stream were impressive. The technique for fishing the modified One Fly White Fly is reflective of what was presented earlier for the dun/spinner phase of the White Fly hatch. Briefly, and most importantly, continue with the subtle twitch of the rod tip to give the action to the fly. This frequently triggers impressive takes from the trout. The enhanced fly sight will also assist in discerning the fly in the faint white bubbly surface disturbance of a fish sipping the fly. However, at this sipping phase, it is mostly fishing by sound after dark!! This can be challenging to beginner anglers but, with a little experience, it is a rewarding fishing technique.

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.

Comet Caddis (33)

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. NOTE: the cricket pictured is a trout's view of the fly.

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.

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.

Dun Trico (23)

Most fly fishers 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. That changes in late September and early October with dun activity evident on the water in conjunction with female spinner activity. Thus the resurrection of the hackled dun is now part of my late season Trico fly patterns and I am achieving maximum fishing time effectiveness.

Recipe:
Hook: Mustad, Size26
Thread: Black, 8/0
Tail: None
Body: Black Thread
Thorax: Black dubbing
Wing: White Hackle

GENERAL TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Pinch the barb before securing the hook in the vise jaws.

2) Secure the hook in the vise and attach the tying thread behind the eye. Lay down a layer of thread to the bend of the hook and then wind forward to about mid hook.

3) Tie in the white hackle by the stem and then dub a black thorax around the hackle. Wind the hackle forward to the eye and tie off.

4) Build a small but tapered head and whip finish.

Slate Drake (22)

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 and attach the tail.

2) Tie in the white Antron to form the post and then tie in the grizzly hackle at the base of the post.

3) Wind the thread to the bend of the hook, affix the dark gray muskrat dubbing and form the abdomen.

4) Leaving the thread at the base of the post, parachute the hackle around the post and tie off.

5) Form the thorax with the dark gray muskrat dubbing.

6) Build a small thread head, whip or half hitch and coat thread with cement.

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)