To see the collection of previous articles go to the Fly of the Month Archives



Fly of the Month 2012



December 2012

Polish Pheasant Tail Nymph by Lou Digena




Hook - Mustad S80-3906
Size - 10-16
Thread -  GLO-BRITE Fluorescent Floss - Shade #5 Hot Orange
Bead - Gold Tungsten Bead
Tail - Pheasant Tail Fibers
Body - Pheasant Tail Fibers
Rib - Copper Wire (Size BR)
Thorax - Jan Siman Synthetic Peacock Dubbing - Peacock Eye
Hot Spot -  GLO-BRITE Fluorescent Floss - Shade #5 Hot Orange

Not much more needs to be said about Pheasant Tail, other than it's one of the most used fibers for making nymphs. There are three fibers I can't do without: Pheasant Tail, Peacock Tail and Hungary Partridge.

This is my variation on Davie McPhail's "Polish Pheasant Tail Nymph"

What's nice about this pattern is it's simple, and it has all the elements of a great nymph.  The profile is tied in the round.  It presents the same profile when the nymph is tumbling downstream.  The pheasant tail fibers offer the iridescent brown/olive color found in most naturals.  It also has two triggers, the two hot spots and a gold bead.

If you're looking for the Glo-Brite and Jan Siman Dubbing, I'd recommend you go to  Kevin Compton's site http://www.performanceflies.com/. He has most of the materials you'll need for tying your euro-nymph patterns.




October 2012

October Caddis Pupa by Bart Lombardo


October Caddis Pupa

Hook:  8-12 Standard or 1xl long nymph hook
Bead:  Black Tungsten sized to hook
Underbody:  Green mylar or krystal flash
Body:  Orange Ultra Chenille tinted with a black or brown marker
Rib:  Red Wire
Antenna:  Wood duck fibers
Legs:  Partridge
Thorax: Black ostrich herl 

This month's Fly is an October Caddis Pupae.  The pattern is not an original one, but one that I love to use to imitate these big bugs.  Predominately an evening or early morning hatch this insect is a good meal for trout looking to bulk up for the winter.  The hatch is at best sporadic and I have never seen more than one or two adults on the water.  That being said I have had good success with this subsurface pattern this time of year.




September 2012

Dot Wing Winter Sedge by Ron Ruskai

A winter caddis hatch - Fish mid November thru mid February



Dot Wing Winter Sedge

Dot Wing Winter Sedge

Hook- Nymph, size 12-14
Thread- Dark Brown 6/0
Body- Dark Brown Dub
Hackle- Yellow/Brown soft hackle
Head- Black Ostrich

Sedge Emerger

Dot Wing Winter Sedge Emerger

Hook- Dry, size 12-14
Thread- Dark Brown 8/0
Body- Dark Brown Dub
Wing- Brown Deer Body
Head- Black Ostrich




June 2012

Hornberg by Ron Ruskai

Hornberg

Hook: Streamer or Long Shank Nymph, size 4-12
Thread: 6/0 Black
Body: Silver Flat Mylar
Wing: Yellow Bucktail; sparse length of hook with one Mallard Flank tied on each side
Collar: Grizzly soft wound dry fly style

This is the #1 fly in the Adirondacks on lake or stream.






May 2012

Black & White Minnow by Ron Ruskai

Black & White Minnow

Thread - - 6/0 Black
Hook - 4X Long, size 8-6
Body - Flat Silver Mylar Tinsel
Tail - Black & White Barred Woodduck
Wing - Sparse White Bucktail over sparse Black Bucktail. Two Badger Saddle Feathers tied one on each side.
Throat - Red Hackle Fibers






April 2012

Hendrickson Nymph by Bart Lombardo

It is Hendrickson time here in New Jersey. The hatch is a few weeks early due to the mild winter we have experienced here in the north east. We are all hoping that the bugs stay around long enough for the season opener. If you want to fish this hatch you can still get out on our trout conservation waters which are open year round, though they are likely to be crowded. There have been no real prolific hatches report yet but there have been some sightings which mean the bugs are on the move.

Although I fish a number of emerger and dun patterns, I only fish on nymph pattern for this hatch. I first found this fly in the book Flies for Trout by Dick Stewart and Farrow Allen. I have been fishing the fly since the early nineties when the book first came out and I have never needed another pattern. The grey band of dubbing in the center of the fly is essential to the pattern as the naturals often have a lighter coloration mid-abdomen. I prefer the fly as shown (minus the crazy long guard hard that need to be plucked out!), though you can also add a bead if that's the way you roll.

These nymphs are active swimmers when emerging so subtle twitches and lift techniques are often productive when fishing this pattern.

Hendrickson Nymph

Hook: 2x long nymph hook size 12 or 14
Thread: Brown 6/0
Tail: Well marked wood duck flank barbs
Abdomen: Reddish brown fur with a band of grey fur behind the thorax or in the mid section (look at your local nymphs)
Ribbing: Copper wire (not in the original pattern)
Thorax: Reddish brown fur
Wing Case: Black section of turkey tail
Legs: Well marked wood duck flank or partridge barbs






March 2012

CDC Little Black Stone by Lou DiGena

CDC Stone

Thread - 8/0 UNI Black
Hook - Dry Fly Hook Size 14-18
Body - Black Poly Dubbing
Under Wing - Dun CDC Feathers
Over Wing - Stalcup’s Medallion Sheeting Brown
Hackle - Black

This month’s fly of the month is a reprint of a fly of the month from several year’s back. No, we have not run out of submissions, I just thought I would share a pattern that has done very well for me this winter. I was introduced to this pattern many years ago by Lou Digena and it has become my go to fly for fishing the Little Black Stone Fly hatches of February and March.






February 2012

Chimarra Caddis Larva

Submitted by Bart Lombardo


This bright orange/yellow caddis larva can be an important food source on some waters in our area during the late winter and early spring months. As far as caddis larva go it is one of the smallest I will bother to imitate. I tie them on a 3x short hook in sizes 16 & 18, but I know folks tie them smaller (typically 18-20). The short shank hook allows me to maintain a good hook gap but still keep the body appropriately sized.

I was able to get out this week and enjoy some of the unseasonable warm weather. This pattern and small patterns with bright orange hot spots produced well. Indicating that the fish may be seeing some of these larva already.


Chimarra Caddis

Recipe:

Hook: 3x short larva hook
Thread: 8/0 Hot or Fire Orange for body/Brown for head
Under Body: Orange thread
Markings: Black marker on thread before wrapping floss
Abdomen: Yellow floss spiraled up hook shank allowing the underbody to show
Thorax: Brown thread
Legs: Squirrel dubbing

Tying Instructions:

Cover the hook shank with orange thread wrapping down the bend of the hook, building up a thicker area over the barb of the hook.

Tie in a piece of yellow floss at the bend of the hook and advance the thread to the eye, whip finish and cut off.

Attach brown thread at the hook eye

Dot the back of the fly with a black marker a few times

Advance the floss towards the eye in open spirals allowing the orange underbody to show through and tie off at the hook eye.

Dub a small about of squirrel fur on thread and create the flies legs by making several wraps, pulling the fibers down after each wrap

Create a neat thread head, whip finish and cut off thread.

Apply a small drop of clear cure goo to the top of the thorax and cure with a UV light to keep the fibers pointing downward

Once this pattern gets wet the colors will change closely resembling that of the natural insect.






January 2012

CE Crayfish

Submitted by Lou DiGena

This is my CE Crayfish (Close Enough) . The Crayfish below was about a size 8. When I design my flies I like to follow the K.I.S.S. rule (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Crawfish Pattern

Natural Crawfish


Recipe:
Hook: Mustad 79580 or any Streamer Hook #2 - #12
Head: Dazl-Eyes 5/32" Black
Weight: .32 non-toxic Lead wire
Thread: 8/0 or 6/0 Black
Body: Scintilla Pale Olive Green #3 Dubbing
Claws: Olive Marabou
Rib:.32 gauge Green Parawire or any green wire



Step 1
1. Mash down barb and and create two thread humps for the dumb bell eyes.

Step 2
2. Secure your eyes with figure of eight and add your lead to hook shank.

Step 3
3. Wrap your lead forward and secure with thread.

Step 4
4. Tie in your green wire.
Step 5
5. Tie in a dubbing ball at the bend.

Step 6
6. Tie in a marabou tip to the far side of the hook.

Step 7
7. Tie in a marabou tip to the near side of the hook.
Step 8
8. Trim off the waist.

Step 9
9. Dub in your body.

Step 10
10. Advance the wire with open turns.

Step 11
11. Whip finish and your done.