An Evenings Work

Over the holiday break I got together with Lou from Fly and Fin, for an evening of fly tying, chili eating and bourbon swilling.  I refilled a couple holes in my nymph box, but it was not the most productive tying session.  I had to keep putting my scissors down to pick up the bourbon glass, which slowed things down, but at least I did not stab myself in the forehead.  That's a story for another time!

Getting Down Deep - The Cased Caddis Anchor

Cased Caddis Anchor

Faced with the prospect of high water flows on the season opener this weekend, I spent a few hours working on a few anchor fly patterns.  I was inspired to tie this particular pattern by my three year old son.  He was walking around the house with a piece of chartruese colored nylon twine around his neck.  Not wanting him to string himself up I took it away from him.  As I was getting ready to throw it away, I realized it would make a perfect larva head for a peeking caddis pattern.  A jig hook, large facetted/slotted tungsten bead, a lead underbody, grouse hackle for legs and a spiky hares ear body complete the package.  A basic peeking caddis pattern but this one has some serious weight behind it!

The Pheasant Tail Anchor

I thought I would share the details on this incredibly effective pattern.  I have mentioned it a few times on this site but have never really given a pattern recipe for it.  I am constantly amazed how well this disproportionate fly performs.  The tungsten bead on the head of this fly is three or four times the size it should be.

I tie it in two basic versions, one with a gold bead and one with a black bead and small orange hot spot.

Pheasant Tail Anchor - Gold Bead

Pheasant Tail Anchor - Black Bead

I should mention that I mainly fish this fly as part of a Polish or Czech nymph rig.  With my normal three fly set up, this pattern would be tied in the middle or anchor position.  It is the heaviest of the three flies and helps bring all of the patterns down to where the fish are.

A few quick notes on tying this pattern:

1. A slotted bead is a must!  It is the only way you will get a bead this size on a #12 hook.  You must be careful on how you position this bead on the hook.  Slide it up and away from the hook point so you don't impede the hook gap and possible reduce the hooking ability of the fly.  A drop of super glue in the slot will hold in place if you need to.
2. Tie the body as slim as possible, 6-8 fibers of pheasant tail is all you need.  I ensure I have a smooth under body which will often take a quite a few wraps of thread to close the gap between the hook shank and the lead under body in the thorax area.  Don't allow too much thread to build up, you want a slim tapered under body on which to wrap the pheasant tail.  I wrap the pheasant tail straight on without twisting with helps keeps that slim profile.
3. Feel free to experiment with the legs.  The pattern fishes well as described here but may be even more effective with a few turns of rust brown CDC at the collar.  I tie the pattern both ways.  Feel free to omit the legs all together.  They are usually the first things chewed off the pattern after a few fish and the fly continues to work!

Pheasant Tail Anchor Recipe:
Hook:  Size 12 Dai-Riki 730  (2x long nymph hook)
Bead:  3/16 gold, faceted & slotted tungsten bead
Weight:  8 wraps of .020 lead wire (under the thorax area)
Wing case:  Peacock green mylar
Thorax:  Peacock herl
Legs:  8 pheasant tail fibers (4 off each side)
Ribbing:  Small gold wire
Abdomen:  Peacock tail fibers from the tail
Tail:  Peacock tail fibers (6-8)

Winter is Finally Over!

This was a long tough winter for me.  In a normal winter I will usually get a dozen or more trips under my belt before the season closes before opening day in early April.  This year it was looking like opening day would be my first time on the water.  As luck would have it last Friday my scheduled cleared at the last minute and I was on the water by noon.  The weather was unseasonable warm but the water was high, just coming down from flood stage earlier in the week.  Not perfect conditions, but with the season closing in two days there really wasn't another choice.

The day started a little slow but as the water warmed the fish turned on.  It was a Czech nymphing game as the high water had the fish pushed to the banks and in the softer water around the breaks, but the fish were there and they were eating.  The high roiled water allowed you to fish close most times not even getting your feet wet.

The fish were in great shape and looked like they passed through the winter in grand style.

Most of the fish were rainbows, but as the water warmed the browns started to wake up.

This is a new pattern this year and it produced very good.  I'll put up the pattern recipe in a few days.

The fish of the day was a big hen brown who ate the fly right on the bank in front of a log. 

With any luck there would be one more trip out before the season closed Sunday night...

Another way to add color...

A more subtle way to add an attractor color to the fly is to add a little thread dam before mounting the bead on the hook.  I like this method better than adding a band of color behind the bead.

Recipe:
Hook:  Scud 14-16
Thread:  Fire Orange 6/0 Uni
Bead:  Gold tungsten
Abdomen:  Turkey tail fibers
Ribbing:  Gold tinsel
Thorax:  Hares ear dubbing with extra guard hairs added

Aaron Jasper's Fire Fly

The Fire Fly

This is a new pattern for the box this year, although I have tied and fished very similar patterns I like this particular fly a lot.  At the International Fly Tying Symposium I ran into my friend Aaron Jasper.  Aaron, who is become well known as a master of Euro Nymphing techniques, was tying this pattern.  I like the looks of it so I added a dozen of them to this year's box.  I have only fished it for a few weeks but it has been fishing well enough to earn it a compartment in "the box".  

Aaron Will be releasing a new DVD this month entitled European Nymphing Techniques and Fly Tying  I plan on reviewing this video on the blog once it becomes available so stay tuned.

Aaron Jasper's Fire Fly

Rather than post the recipe you can see the originator tie it himself.  My buddy Lou from the Fly and Fin blog posted a video of Aaron tying this pattern at the show.  

The Nymph Box - Hot Beads

Hot Bead Nymph

Another way to add some color to a fly pattern is a "hot bead".  You can now find fluorescent beads in both brass and tungsten in what ever colors you desire.  Some of my favorite colors for these Euro patterns are hot orange, red, & chartreuse.  This blue wing olive nymph is transformed into an attractor pattern with the addition of a hot orange tungsten bead.

Recipe:
Hook:  Scud size 14-16
Bead:  Tungsten (hot orange) sized according to hook
Thread:  Brown 8/0 Uni
Tail:  Brown hackle fibers
Abdomen:  Olive biot
Ribbing: X-small black wire
Thorax:  Hares ear dubbing
Wing Case:  Black thin skin

Another variation on a hot spot micro-nymph

Micro Hot Spot Nymph

This pattern is very similar to the one in the previous post.  Substituting materials makes this version a much brighter fly with more flash.


Pattern Recipe:

Hook: DOHIKU bead hook (14-16 can substitute a standard scud hook)
Bead:  Gold tungsten
Tail:  Woodduck flank fibers
Hotspot:  Hot Orange Uni 6/0
Ribbing:  Synthetic pearl quill
Abdomen:  Synthetic brown quill
Thorax:  Synthetic peacock " eye"dubbing (it has a gold tint to it that does not pick up well in the photo)

Back to the box...

Hot Butt Micro Nymphs

The next group of flies I refer to as Micro Nymphs.  They really don't represent any particular species of aquatic insect.  The flies are small and buggy looking, never larger that a 14 or smaller size 22.  I will fish these flies in the point position or on a dropper on a three fly rig.  They need a substantial anchor fly to bring them down in swift water.  I will also fish them on a long spanish or french style leader in skinny water especially in the low flows of fall and early winter.

Hot Butt Micro Nymph

Pattern Recipe:


Hook: DOHIKU bead hook (14-16 can substitute a standard scud hook)
Bead:  Black tungsten
Tail:  Woodduck flank fibers
Hotspot:  Hot Orange Uni 6/0
Ribbing:  Synthetic pearl
Abdomen:  Turkey tail fibers
Thorax:  Synthetic peacock dubbing

The Box...

Pink Czech Nymphs

Another compartment in one of my Czech nymph boxes that needed to be filled is the one that held Pink Czech Nymphs.  For reasons known only to the fish, this particular color combination was particularly effective this past season.  I tie four variations of this pattern, tan back or pearl flash back with either a bead head or thread head.  Interestingly enough, my friend Lou from Fly and Fin posted about a Bugs of the Underworld video segment that appeared to show a caddis larva with a pinkish hue.  I know he does well on the same water with a similar pink grub.

Pink Czech Nymph
Hook:  Knapek Czech nymph hook size 12 or 14
Thread:  Uni 6/0 brown
Bead:  Black tungsten (optional)
Underbody: Sticky back lead tape
Shell Back:  Tan Thin Skin or pearl flash back
Rib (inner):  Small gold wire
Rib (outer): Small red wire
Abdomen:  Pink UV pink Ice Dub
Hot Spot: Yellow synthetic dubbing
Thorax:  Olive and black hares ear dubbing
Gills:  Light gray after shaft feather

Another Peek in the Nymph Box...

Big Bead Flashback Pheasant Tail

This odd looking fly is one of my all time top producers.  Another anchor fly this pattern was originally designed to bring other flies on a Czech nymph rig to the bottom.  The shocker was that it almost always out produced the other flies in the set.  I tie it in two versions the flashy gold bead version shown above and a more subdued version with a black bead and hot spot (shown below).  A slotted tungsten bead is essential to this pattern.  It will allow mounting an oversized bead on a smaller hook and you can position the bead so it will not interfere with the hook gap.  This fly also has a couple turns of .20 lead wire on it that helps hold the bead in place.  In a word...HEAVY!

The Big Bead Flashback Pheasant Tail

Hook:  Dai Riki 730 size 12

Bead: 3/16" Slotted Tungsten (gold or black/faceted or smooth)

Thread: Uni 6/0 brown

Rib: Gold wire

Tail:  Pheasant Tail fibers

Abdomen:  Pheasant Tail fibers

Thorax:  Peacock herl

Flashback:  Green flashabou

If you look through some of my fish images on this site you will see this fly hanging off a lot of fish lips! 

A Peek Into The Nymph Box...

I had high hopes of getting out several times over the holiday weekend but a nasty cold kept me close to home.  So instead of fishing I started my late season fly tying in earnest.  I have loads of near empty fly boxes that need refilling and a few new patterns to add to the arsenal.

I did get out the day after Thanksgiving but I paid for it dearly over the weekend.  The fly that produced the best that day was a anchor pattern inspired by fly tier Kevin Compton owner of Performance Flies.  This slim pattern sinks like a rock and is an effective fish catcher.  Dubbed the "Copper Bead" by my friend Aaron Jasper, one of the founders of Trout Predator Online, it is now one of my go to flies for fish holding in deeper fast water.

"The Copper Bead"

The Copper Bead

Hook:  DOHIKU model 302 size 6-12
Bead:  Copper tungsten
Thread: Brown 6/0 Uni
Tail:  Wood duck fibers
Rib: Pearl synthetic ribbing
Abdomen:  Hares ear dubbing mixed with copper flash or copper metallic dubbing (dub the body as thin as possible with slight taper.
Thorax:  "Tiger Beetle" (black/orange) zelon dubbing

Improvised Cased Caddis

While fishing on Montana's Gallatin River I observed a large number of cased caddis with bright green bodies in this rocky fast flowing river.  Back at the cabin that evening I improvised with the materials we had on hand.  Tungsten beads in two sizes (one just happened to be green), shaggy greenish dubbing, hen feathers and yellow wire.  This was the result.  The double beads sink this one like a stone.  A perfect anchor fly for Czech nymphing.

Did it work?

I'm pretty sure it did...at least on the Madison.

Effective Patterns

The Pink Czech Nymph

I thought I would make a habit of sharing what flies have been working for me as a regular feature this season.  The this nymph was my most effective pattern on the season opener a few weeks ago.  This pink Czech nymph has been racking up some serious numbers with the rainbows on my local waters since the beging of April.  It is interesting to note that the fly has caught only rainbows, no other trout species, though plenty of brook and brown trout have been caught on other patterns. 

The Recipe:

Hook:  Knapek Czech Nymph #12

Thread: Brown uni 6/0

Underbody:  Adhesive backed lead tape (single layer)

Ribbing:  Fine gold tinsel and 4X maxima tippet material (the brown variety) or gold wire

Shellback:  Mylar tinsel

Abdomen:  Pink rabbit dubbing mixed with a little UV pink ice dub

Thorax:  Brown hare's ear mixed witha little brown ice dub

Polish Woven Nymph

During the Fly Fishing show last month I ran into a friend of mine, Aaron Jasper.  Aaron was tying woven polish nymphs, something I have been doing for years.  I have always liked the appearance of flies with woven bodies but the effort put into tying them always put me off.  Aaron's method of handling the material changed all that.  Using bobbins to weave on the body material really speeds up the process and allows for precise placement of the woven materials.


Some of mine...

This olive over insect green color combination is a great imitation of a caddis larva for the South Branch of the Raritan River.  A stream that I spend a lot of time on every year.  A lead underbody and tungsten bead makes it a good choice for early season high water conditions.

The Anchors...

Anchor flies are an important part of my Czech nymph set ups.  The waters I fish are fairly high gradient and fast flowing.  Heavy flies are needed to bring the system down to the fish.  Since no weight is applied to the leader it all has to be in the flies.  When I first started Czech nymphing I tied anchor flies emphasizing the weight aspect.  I used oversized tungsten beads and lots of lead tape or wire to create a very heavy fly.  I never had high hopes of catching fish on these monstrosities, I just tried to tie something heavy enough to bring the other flies (the ones I tied to actually catch fish) down to were the fish were.  Lo and behold,  I caught just as many fish on the anchors as the "fishing flies".  Today I am no longer surprised when I catch a trout on an anchor fly but I still wonder what the hell the fish was thinking...

Though not necessary, jig hooks help flies ride hook point up to minimize snags.  Slotted tungsten beads allow you to mount larger beads on your hooks.

Cased caddis patterns are great choices for anchor flies.  This one will get to the bottom in the strongest currents.

My favorite anchor fly of all.  A large (size 10 or 12) flashback pheasant tail with an oversized slotted faceted tungsten bead and lead underbody.  

Another Killer Czech Nymph

This is another pattern that worked very good for me this last season.  I have modified it slightly with the addition of the deer hair thorax dubbing.  I like this new version even better, hopefully the fish will agree with me.
Recipe:
Hook:Partridge CZ
Inner Ribbing:  Gold wire
Outer Ribbing:  Maxima Mono
Abdomen:  Light olive synthetic dubbing
Hot Spot: Pink ice dub
Thorax:  Simon Thorax dubbing -Brown
Shellback:  Tan magic shrimp foil

Another Czech Pattern

This pattern is a heavily weighted nymph with three layers of lead foil tied in at the bend of the hook.  I use it as an anchor fly as it sinks like a rock.

Hook:  Partridge CZ #12
Shell back:  Pink magic foil
Inner Rib:  Oval gold tinsel
Outer Rob:  Gold wire
Abdomen:  Light olive synthetic dubbing
Heart/bright Spot:  Fushia UV dubbing
Thorax:  Tan UV dubbing

Czech Nymphs

Here is one of my most effective Czech nymph patterns this last season.  These are quick easy ties, a little sloppy but the fish don't mind.  You can turn out a couple dozen in no time at all.  The key to tying an effective Czech or Polish style nymph is turning out a fly with a good amount of weight and a thin profile.  I will weight these patterns with adhesive backed lead tape or square lead wire.  Both methods will allow you to load a hook with more weight than traditional lead wire.  Some flies have a single layer of lead some a double.  Its pretty easy to figure out which is which by just holding them in your hand.

This pattern is a basic olive Czech Nymph.

Hook:  Partridge CZ #12

Shell back:  Tan Shrimp Foil

Inner Ribbing:  Gold Wire

Outer Ribbing:  Mono

Abdomen:  Synthetic Light Olive Dubbing

Heart/Spot:  Clear UV Dubbing

Thorax:  Brown Hares Mask