20 Incher 01/06/2019 Photo Album

Historically I did not select the 20 incher for my line often, but I probably should give it more stream time. It is an effective heavy fish attractor that commands attention particularly in deep runs, riffles and pockets. My post of 02/06/2014 provided a deeper narrative on my reasons for tying this reliable workhorse fly. I suspect that I have not tied additional quantities of this nymph since 2014, so I counted my supply and took my position at the vise and cranked out six additional models.

UV on the Wing Case

I found six damaged and unraveling large nymphs in my storage canisters, and I converted these into more than acceptable refurbished versions of the peacock herl nymph. I made a few modifications from the instructions that I described in my 02/06/2014 post. I did not weight these six twenty inchers, as I assumed that a split shot or two could serve as the ballast, should I need to dive deep. Instead of copper wire I utilized medium gold ultra wire, and I was quite pleased with the look that this produced. On my 2014 versions I used Tyvek material for the wing case, but in 2019 I opted for the more traditional section from a turkey tail feather. To enhance the fragile nature of the turkey fibers, I applied a coat of Solarez UV resin to the wing case upon completion of the six flies. This layer of epoxy enhanced the natural look of the 20 incher in addition to adding durability.

Six Recovered 20 Inchers

Light Yellow Caddis Pupa 01/02/2019 Photo Album

When I pluck a sparkle caddis from my fleece wallet, I typically opt for a go2 sparkle pupa with a bright green body or an emerald caddis pupa. The body color of these two flies seems to attract extra attention, and when combined with the trapped air bubble, make the sparkle pupa a very effective fly.

Macro Shot

Although less frequently utilized I also encounter situations that call for a caddis with a light body, and in anticipation of these circumstances I carry light yellow sparkle pupa. This fly is offered in Gary Lafontaine’s book,Caddisflies, and his material recipe documents a light yellow body with a gray collar or thorax. The need for this imitation typically arises during the summer period of August and September, when caddis with tan and light yellow bodies are present on western trout streams.

I sorted through my used fly canisters and extracted eight versions in various states of damage, and I converted them to new models in the size 14 size range. The addition of these flies increased my inventory to sufficient levels for a fly that sees reduced usage compared to my other top producers.

A Completed Batch

Emerald Caddis Pupa 12/30/2018 Photo Album

For a materials list and my history with this fly check out my post of 01/01/2012. The emerald caddis pupa continued to be an effective fly among my collection in 2018. I used it in the early season and summer, when I observed sparse numbers of adult caddis in the streamside vegetation. It seemed to attract fish in situations when there was an absence of other abundant aquatic insects. I attributed its effectiveness to the body color and the antron sheath which mimics a trapped air bubble in an emerging caddis..

Trailing Shuck Version

I often impart action to this fly, and the trout react favorably to this tactic. In fact on many occasions I utilize fairly rapid strips at the end of the drift, and underwater residents respond with aggressive grabs. I may be handicapping this fly by relegating it to some of the more challenging situations, when my other favorites fail to produce.

As with the go2 caddis and bright green caddis pupa I possessed a considerable quantity of old  damaged caddis pupa in need of repair. I refurbished nine and added six to my backup supply while including the other three in a gift to my son.