Emerald Caddis Pupa 12/09/2019 Photo Album

The story behind my adoption of the emerald caddis pupa is contained in my post of 01/01/2012. The same post also contains a materials table, and construction of this fly follows the steps outlined by Gary LaFontaine in his classic book; Caddisflies.

Zoomed

Unlike the go2 sparkle pupa, the emerald caddis pupa’s effectiveness seems to span the entire season. I attribute much of its performance to the emerald color of the body, and on rare occasions, when I was able to corral an adult caddis on the stream, I observed the matching color at the tip of the abdomen. Caddis seem to be universally prevalent on western rivers and streams, and I suspect the resident trout are familiar with the emerald color and recognize it as a tasty source of protein.

Up Close

When I approach a stream, I generally select a hares ear nymph or salvation nymph among my first offerings, and this probably handicaps the emerald caddis pupa. I resort to it, when the preferred choices fail to deliver, so I utilize it in more demanding conditions. In spite of this hindrance to success, the emerald pupa delivers results on a fairly consistent basis. Perhaps I should elevate it on my subsurface fly ranking.

Flies and Materials

When I took stock of my caddis pupa, I noted that the emerald version was depleted to thirty-one, so I approached my vice and churned out nine additional models to increase my inventory to forty. I am certain that the emerald caddis will once again attract a fair number of trout to my net in 2020.

Go2 Sparkle Pupa 12/08/2019 Photo Album

The material table for this fly can be viewed on my 01/10/2012 post for the bright green caddis pupa. Simply substitute chartreuse midge diamond braid for the listed materials for the abdomen. My post on 01/11/2017 describes the genesis of the Go2 sparkle pupa; a hybrid of two flies developed by other tiers.

Chartreuse Midge Braid

The Go2 sparkle pupa has now displaced the bright green caddis pupa as my preferred imitation during early season caddis emergences. The chartreuse midge diamond braid stands out and attracts the attention of trout, particularly during grannom activity. More time on my line translated to the loss of flies, so I created five new versions to increase my supply to thirty for the upcoming season. Hopefully early season caddis action will demand that I knot some of these flies to my line in 2020.

Take 2

Prince Nymph 12/06/2019 Photo Album

A material table for the prince nymph is available on my 12/03/2011 post on this blog. The prince nymph enjoyed a resurgence in my fly box during the past two seasons, and a main reason is the success it delivered during green drake hatches. Apparently a size 12 peacock imitation is a close approximation of the nymph stage of the large western green drake mayflies. Check out my South Boulder Creek 08/15/2019 post for an example of prince nymph productivity in advance of a green drake hatch.

As Good as It Gets

The other prime situation that creates prince nymph success is the egg laying stage of a grannom hatch. A size 14 prince tied on a curved scud hook historically delivered superior results on the Arkansas River and other western streams during the April and May caddis event. My post of 11/17/2018 does a nice job of describing these prince nymph applications, and it also describes some improvements that I introduced to my tying technique. Mounting the white horns with the points of the biots extending beyond the eye of the hook and then bending back to lock them down has dramatically improved the durability of my prince nymphs, particularly the larger sizes.

Horns

The new found effectiveness of the size twelve prince nymph resulted in some depletion of my inventory, so I tied four new models to elevate my count to ten. In addition I manufactured four size 14’s and refurbished a pair of size 16’s. I am confident that my supply will be adequate for the 2020 fly fishing season.

Completed Batch

20 Incher 11/22/2019 Photo Album

Ever since a guided fly fishing trip with Royal Gorge Anglers on the Arkansas River I carried a supply of 20 inchers in my fly fleece wallet. During 2019, however, I knotted one to my line more frequently than during previous seasons, and I was pleased with the results. Increased usage, however, also depleted my supply more than usual, so I approached my vise and produced an additional quantity of ten to increase my inventory to twenty-five.

Fine 20 Incher

If my readers are interested in tying this large attractor stonefly imitation, please refer to my post of 01/06/2019. This blog entry from earlier in 2019 displays a materials list, and several YouTube videos do a nice job of teaching the fly tying steps. During several recent fall outings I positioned the 20 incher as the top nymph on dry/dropper and deep nymphing systems with the intent of obtaining a deeper drift, and the ploy seemed to pay dividends. I was particularly impressed with the 20 incher’s effectiveness on South Boulder Creek on 10/26/2019.

Close Look at a Clump

I seem to gravitate to this large weighted fly in the early and late season, but I hope to give it more time on my line during the summer time frame. A large dark drifting stonefly assuredly represents a significant bite of protein, that trout cannot ignore, and stoneflies get knocked loose during all seasons of the year. I love the appearance of this fly, and the application of epoxy on the wing case really makes this fly stand out. The 2020 pre-runoff season cannot come soon enough.

10 New 20 Inchers

Ultra Zug Bug 11/21/2019 Photo Album

In all likelihood my third most productive fly over the last five years has been the ultra zug bug. I first stumbled on this fly in a book by Scott Sanchez, and it stood the test of time to become a proven winner from my fly box. If you are interested in the materials list or tying steps, go to my post of 12/15/2018, and there you will find links to the two items mentioned previously. A third link takes you to a post, where I describe how the ultra zug bug became an important component of my fish catching arsenal.

Ready for Actioin

During the 2019 season the simple yet effective UZB continued to earn its space in my fly wallet. It seems to be particularly effective in the spring time frame, and that coincides with pupating and egg laying caddis; however, I do not ignore it throughout the summer and fall. For a simple tie it offers quite a bit of flash through the crystal flash ribbing and the iridescent Ligas peacock dubbing. I suspect ice dubbing would be a solid substitute for the Ligas peacock dubbing, but I am a creature of habit, who abides by the motto of don’t mess with success.

Up Close

A quick count of my supply revealed a total of forty-four, so I spun out sixteen additional copies to increment my inventory to sixty for the 2020 season. I am certain to catch a fair number of trout on the ultra zug bug in the coming year.

A Batch of 16

Salvation Nymph 11/17/2019 Photo Album

The salvation nymph clearly established itself as my number two producer, and it may have surpassed the beadhead hares ear nymph in 2019. Aside from being a premium fish attractor, it is relatively easy to tie, as well as being a very durable fly. The official name of the commercial version of this fly is tungsten salvation nymph, but I substitute a less expensive gold brass bead for the tungsten, and the fish do not seem to mind. If you plan to fish fast water, and you desire a rapid sink rate, by all means substitute a tungsten bead.

My post of 12/30/2011 provides a materials list and describes the tying steps required to create this fish magnet. I continue to tie my salvation nymphs in the same manner, as I did in 2011. Last year I applied Solarez UV resin to the nymph back, and I marveled at the results. This is the only significant modification that I made to the initial tying process.

Nicely Done

The salvation nymph yields peak results in the June through August time frame in Colorado. This time period coincides with pale morning dun emergences, and I suspect that the salvation represents a flashy version of a pheasant tail nymph, and thus, a reasonable imitation of a pale morning dun nymph. One should not, however, limit this fly to purely a PMD imitation, as it generates action throughout the season, albeit not quite as intense, as the months I cited. All the components of the fly scream fish attractor including the ice dub abdomen and thorax, the flashback and flashabou nymph back and wing case, and the flexible silli legs. It qualifies as an attractor nymph year round, and it also serves as a viable imitation of small stoneflies. Fish love it.

Macro of a Few Jewels

I performed my usual count of all the salvation nymphs in my various storage compartments, and I determined that I held 68 in inventory. My goal for the start of the 2020 season was 100, so I cranked out thirty-two shiny new versions and then added five for a friend. When I gaze into the salvation nymph compartment in my large plastic fly box, I get a warm feeling knowing that I am more than adequately equipped for the upcoming season.

32 New Salvation Nymphs

Hares Ear Nymph 11/02/2019 Photo Album

The beadhead hares ear nymph rocks. Year after year it is my most consistent producer throughout all the seasons of the year. What does it imitate? I suspect a reason for its universal effectiveness is its ability to represent numerous underwater life forms. Surely the coarse fur and earthy color cause it to be mistaken for a caddis pupa. Numerous mayfly species carry a gray-brown color and the general shape of a hares ear nymph. A guide also informed me that the hares ear nymph is a reasonable representation of the nymph of a yellow sally stonefly. Dare I suggest that it also serves as a copy of a cranefly nymph? Given this versatility it is no surprise that a beadhead hares ear nymph is my most productive fly.

A Later Model

My post of 11/05/2010 provides a materials chart and describes a few of the alterations that I applied to the standard pattern. I tie them on a scud hook to give the body a slight curled appearance. I substituted Tyvek strips for turkey quill for the wing case. This synthetic addition is nearly indestructible, and many sources are available such as Fedex mailing envelopes. I use race bib numbers and color them with a black magic marker. A standard hares ear specifies a gold tinsel rib, but I utilize fine gold wire. Of course the gold bead is a modification of the original pattern, but I cannot conceive of a hares ear nymph without a bead. I now apply head cement at two intermediate steps before coating the whip finish wraps behind the bead. The first dab goes on the rear of the abdomen, after I add the tail and fine gold wire. A second application is soaked into the wraps after the abdomen is completed and the wing case is tied in.

Macro of the Materials

In my estimation an absolute necessity for an effective hares ear nymph is natural hares mask dubbing. I use the real stuff, and I try make sure that the guard hairs are incorporated into each fly. For the abdomen I make a dubbing loop and insert a blend of the natural fur and guard hairs, and this method yields an extremely buggy appearance with stray guard hairs pointing in random directions. I use the same dubbing for the thorax but without a dubbing loop, but again I make sure to roll some guard hairs into the noodle to create additional buggyness. I tie 100% of my beadhead hares ear nymphs on a size 14 scud hook. The space consumed by the bead creates a body length roughly equivalent to a size 16 nymph. I suppose I should try some different sizes, but it is hard to imagine that additional sizes could make the hares ear nymph more productive than it already is.

A Nice Clump Ready for the Fly Box (Macro)

I counted my inventory of beadhead hares ear nymphs and determined that my various storage compartments contained seventy-six completed flies. I target a starting inventory of 100 each year, so I completed twenty-four new nymphs and then added ten for a friend. I have no doubt that the beadhead hares ear nymph will once again be my most productive fly in 2020.

Sucker Spawn 03/03/2019 Photo Album

On several occasions during trips to the South Platte River in the spring I observed dense schools of spawning suckers. During one of these events, a decent blue winged olive hatch was in progress, and I was unable to entice surface takes. I pondered the idea, that the trout were chowing down on a high protein sucker spawn diet and consequently ignored the tiny mayflies. If you go to my 05/29/2014 post and scroll to a paragraph near the end, you will note, that I speculated on the effectiveness of sucker eggs during that outing in May.

The Veil Over the Sucker Spawn Sac

Each year I attend the Fly Fishing Show in Denver during the first weekend in January, and 2019 was no different. As my friend, Steve, and I browsed the fly tier stations along the south wall, we approached the Otter Eggs area. Walt Mueller, the owner and founder of Blue River Designs and the originator of soft milking eggs, was present. After exchanging greetings, I related my theory about the prevalence of sucker spawn in the spring on the South Platte River, and he pointed to an article that was posted on the wall that described the very phenomenon that I referred to. In short, Walt confirmed that my observations were on target, and he then showed us a sucker spawn fly and demonstrated how to tie one.

Zoomed a Bit

Since Steve and I fish the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon together during the spring on a routine basis, we agreed to purchase a sucker spawn kit. It consisted of three strips of soft plastic eggs and a pack of veil material. When we stopped for lunch in the food area, we divided the pack in half, and at the end of the day I returned home and tossed the sucker spawn material kit on my fly tying countertop.

The zip lock bags remained in that position until a few days ago. I completed my standard production tying and inventoried all my proven flies, and I was now prepared to experiment with new patterns. I generated the FP mergers and CDC tricos for special situations on the Frying Pan River and South Platte River, and I was now prepared to experiment with tying sucker spawn flies.

Five Completed

Walt included his business cards with the materials packs, and it referenced softmilkingegg.com, so I paid the site a visit and found detailed instructions for tying the sucker spawn egg clusters. Reading the steps and following the sequence of photos refreshed my memory from Walt’s demonstration, and it took me no more than an hour to manufacture five new sucker spawn flies. Although I had orange and yellow egg strips, I utilized the strip that progressed from clear to a light amber color. The output of my efforts look very similar to the photos of sucker spawn, and they closely matched the one that Walt tied and gave to me as an example.

Today I placed three of the sucker spawn flies in my fleece wallet, and I am anxious to test them on the South Platte River in the spring. Perhaps I will tumble them along the bottom of other Colorado streams, since suckers are not limited to the South Platte drainage. We remain in the grip of winter, so mild weather is all that is required for me to hit a local trout stream and test my new sucker spawn flies.

Soft Hackle Emerger 01/20/2019 Photo Album

The background on this fly is succinctly described in my post of 01/19/2012, and a materials table is available within that report. When I initially constructed these flies as documented in Charlie Craven’s book, I made them without a bead, but I also produced several of my own adaptations with a small silver bead. For some reason I gravitated to the versions with a bead, and I enjoyed moderate success during blue winged olive emergences. I suspect that my catch rate with the beaded soft hackle emerger was on par with a classic RS2, although I recall several scenarios where the soft hackle seemed to be the hot fly.

The Model

If you read my more recent post of 01/09/2018, you will note that I reverted to the original design from Charlie Craven’s book. I eliminated the bead. On several occasions when trout disregarded my CDC blue winged olive or the Klinkhammer version, I was able to fool some fish with the beadless soft hackle emerger fished in the surface film similar to a dry fly. I suspect that the adults with upright wings were quickly blown off the surface, and fish tuned into struggling emergers and cripples trapped in the surface film. These insects were easy targets compared to the adults that were rapidly swept off the water.

Size 22, No Bead

During 2018 I experienced a few similar days, where the soft hackle emerger minus a bead yielded some success in difficult circumstances. My results were inconsistent; however, the wet fly saved enough situations to establish it as an important component of my fly box.

I counted my supply of soft hackle emergers and discovered forty-four size 20’s with a bead, twenty-nine size 20’s with no bead and seven size 22’s minus a bead. I produced one more size 20 to up the beadless total to thirty and created three size 22’s to increase the small versions to ten. Hopefully the soft hackle emerger will continue to demonstrate its value during blue winged olive hatches in 2019.

Five Beadless

Sparkle Wing RS2 01/17/2019 Photo Album

Historically I fished a classic RS2 in situations that dictated a blue winged olive nymph, but as an avid follower of Instagram I observed numerous highly regarded guides and experts in the fly fishing industry tying and fishing a sparkle wing RS2. I decided to join the crowd and tied twelve sparkle wing versions a year ago.

Nice Tail Split

When I took stock of my RS2 supply several weeks ago, I noted that the sparkle wing population shrank from twelve to seven, thus indicating that I lost a fairly large percentage of these flies. I concluded, that I allocated time to the flashier baetis nymph, but I did not sense that it outperformed the classic RS2 that served my needs for many years.

Corked Fly Upper Corner

Nevertheless I decided to replenish my sparkle wing supply with the intent of allowing another season of solid testing for effectiveness. I tied thirteen sparkle wing RS2’s to boost my inventory to twenty for the 2019 season. When creating a sparkle wing version I substituted white fluoro fiber for the pheasant feather tail, and I replaced the fluff used for the emerging wing with a small clump of antron or similar white sparkling wing material. Hopefully 2019 will be the year when the sparkle wing lives up to its reputation.