Got out for a spell

Well I got out fishing for a bit this after noon. I hit a little spring creek since the freestoners were still iced up bad. I didn't fish any stones since there are vary few in this spring creek. I nymphed with a uv diamond scud and a plain olive scud. I got more than 4 and the sun started setting so away I went. The uv diamond scud caught every trout.

Hendrickson flymph video

Materials 

Hook- any dry fly hook will do 12-14, but I really like and use the daiichi alec jackson soft hackle hooks 9-13

Thread- Uni 8/0 tan

Tail- bronze mallard flank

Body- Pink floss

Rib- Tan Australian opossum cut up fine and dubbed on thread

Hackle- Honey dun hen neck, preferably light honey dun.

The Willow Nymph Video

The Willow Nymph Tutorial

 If you have been following my postings here, then you know the willow nymph is a pattern that I keep fine tuning and I believe I have it mastered finally.  The final version which is still subject to change lol, has served me quite well on the freestoners in the area. I am sure it will produce great all over the place. It is a great pattern for fishing this time of year, with all the stones around in great in numbers. The willow is a close match to the early black stone nymph and tied in different colors can match many different stoneflies. So twist a few up and give them a go.
  

 Materials

Hook- Daiichi 1560 #14-16

Thread- Uni 8/0 dark brown

Tails- Moose main, optional

Rib- Small brown wire

Stripe- Uni 6/0 white

Abdomen- Dubbing, Blend is 2 parts(pinches) brown rabbit, and 1 part each- black rabbit, sts black and fiery brown.

Wing case- Dura skin, brown

Legs- extra fine round rubber, 2 pieces of Senyos shaggy dub is perfect

Thorax- Dubbing blend

 Head- Dubbing blend

Lets twist one up

 

Johnny's simple stone tutorial

 There is no doubt in my mind that stone fly imitations are a nymphers deadliest flies on fertile freestone streams of the northeast, and many other streams through out the world.  Several of my favorite local streams have a very large amount of stone flies, with many different species of stones.  The biggest reason why stone fly imitations are so effective is because many stone fly species take years to mature from a nymph till they are ready to hatch into the wing adults. What does that mean to the fly fisherman?  It means the trout have stones to eat year round and they are very familiar with them.
   Stone fly imitations, while they will work all year round, they become even more effective in hatch time. At this time the mature nymphs become quit active and by doing so they become more available for the trout to gobble up. The vast majority of stone flies crawl to the edge of streams or in streams debri structures to climb out of the water to hatch. What does this mean to fly fisherman? This means trout will stage along banks and structures waiting for the nymphs come to them.  Next time your on the stream, pay close attention to sand bars and work those banks.
  It is now January, and the little black stones and the tiny black stones are making there presence known.  For the little aka early black stone I use my willow stone imitation but as of late I have been nymphing with an fly pattern I know call the my simple stone.  It is designed to imitate the tiny black stones found on many streams in the area.  Many winter fly fisherman fail to notice them and many mistakenly call a flying adult a midge. After all, they are tiny.
  I am a firm believer that simple is best when it comes to effective flies for trout, and the simple stone fits that bill.  All you need is thread, midge ice braid, and very small rubber, for the legs.  So lets twist  one up already!

Hook- Daiichi 1550 #16 

Thread- Montana fly co Midge body thread black

Abdomen- Tying thread

Thorax- Tying thread

Wing case- Midge ice braid, root beer

Legs- micro rubber, senyo's shaggy dub works great, black

Start the thread back two hook eye lengths from the eye and wind back to the barb and then back to where you started.

Take the midge ice braid and pull the braid apart, dont worry, the materials are bonded together and by pulling it apart you are simply flattening the braid out.  Once you have this done,  fold the braid around the thread and bring the thread around the shank placing the braid on top of the shank. Wrap back over braid tying it in to the middle of the shank.

Wrap the thread forward and back till you even out the thorax. Dont worry if its kinda bumpy at this point.

Take a single piece of rubber and fold it around the thread and bring the thread around placing the rubber on the far side of the shank. Do the same with another piece of rubber for the near side. Then hold the back legs back and wind over them tying them back to about where the braid is tied in. Bring the thread forward  tying the front legs forward to about a hook eyes length back from the eye, then wrap in front of the legs to make them flare out.  In the photo i pulled the front leg out of the way of camera.

Now bring the braid over the top, and give a good pull as you bring it over to flatten it out. Tie it down with two turns on and one in front. Snipe the excess and wipe finish.

Now trim the legs, I like to trim the back legs to just past the abdomen, and the front legs I trim just beyond the eye of the hook.  You dont want long legs as they will just get tangled in the bend of the hook.

You now have a simple little stone fly.  Fish them slow on the bottom and be sure to cast them near banks, and be ready for some hard strikes!  But pay close attention cause some of those strikes are super light.

This 18" brown took the simple stone, no doubt this brown grew as large as he has by eating many stone flies over the coarse of his life.

  

Testing my latest creation

Well got out this afternoon to test out my latest stonefly creation. I went to a freestoner that I know has plenty of stoneflies. I picked a good section of stream and I rigged upped with a zug, and the latest creation trailing.
It wasn't long before my 2wt was frowning and I was smiling. I worked up through the section of stream and my little black stone nymph did great. It out fished the zug. Which tells me I need to tie some more of them! I'll do a tutorial of on soon.

Afternoon nymphing session

Well I got out yesterday for some nymphing on my favorite freestoner. I picked a smaller section of stream to nymph with my 2wt. I rigged a 2 fly rig, with the improve zug bug and the rubber diamond ducky trailing.
It wasn't long before I had a little brown take the rdd. I nymphed my way up to a point I had set to quit at prior to starting. I was short on time, so I was running and gunning so to say.
The fishing was good, lots of midges around in pupa form, and fair amount of little black stones. The last brown i got was all mustard, peeled line and refused to come in, great fun on the 2wt
So with the sun fading fast and with "more than 4" I walked back to my car. Every of the trout I caught took the rdd. Could the rdd be the hot fly of the future? It has yet to let me down.