Sparkle Wing RS2 01/05/2025 Photo Album

Should you like to trace my reports on the sparkle wing RS2 back in time, utilize the link in my 12/13/2023 post. I use the classic RS2 and sparkle wing versions fairly interchangeably; however, I feel the my preference has actually tilted back in favor of the classic. Nevertheless, I deploy the sparkle wing quite a bit, especially when I sense that the fish require a bit more flash to attract their attention. How do I sense this? I cannot explain it.

Sparkle Wing RS2

As stated in my 12/13/2023 post, I have settled on white fluoro fiber as my wing stub material. I already use it for the split tail, and I believe it offers a slim profile, and it does not generate much bulk in attempting to maintain a narrow body profile. Working with the tiny fluoro fiber material makes this fly slightly more challenging to tie, but it remains quite simple compared to other patterns.

Batch of Eight

Apparently I lost more of the sparkle wings than I realized, as my count suggested that I needed to tie eight to return to my targeted inventory levels. I completed this task, and I am armed for spring blue wing olive activity.

Classic RS2 01/05/2025 Photo Album

My post of 12/13/2023 is a good starting point to learn about the classic RS2. It has a link that will transport you farther back should you desire to deep dive. The creator of this fly is Colorado based, but I am certain that its popularity now spans the globe. I would never want to be on a western stream without an adequate supply of RS2s. They are easy to tie and a reliable imitation of baetis nymphs and other small mayfly nymphs.

Rather Scruffy

I also carry sparkle wing RS2s and soft hackle emergers for baetis hatch heavy lifting, but amazingly, the classic RS2 remains a consistent producer. Three natural materials comprise this fly. The original pattern prescribed muskrat guard hairs for the tail, but I substitute a few brown hackle fibers. They are much easier to prep than plucking guard hairs.

Three Replacements

I counted my supply, and I determined that I only needed a couple to restore my inventory level, so I tied three, with one going to my young rookie angler friend. Blue wing olives hatches are just around the corner, and I am ready.

Supernova PMD 01/01/2025 Photo Album

My post of 12/12/2023 provides a brief description of my usage of the Supernova PMD. As stated in that post, I stopped tying pheasant tail nymphs and replaced them with salvation nymphs and the supernova PMD nymph. The supernova nymph is much easier to tie than the pheasant tail, which uses fragile pheasant tail fibers for the tail, abdomen and wing case. In spite of my desired abandonment of the pheasant tail,

Freshly Minted Supernova PMD

I resorted to them quite often in 2024, and consequently I did not deplete my supply of the supernova to any significant degree. Nevertheless, I tied five additional imitations to add to my inventory along with refurbishing one pheasant tail nymph that was unravelling. For two of my new ties, I modified the Juan Ramirez recipe. I replaced the thread abdomen with a fine light gray dubbing, and I added a flashback black over-wing that ran over the top of the abdomen and extended as a wing case. I like the look of these quite a bit.

Variant with Gray Body and Flashback Black Wing Case

Below is a table with the materials recipe provided by Juan Ramirez:

Batch of Six Including Refurbished Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymph

Below is my adaptation of the Ramirez pattern.