Chubby Chernobyl – 01/24/2025

Chubby Chernobyl 01/24/2025 Photo Album

My post of 02/03/2024 provides additional information on the chubby Chernobyl, and it also carries a link to an earlier post. Chubbys have become all the rage over recent years, and as a late adoptee, I must admit that they are very effective. Watching the large wing suck under when a trout grabs a trailing nymph is very seductive.

Large Wings

These flies float well, and they bring trout to the surface for an inspection and eat more often than one might imagine. I like the instructional video by tightlinevideo, Tim Flagler. He presents some tips that seem minor, but in the end, ease the task of tying these monstrosities. Last winter I experimented with some mini chubbys, and I had decent success with them on one particular stream, so I learned that they do not necessarily need to be a large fly.

Tan Body

My favorite color for the body is ice dub tan, and I use a tan foam strip for the overbody. I counted an adequate supply of ice dub tan chubbys, but my stock of other colors was rather minimal, so I produced two with gray bodies and one with a tan body. Tan works quite well with the mini cubbys, so I decided to give them a try in size 8.

Three New Chubbys

Chubby season is around the corner, and I feel properly armed with chubby Chernobyls for the new season.

Fat Albert – 01/19/2025

Fat Albert 01/19/2025 Photo Album

My post of 02/03/2024 is brief, but it provides a link to the previous year, and you can continue reversing time, if you are interested. I was introduced to this fly on a trip to Argentina, and it has become a mainstay ever since. It is large and readily visible and very buoyant, so it sees a lot of time on my line as the surface attractor in a dry/dropper rig.

New One

Aside from serving as an indicator, it catches its share of hungry trout along the way. For some reason I tie only fat Alberts with yellow bodies, but I always wonder how gray and tan would perform. The instructional video that I follow suggests building the body color by covering the foam underbody with flattened thread. This is too much thread wrapping for me, so I substitute some yellow floss, and I can cover the surface area much more efficiently.

Cluster of Fat Alberts

When I counted my holdings of fat Alberts, I discovered that I needed six additional flies to build my inventory to my target level. I found four in my damaged canister with missing legs, so I added a replacement leg and then produced two fresh versions made from scratch. I feel adequately prepared for tossing big fat Alberts in 2025.

Pool Toy Hopper – 01/18/2025

Pool Toy Hopper 01/18/2025 Photo Album

There are a vast number of hopper patterns to choose from out there, and I am certain that there are some that outperform the pool toy hopper. I first became acquainted with this fly, when I asked a fishing guide that I respected what his favorite hopper pattern was. He replied pool toy hopper, and I tied some and have stuck with them for many years. They are very buoyant, and they are visible, and they serve the dual purpose of catching fish and supporting nymphs in a dry/dropper set up.

Nice Look

In the early years of tying this fly, I produced various body colors, but I have since concluded that body color is not that important; and, thus, all my pool toy hoppers are size eight with a light tan or beige body. They seem to work. I have a lingering supply of yellow, and then some pinks and grays. Perhaps I should experiment with other colors, but why mess with success?

My last post was on 01/27/2024, so you may want to check that out. It has a link to earlier posts, and you can trace these links back for quite a few years.

Cluster of Eight

Andrew Grillos is the creator of this fly along with the hippie stomper, and I cannot contemplate fly fishing without the benefit of these two masterpieces of foam. I counted my holdings of pool toy hoppers and discovered quite a bit of shrinkage, and I can certainly attest to losing many of these hoppers to trees and bushes. In order to restore my inventory to my optimal stocking level, I tied eight additional models in tan. I refurbished two that were missing legs on one side, and then I applied my skills to the vise and cranked out another six.

Hopefully the pool toy hopper continues to provide many days of entertainment on trout streams this summer.

Chernobyl Ant – 01/17/2025

Chernobyl Ant 01/17/2025 Photo Album 

Follow this link for my previous post on the Chernobyl ant. My post of 01/15/2020 contains a materials table. I first started tying this fly after some phenomenal fishing on the Green River with a guide. Bank hugging brown trout crushed the low floating foam attractor in all three sections. My version of the Chernobyl ant copies the very effective fly that my guide introduced me to many years ago.

In the intervening years “imrovements” and variations have been many, including a Chernobyl ant with a double foam body and the ever-present chubby Chernobyl. I tie and own quite a few chubby Chernobyls, and I must admit that the high wing makes them much more visible in fast water and low light scenarios. Nevertheless, I still carry a decent supply of classic Chernobyl ants tied in the same manner as those that my guide placed on my line many years ago.

Ready For Action

When does the classic Chernobyl ant earn its keep in my fly box? Primarily on small narrow high mountain streams that are lined with dense vegetation and overhanging tree limbs. A classic Chernobyl ant is all foam with a synthetic chenille body. This fly repels water, and it shines in close quarters, because back casts for drying the fly are unnecessary, and in fact they are a detriment to success. I can dap and bow and arrow cast this fly, and it floats like a cork, and this is a huge advantage in the tight quarters that typically dominate narrow high mountain creeks.

A Few Materials Required

I counted my inventory of size 10 and size 8 Chernobyl ants, and I learned that my stock was more than adequate for another season. However, in order to stay in practice, I tied one size 10 and added it to my fly box. I am certain to use the old fashioned Chernobyl ant during 2025.

San Juan Worm – 01/14/2025

San Juan Worm 01/14/2025 Photo Album

If you are squeamish about worms, you will not want to read my post of 02/15/2016. If, on the other hand, you are fond of slimy earthworms and nightcrawlers. you might enjoy my walk down memory lane as described in that post. I know I certainly did.  When I searched my blog on San Juan worms, the 02/15/2016 post was the only one that appeared. Could it be that long, since I tied San Juan worms?

At any rate, my usage of the worm has dwindled over recent years. I’m not sure why. It is most effective during high murky conditions, and I try to avoid those scenarios, so that may be the reason. I do recall a relatively recent outing on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile, when the river was a bit high and discolored, and I landed a few fish on the San Juan worm.

Lots of San Juan Worms

I decided to review my supply of San Juan’s of the various colors, and I counted at least ten of my most popular shades, so I decided to pass on tying more. I can knock then out in a matter of five minutes, so the time saving result of my decision to skip tying them was minimal. I took a picture of the section of my boat box that is loaded with various San Juan worms. My favorite colors are flesh, pink, chocolate, red and tan. Perhaps 2025 will be the year, when I stumble into a situation, where the San Juan worm is a must have fly.

Jake’s Gulp Beetle – 01/14/2025

Jake’s Gulp Beetle 01/14/2025 Photo Album

For more information on Jake’s gulp beetle please click on this link to my previous post. For step by step tying directions use this link to 10/22/2015. This terrestrial is very easy to tie.

Angled Look at a size 14

For some reason I abandoned Jake’s gulp beetle over recent years. I suspect lack of line time resulted from me favoring other smaller terrestrials that are easier to track such as the hippie stomper. Nevertheless, beetles are a favorite food source for trout, and I would not want to be without them.

Materials and Two Beetles

I counted my beetle supply and discovered that I maintained adequate quantities; however, I tied two more to reinforce my ability to tie this simple fly. I am ready for wind blown beetles in 2025.

 

Mini Leech – 01/14/2025

Mini Leech 01/14/2025 Photo Album

My post of 01/08/2023 provides additional useful information about the mini leech. This fly is another that I should grab more often, particularly when I attack stillwaters during the peak runoff time frame. The undulating action of the pine squirrel wing seems way too tantalizing for trout to ignore.

Beadless Mini Leech

Because I chose this fly infrequently, I suffered little in the way of losses. When I counted my supply of black with and without a bead and olive without a bead, I determined that I possessed adequate quantities of all types. I tied two more blacks with no bead. The olive can serve as a reasonable representation of a damsel fly nymph, and I need to keep that in mind as well during June lake fishing ventures.

Materials and Two More

Crystal Stone – 01/12/2025

Crystal Stone 01/12/2025 Photo Album

Despite my pledge to do otherwise, I mostly ignored this fly in 2024. I have spotted small black stoneflies in the spring and fall, yet for some reason I overlooked this nymph that I designed to imitate those very hatches. I continue to believe that my crystal stone would be a productive fly should I allocate more time on the end of my tippet. For additional information on the crystal stone click on my 01/03/2023 post. My 03/06/2021 post contains a materials table and tying steps. I used this report myself to refresh my memory on steps to tie this fly.

Close Up of Crystal Stone

I love the look of this fly, and perhaps I am the first to design such an imitation. Crystal flash black is used for the tail, wing case and legs; so very few materials are required. I counted my stock of crystal stones, and I concluded that my supply was adequate, but I tied two more to stay in practice. I need to tie one to my line in March, and I plan to keep that thought foremost in my thoughts.

Two New Crystal Stones

Sunk Ant – 01/11/2025

Sunk Ant 01/11/2025 Photo Album

Even though I experienced quite a bit of success over the previous summers with a sunk ant, for some reason I mostly abandoned it in 2024. I am not sure why, but ants are everywhere, and I plan to atone for my poor judgement in 2025. I enjoyed my earlier success on small high mountain streams, and this makes logical sense, since large black ants are constantly present on trees and woody branches bordering on these streams. My previous post of 01/02/2024 provides more information as well as links to prior posts.

Big Black Ant

My preferred fly tying instructional video can be found on YouTube, and the tutor is famed fly tier Kelly Galloup. I counted my supply and quickly realized that my storage bins contained adequate quantities of size 16, but a few additional size 14’s were desirable. I tied three large sunk ants, and I am now satisfied with my supply. Hopefully I can train my brain to knot a sunk ant to my line more frequently in the new season.

Additional Three with Associated Materials

Pat’s Rubber Legs – 01/10/2025

Pat’s Rubberlegs 01/10/2025 Photo Album

Pat’s rubber legs has become a fairly recent essential addition to my stable of flies. My post of 12/29/2023 contains a link to a post from an outing on the Arkansas River, where the rubber legs nymph convinced me of its permanent place in my fleece wallet.

Dangling Legs

This is a fly that, in my opinion, truly lives up to the name ugly. It strikes me as a mish mash of materials that were lashed on to a hook by a very young beginner fly tier. Do not judge Pat’s rubber legs by viewing it, when it is dry. When I strip it in along the river to inspect it for aquatic junk, it is obvious why the trout go for it. The chenille takes on a translucent appearance with soft undulating fibers, and the long dangling legs flop along in an enticing manner. It looks like a tasty morsel that is easy prey for the fish.

A Different Angle

Although this fly is fairly simple in terms of materials required, it can be a bit tricky to tie, and the complicating culprits are the six dangling rubber legs. Up until this year I followed tying instructions from Tim Flagler on tightlinevideo on YouTube. As I prepared for my new tying session on 01/10/2025, I decided to refresh my memory, since the video outlined a series of steps involving UV Resin to bind the legs to the hook shank before wrapping the chenillie. When I completed my search on YouTube, I noticed a newer Pat’s rubber legs video from Flagler that was eight months old. I viewed this revision to method, and it struck me as much more straightforward, so I utilized it to tie three additional rubber legs in the green/black color. I was quite pleased with the new method, and it avoids dealing with UV resin and an awkward leg wrapping maneuver.

Three New Rubber Legs

The three new size 10 Pat’s rubberl egs increases my inventory to adequate levels of black/green, coffee/black and yellow/green. I am ready to dredge stoneflies in the early season and beyond.