Fly tying, like many arts, has entered a phase of modernization. New space-age materials have led to unbelievably realistic designs that have captivated the fly-tying community. Thus, certain flies are beginning to disappear, as their popularity declines alongside their aging tiers.
As the winter snows of the Rocky Mountains begin to thaw, a change is set in motion. The landscape breaks loose and emerges from a crisp exoskeleton of winter. For many fly fishers the pinnacle of this yearly change is the transformation of Pteronarcys californica – the stonefly known as the salmonfly – into its adult form. Most fly fishers have some familiarity with spring salmonfly hatches that proclaim the beginning of the new season on many of western North America’s freestone rivers and streams. While the salmonfly hatch is one of fly fishing’s most compelling events, success during this time is not guaranteed and often depends on the design of your flies.
When creating the Beefcake Stone, I spent extensive time observing the naturals from both above and below the water. This provided me with an accurate picture of the insect’s visual and behavioural traits. The exoskeletons of adult salmon flies display a subtle sheen so I selected a tying material that was capable of producing the same effect in my imitations. With a combination of buoyancy and reflectivity, Wapsi’s Loco Foam is the perfect material. In addition to its gloss, its laminated coating reduces flexibility. This allows for more realistic body segmentation.
Mallard Wings: How to Choose Them, Shape Them, and Mount Them
Will Bush
Tying with feathers is mechanical form of art. You take parts (feathers), that already have a certain shape and texture, combine them in a sequence to create something else entirely – something beautiful, something functional. To me tying is akin to building an engine. In order for that engine to work properly the parts must be used correctly and every step completed with the next step in mind. Feathers can only be manipulated one or two ways to create the intended result. You cannot force a feather to do something against its “will.” In order to have your flies look and swim properly you must first learn how and why these parts work.
The story of Wayne “Buz” Buszek and his Western Coachman begins in the 1930s. Buz began fly fishing the local streams of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains as a young boy. His abilities as a fly tier and fly fisher developed quickly, thanks to guidance from the local “old timers.” He excelled, developing into an exacting and innovative fly tier, a skilled fly fisher, and a “mountain goat of a hiker.”
Additional pattern, the Mono-Loop Hopper, from Ryan Sparks’ article in the latest issue of Fly Fusion.
Mono-Loop Hopper Recipe
Hook: Dai-Riki 700B, #10
Thread: UTC 140, dark tan
Mono-loops: 10 lb. monofilament
Body: Superfine Dry Fly Dubbing, tan
Overbody: 2mm foam, tan
Wing: 2mm foam, tan
Overwing: Antron yarn, white
Legs: Barred round rubber legs, yellow/black
Indicator: 2mm foam, orange
Additional pattern, the Mop-Top Beetle, from Ryan Sparks’ article in the latest issue of Fly Fusion.
Recipe
Hook: Fulling Mill 35025, #8
Thread/Body: Veevus 140, black
Hackle: Grizzly Hackle
Shell: 2mm foam, black
Legs: Medium round rubber legs, black
Indicator: 2mm foam, orange
Post: McFlylon, orange
Size, shape and colour frequently factor into fly-pattern selection. However, there are additional elements that should be considered. Bob Reece’s department in the summer issue of Fly Fusion discusses the wisdom of having translucency and vulnerability represented in your fly box. Among the flies recommended in the article is the Colby Crossland’s Klink Hopper. Pick up a copy of the summer issue of Fly Fusion Magazine on newsstands, in fly shops and available through subscription. Thanks to Bob Reece for article and tying vid!
by Chris Williams
As one who has for years enjoyed fishing the tailwaters and spring creeks of the West, I have become enamoured with the trout’s propensity for keying in on emerging and crippled mayflies. When in this emergent stage, the mayfly is most vulnerable to predatory trout, and the fish soon figure that out.
With this in mind, I have designed most of my dry and emerger patterns from materials that move, are soft, and replicate the profile of a natural insect. Initially I used mostly natural materials such as furs and feathers, but with such a rich abundance of new fly tying materials on the market, some synthetic materials have found their way into my flies.
This pattern is a marriage of natural and synthetic materials to fit a very specific purpose, and it was several years in the making. I wanted to produce a fly that sat trapped in the surface film, but also retained excellent buoyancy, had a very lifelike appearance, and was easily visible. I’ve long been a huge fan of the beautiful spring-creek patterns designed by Idaho’s Rene Harrop. His flies epitomize realism and natural movement. Like Harrop, I have found CDC wings to provide these qualities. However, they always required a great deal of maintenance to keep them afloat. I incorporated a foam wing case to provide a platform for the CDC to sit on to retain better buoyancy. That platform also helps the wing stand upright for better visibility.
But I also wanted the wing case to look as if it were splitting to allow the wing to emerge. This was the most pressing problem in tying the fly. How do I get the wings through a hole in the foam? After a variety of disappointing attempts at both pushing and pulling the wings through the foam, I finally settled on using a small wire threader that’s designed to fit through the eye of the hook. The wire is thin enough to easily push through the hole in the foam without tearing it.
I also decided on a trailing shuck of antron dubbing with a bit of deconstructed Semperfli Glint Nymph for added sheen and softness, and for its realistic, translucent appearance when wet. By “deconstructed,” I mean a strand of Glint Nymph that I’ve scraped between my thumbnail and forefinger until the fibres separate. I then overlay it onto the Antron dubbing that has already been tied in. I’ve never been a huge fan of antron and Zelon shucks that are often preferred by tiers because of their stiffness. The dubbing is much more flexible.
The body material is a turkey biot which mimics the thin, segmented profile of the natural. The thorax is made of natural dubbing. Just enough hackle wraps are added to provide a good platform for the fly to land on, and to help keep it afloat.
I fish this fly like any emerger or cripple pattern. Usually it is cast to difficult, discerning fish on slow-moving water with multiple currents. My favourite approach is to target a specific fish and present a quartering downstream dead-drift with either an upstream or downstream mend, depending on the different currents. Occasionally, I move the fly ever so slightly if a trout is particularly selective, to give the impression of the mayfly escaping the nymphal case. When done properly, this has fooled some spectacular trout over the years.
While no fly pattern is perfect for every situation, this fly checks off all the boxes when fish are keying on emergers. The variety of materials with which it’s tied allows it to imitate the translucence, delicate profile, and movement of natural specimens while still providing buoyancy and visibility.
Materials:
Tying Instructions:
Check out Chris’ other patterns by clicking here and visiting him on Facebook.
(Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the spring 2018 issue of Fly Fusion Magazine under a different tier’s name. Chris Williams is the correct tier.)
by Bob Reece
They may not be valued by all fly fishers, but aquatic worms play an important role in the food webs of many trout waters. Imitations of them can produce exceptional fishing throughout the year. Their abundance in some of the waters that I fish drove me to create my Glo Worm.
My objective was to create an annelid that could be effectively fished in indicator and tight-line riggings, but also as a dropper. To work as a dropper it needed to have sufficient weight, since I would not be able to add split shot. Tandem tungsten beads help the pattern descend quickly. By placing them at the midpoint of the shank, the hook is heavily keeled during its drift. This helps reduce snags as it glides over the substrate.
While the weight was important I also wanted a smooth contour. By using beads that were similar in colour to the body material, only a subtle variation of colour is visible. Applying beads one size smaller than the chosen hook size creates a gentler taper. The front of the beads face each other on the hook shank. This leaves the cavity of each bead available for finishing off the body material. It also forms a crisp cylindrical boundary of the bands as on the body of the natural. The appearance is further enhanced through the use of Tactical UV Resin. Additionally, UV material and Sexi Floss display a transparency similar to that of real aquatic worms. This combination of factors is bolstered by the tantalizing movement of the Sexi Floss strands.
Though atypical of rubber worm patterns, the thin profile of the Glo Worm is beneficial. This reduction of surface area, paired with its tungsten weight, rockets this pattern down to the set distance below the surface. It also lets me tie the pattern through a wider range of sizes, from size 8 down to 16. This package has fooled trout across all seasons and moving water fisheries. To watch tying video click here.
