Martian Invasion | Peter Stitcher

Peter Stitcher | Ascent Fly Fishing | ascentflyfishing.com

Trout need to see your flies if they are going to eat them.  This can be a challenge with traditional fly patterns when the sun starts to sink but the bite remains hot and trout look to continue to feed throughout the night.  The Martian series of flies were hatched to help the angler hack the science of trout vision and land more and bigger fish all throughout the night.  As the sun recedes into the west each evening, so do the cone receptors within the eyes of trout that are responsible for interpreting light as different colors.  The result is that your favorite red, green, and blue fly patterns all fade to black and blend into the dark backdrop of the river.  Trout feeding at night, therefore, key into the intensity of light and contrast created by mixing light and dark colored materials in our patterns. Designed by Aquatic Biologist and Ascent Fly Fishing owner Peter Stitcher, the Martian series of flies were created to exploit the night vision of trout and inevitably draw them through the river to eat our flies.  Like a UFO parked over a Kentucky trailer park, the glow in the dark materials used in these patterns will beam unsuspecting trout out of the river and into your landing net.  So, the next time you head to your favorite fishing hole at night, put in your earbuds, turn up Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science” and embrace the Martian invasion!

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Flies on the Barbee – Bonus Pattern #2

Mini Chubby Chernobyl

Hook: Partridge K12ST
Thread: Semperfli nano silk 12/0
Body: Semperfli 2.5 mm black foam
Wing: Semperfli dirty bug yarn
Legs: Semperfli orange barred legs
UV: Solarez Bone Dry on the whip finish

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Water Lure Sally

Tying the Water Lure Sally:

Hook: Size 10-16 (Size 12 shown) Ahrex Freshwater 531

Hot spot/Head: Semperfli 12/0 red flat waxed thread

Thread: Semperfli 12/0 black Nano Silk Thread

Body: Yellow Holographic Tinsel

and Semperfli Perfect Quill in medium,

covered in Deer Creek Diamond Fine Resin

Underwing: 2mm yellow fly tying foam, cut with River Road Creations Foam Cutter

Wing: Bleached Nature’s Spirit Select Cow Elk and opal mirage 1/69″ 1733 Lateral Scale

Hackle: Whiting Farms High & Dry Grizzly Dyed Golden Straw

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Bruce’s DDP Stone

Bruce’s DDP Stone | Justin Bruce @justinbruceflies

As seen in the Winter 2019 issue of Fly Fusion Magazine

Sitting at the vise, I thought, I want a heavy, buggy, leggy, stonefly that uses my Houdini-weave and lays the smack down like Diamond Dallas Page. Blame it on the Dark Side of the Moon soundtrack playing in the background, but what came off the vise was a DDP stone. Some people swear by natural imitations, but I’ve always been a sucker for wild colours and flash. Green legs have been the ticket on North Georgias Toccoa River tailwater lately.

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Jig Sassi Solution

“I’m the first to admit that I’m not very skilled or experienced at European-style nymphing, but I am fascinated by the techniques, the flies and the people who are obsessed with it.  When they get into fishing this way they often don’t want to do anything else,”

Jig Sassi Solution

Hook: Jig hook, #12-16

Bead: Gold or copper tungsten slotted bead

Thread: Uni-Thread, black, 8/0

Body: Pheasant tail

Thorax: Bright orange or pink dubbing

Tail: Pheasant tail

Rib: Copper wire

Catch all of Jeremy’s Flies for Euro Nymphing in the Spring 2020 issue of Fly Fusion!  Pick up your copy or subscribe today!

Pretzel Caddis | Jake Vanderweyden

Hook – Firehole Sticks 315 #14-16

Bead – 3MM Round Tungsten

Thread – UTC 70D Black

Body – UTC Ultra Wire Chartreuse & Green

Thorax – Natural Rabbit Dubbing / Ice Dub Black Peacock

Fly Tied by Jake Vanderweyden

Check out all 6 patterns of Jake’s Spring Arsenal in Volume 17, Issue 2 – grab a copy of this back issue here today!

Purple Wet | Irene Vucko

Purple Wet Fly recipe:

Tag: Silver Tinsel
Tail: Golden Pheasant Tippet, Dyed Purple
Body: Charcoal Floss
Rib: Silver Tinsel
Collar: Purple Hackle
Wing: Black Fox, with 2 strands of flash
Collar: Black Hen Hackle
Cheeks: Jungle Cock over Starling

Follow @speygirl today!

Baetis Spent Spinner

Hook: TMC 100, 16
Thread: Veevus 14/0, B14, Olive
Body: Hareline Turkey Biot Quills, Olive
Thorax: Spirit River Fine & Dry UV2, Dark Olive Baetis
Tail: Fibetts/Mayfly Tails Olive, Olive
Hackle: Whiting Dry Fly Cape, Medium Dun

Tied by Torbjorn Tiltnes @torbjorn.tiltnes

Bruce’s Houdini Fly

Written and tied by Justin Bruce (@justinbruceflies)

I fish for fun. If we are fortunate, we might experience a rare moment, a “spot in time” as the poet, Wordsworth calls it, outside where we want to pause the clock and just sit in that moment. For me, such moments have resonated more and more on the water. An afternoon on the river seems to create a better version of myself because I drive home and open the door a more focused and intentional husband and father.

This past year, I’ve become obsessed with tying and testing my creations. Since I usually have multiple flies in my “I wonder if they work” box, I have a huge incentive to invite my friends to join me in the ripples to do a little “research.”  When I get the chance to take a first timer with me, he will almost always say “there’s too much to consider” or declare that he’s overwhelmed with “too many options.” Fly fishing certainly opens up a rabbit hole. The decision of what to toss and how to fish can seem endless. But in all honesty, for me, finding the right fit is only as complicated as we want to make it. Read More