Hook: TMC 300 Size 8-12
Thread: Black 8/0
Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet
Body: Black Uni-Stretch or Floss
Rib: Small Silver Wire
Under Wing: White Buck Tail
Over Wind: Orange Buck Tail

Hook: TMC 2302 or any Nymph hook.
Size: 2-18
Thread: 0.32 gauge brown Parawire* or any thin copper wire
Body: Pheasant Tail Fibers
Tail: Pheasant Tail Fibers
Wing Case: Pheasant Tail Fibers

An excellent source of wire in various colors and size is:

Paramount Wire Co.
CBC Metal Supply
2-8 Central Ave.
East Orange, NJ 07018
973-672-0500

Hook: Mustad #94840 Size 8-16
Thread: Black
Underbody: Black or Orange Yarn
Rib: Prepared Grouse tail feather split, trimmed and pith removed.
Hackle: Grizzly Hen

Hook: Wet Fly Size 10-14
Thread: Black 8/0
Tail: Red Hackle
Body: Red Floss
Rib: Gold Wire Size Small
Wing: Grizzly Hackle Tips
Hackle: Red Hackle

Tying Notes:  The Slim Jim Red is a variation on the Slim Jim, which is popular with Brook Trout. Traditionally tied with a red tail, black body with silver tinsel rib, and grizzly wing and hackle. This fly is mentioned frequently Maine outdoor writer Bob Leeman.

Hook: TMC Size 8-12
Thread: Black 8/0
Tail: Peacock Sword 3-4 fibers
Body: Gold Mylar - Medium
Under Wing: Yellow bucktail
Over Wind: Brown bucktail

Tying Notes:  This Pre-1950’s N.Y. streamer is a great all around minnow pattern, and is a good sucker young-of-the-year imitation.

Hook - Partridge Czech Nymph Hook #12
Weight - Flat lead tape
Bead - Gold or copper tungsten
Rib - Fine silver wire
Overbody - Grey OMC embroidery yarn (S415)
Underbody - Pink OMC embroidery yarn (957)
Thorax cover - Clear specs thin skin
Dubbing - Mix of UV hot pink ice dub and regular hares ear
Hot spot- Datam  globrite orange #5

The big caddis hatch everyone can't wait for is the Mothers Day Caddis or Brachycentrus.  The Brachycentrus is a cased caddis that lives in just about every stream.  This is a prolific hatch and trout engorge themselves on this abundant insects. This hatch in the east starts in May around Mothers Day and can go well in to June, making it an important hatch to fishers.

There are many outstanding patterns to imitate the pupa (it's most vulnerable stage).  The best well know is LaFontaine’s Sparkle Pupa. Again I'd like to point you in the direction of Matt Grobert's video Tying the LaFontaine Sparkle Emerger  produced by Tim Flagler aka Tightline Productions for instruction on tying this classic pattern. Another notable pattern is Barr’s Graphic Caddis.

My take on the Mothers Day Caddis is simple, like most of my patterns, mainly because I want to spend more time fishing than tying (the real reason is I'm lazy).  With most of the patterns I develop the golden rule is Keep it simple, Stupid.  For those who don't know the K.I.S.S. rule it's attributed to Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works think spy planes Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird.

This patterns is developed from observation. I always have a small seine net and will do a kick sample of the stream I fishing to see what bugs and numbers.

I must give inspirational credit to Davie McPhail videos where I pick-upped using Flashabou for the rib and tinting it with a permanent marker to create a darker but flashy rib.

Recipe:

Hook: Light Wire Caddis Hook
Size: 14 - 16
Thread: Brown 6/0 or 8/0
Tag: Flashabou
Rib: Flashabou tinted with olive permanent marker
Abdomen:  Hareline Dubbin HD13 (Insect Green)
Gas Bubble: 1/8" Micro Foam (used to protect electronics)
Legs: Hungarian Partridge
Thorax: Brown Squirrel Dubbing

Hook - Tiemco 2457
Size - 18-22
Thread -  8/0
Body - A wrapped strand of Flashabou
Thorax - Peacock Herl

As we settle into the winter months there are still opportunities to get out an catch a few trout. I usually look for sunny days when the temperature will be above 40 and the water temperature will rise a couple of degrees to get the fish active.

The hatches of mayflies and caddis are now a memory but the river produces a steady supply of midges all year long, and during the winter they become a major food source. Even though they are small they are present in large numbers and the fish can feed on them all day long.

My favorite midge pattern for this type of fishing is the Disco Midge. Originating in Colorado, most likely for use on the tailwaters, it is easy to tie and very effective. Using Flashabou as the body, they can be tied in several colors in sizes 18 - 22. My favorite color is red, and I will fish it along with a #12 beadhead soft hackle or other weighted fly. Other possible colors are pink, pearl, black and green. To increase the durability of the fly you can coat the body with nail polish or epoxy.