Hackle Stacker Damselfly

My well earned vacation starts this coming Monday and I'll be kicking it off with a float trip down one of Maryland's famed Smallmouth Rivers, The Monocacy Scenic River. Aside from getting my gear in order and getting the boat setup I've also been tying lots of flies. I've tied a few dozen poppers, divers, and surface sliders as well as meaty streamers and plenty of crayfish to round out the standard Smallie menu. However I've also come up with a few new patterns to test out and this adult Damselfly is one I can't wait to try. It's nothing groundbreaking as far as fly design goes but I figured it deserved a post if only because Damselflies don't get the same respect from Fly Fisherman that other winged insects do. At any rate I'll let everyone know how it works out. It reminds me of when I started tying flies by fashioning a pair of vise-grip pliers into a makeshift vise and wrapping all manner of craft store feathers to whatever hook I could find with sewing thread. I had just finished tying what I thought were some great flies. I showed them to another angler while we waited out a rain shower under a bridge. "What do you think of these?" I asked him. He replied in monotone "Well, they're bound to catch something." Tight Lines!

Hook: Gamakatsu B10s sz. 6

Thread: Uni 6/0 in Doctor Blue

Abdomen: Light Blue 2mm Craft Foam (Feel free to use pre-made Damselfly bodies if you prefer not to make your own)

Wing: White Sparkle Organza 

Post/Loop: Strip of Light Blue 2mm Craft Foam

Hackle: Grizzly tied "Para-Loop" style

Thorax: Wapsi Life Cycle Nymph Dubbing in Peacock ( The best synthetic Peacock dubbing as far as I'm concerned)

Eyes: Large Black Plastic Bead-Chain

Easy Cricket For Trout and Bluegill

In keeping with the easy to tie terrestrial theme I started with my Beetle pattern a few posts back here's a Cricket I came up with many seasons ago. I ran across it this week while digging out my summer box. For as simple and unobtrusive as it is it's profile is realistic enough to fool plenty of fish. With a few minor modifications it can also be made into an adjustable strike indicator! I promise it will catch more fish than your Thingamabobber!

Hook: Tiemco 100 sz.12

Thread: UTC 70 in Black

Tails: Black Goose Biots

Body: Black Hare's Ear or Synthetic Peacock Dubbing.

Overbody/Head: Black 2mm Craft Foam

Wing: Black Deer Hair (Sparse)

Legs: Brown Round Rubber

Sighter: Bright Colored McFly Foam

Parachute Sulphur Emerger

Two emerger patterns I absolutely love are the "Shucked Up" emerger from Rich Strolis and the "Half & Half" emerger by Henry Ramsay. I took what I like about each pattern and came up with this simple parachute pattern shown here in a Sulphur configuration. However, the tier need only vary the size and color to imitate any Mayfly species. Also, I have tied this pattern on a heavy wire scud hook instead of a light wire version. People automatically assume since the fly is meant to float they must use the lightest hook possible. Although this may be true for some patterns this pattern benefits greatly from a slightly heavier hook which acts as a keel. This insures that the hook rides properly with the wing and hackle on the surface and the abdomen and shuck dangling below. I've also added a small black wire rib (hard to see in the photo) which adds segmentation, durability, and a little extra weight. 

Hook: Grip 14731

Thread: Uni 8/0 in Yellow

Shuck: Brown Zelon

Body: Brown Zelon

Rib: Black UTC Ultra Wire size Extra Small

Thorax: Fly Rite Poly Dubbing #38 Pale Watery Yellow

Wing Post: Gray Poly Yarn (I prefer CDC for smaller patterns)

Hackle: Light Dun

Bullethead Snowshoe Caddis

This is a style of fly I've been toying around with for the past couple weeks. A few issues back Fly Tyer magazine had ran an article about a new way of hackling your dry flies. This method involves winding the hackle in the usual "Catskill" style then separating the fibers top and bottom with strips of foam. So I came up with this adult Caddis borrowing bits and pieces from other patterns I've tied. The hackle is CDC separated on top with the bullethead style wing and the bottom with a strip of tan Razor Foam. It's been a great pattern for slower glides especially in smaller sizes when everyone else insists on fishing an Elk Hair or Henryville.

Hook: TMC 100 sz.14-20

Thread: UTC 70 in Tan

Abdomen: Tan Turkey Biot

Hackle: WoodDuck dyed CDC

Wing: Tan Snowshoe Rabbit

Bottom "Thorax Cover": Tan Razor Foam

Articulated Concoction

Sometimes I get tired of tying small flies. Every once in a while I wanna tie up some meat! I pull out the Schlappen and Marabou and "Get Gnarly" at my vise. I don't always know exactly what I'm going to end up with either. This pattern is the result of one such "Let the Fur Fly" type of tying session. I've probably said this before but one reason we tie our own flies is the freedom to experiment with materials and techniques, and change existing patterns to suit our own aesthetic or develop new ones. So here's an articulated streamer I literally threw together letting the materials be my guide.

Rear Portion:

Hook: VMC Flippin' Hook sz. 2/0

Thread: Uni 6/0 in White

Top/Tail: Chartreuse Zonker Strip

Bottom: White Zonker Strip palmered forward

Flash: Silver Krystal Flash (2 strands per side)

Collar: White Schlappen

Front Portion:

35mm Articulated Shank

Body: Pearl Estaz

Hackle: Large Grizzly Saddle

Flash: Silver Krystal Flash

Wing: Chartreuse Zonker Strip

Eyes: Yellow Lead Dumbell

Head: Grey Senyo's Laser Dub (colored with black permanent marker)

Snowshoe Caddis Emerger

At night I usually sit in my backyard and read, write, and most importantly bug watch. I patrol around the various lights to see what insects have been drawn to their glow. It's been a great way for me to tell what flies to tie and what patterns to bring along for the next days fishing. Also, it affords me the opportunity to collect specimens which I keep on my tying desk for reference. I can always count on Midges buzzing around and have been bombarded by huge Chironomids on more than one occasion. About a month or so ago I started seeing Caddis and they've been arriving nightly ever since. They range in size from 14-18 and vary in color from creamy tan to amber brown. So armed with my reference specimens I hit the tying desk and this pattern, a variation of the "Clown Shoe Caddis" is one of many I've come up with. Enjoy!

Hook: Curved Shank Emerger sz.14 

(shown is a Grip 14731)

Thread: Uni 8/0 in Tan

Shuck: Tan Zelon

Abdomen: Clear Midge Stretch Tubing

Wing: Tan Snowshoe Rabbit 

Thorax: Blend of Tan Hares Ear, Natural Squirrel, and Tan Antron

Hackle: Brown (Trimmed on bottom and top)

Sighter: Orange and Florescent Red Poly Yarn

Easy Beetle For Trout and Bluegill

I think this is the longest I've gone without posting so here's a quick and easy terrestrial pattern. I'm starting to see quite a few Beetles around so it's just a matter of time before we can start throwing some foam. I had success with this pattern last season fishing for Hybrid Sunfish ( Great fun on a 3wt. ) , and also for Trout, fishing it by itself or using it as an indicator to suspend a small nymph or midge. It uses one of my favorite materials UV Micro Polar Chenille for the underbody that creates a buggy come eat me UV sheen. I've also done well with a smaller version (sz.16/18) that uses Montana Fly Company's Centipede Legs (Great Product!). Tie some up and catch the "Biggest Little Bluegill" in the pond or fool some Trout looking for a crunchy summertime snack!

Hook: Tiemco 100 sz.14

Thread: UTC 70 in Black

Underbody: Black UV Micro Polar Chenille

Overbody: Black 2mm Craft Foam

Legs: Brown Round Rubber

"Sighter": Small strip of Chartreuse 2mm Craft Foam

Foam Body Poly Humpy (Say that 3 times fast!)

Have you ever been Nymphing and had a trout come up and eat your indicator? I have! I remember the first time it happened I was Nymphing a usually very productive slot where the river makes a sharp turn. I had caught a handful of decent fish there a few days earlier. After probably ten or more perfect drifts I was about to give up, figuring the poachers had been through and taken the fish. I made one last cast and without warning a beautiful brown rose from the depths, grabbing my white Thingamabobber in a "Toilet-Bowl Flush" rise usually reserved for helpless terrestrials! I toyed with the idea of strapping the indicator to a hook with some tippet material stream side but decided to move on having learned a valuable lesson. Since that day I always carry some fluffy buoyant dries with me to use as indicators. Specially tied foam "Indicator" flies are also popping up in Fly Catalogs and on the Internet but I do just fine with high floating Mayfly, Caddis, and Terrestrial imitations. For more information on rigging and fishing indicator dries I highly recommend reading "Fishing Tandem Flies" by Charlie Meck, and "Dynamic Nymphing" by George Daniel. 

Hook: Tiemco 100 (sz.14 shown here)

Thread: Uni 8/0 in Tan

Tails: Moose Body Hair

Body: Tan Razor Foam (when wrapping foam try to push it around the shank instead of stretching it tight, stretching the foam reduces it floatability)

Wing/Shellback: Grey Poly Yarn

Hackle: Brown and Light Dun Whiting 

"Nymph-Head" Woven Caddis

I have a bunch of these "Nymph-Head" brand tungsten beads laying around and honestly I rarely use them. They are advertised as being the heaviest tungsten beads on the market and come in a variety of buggy colors with little eyes on the side that really stand out when colored with a permanent marker. I usually opt for standard tungsten beads in black, gold, silver, and copper. But during a tying session of Woven Nymphs I remembered I had the "Nymph-Heads" in a Caddis type green and figured what the hell. A garden variety bead would work just as well but one reason we tie our own flies is the freedom to customize and change them. Sometimes to suite specific water conditions or a particular local hatch, and other times for purely esthetic or artistic reasons. If you see these beads in your local shop and have a little extra cash left over grab a pack. You may not have a pattern in mind for them when you do but once the creative juices get going at the vise I'm sure they won't go to waste.

Hook: Partridge CZ sz.16

Thread: Olive or Chartreuse Uni 8/0 for the abdomen, Black Uni 8/0 for the thorax

Bead: 1/8th in. "Nymph-Head" tungsten bead in Caddis Green, color eyes with black permanent marker

Underbody: 3 layers Veniard Lead Foil tapered

Rib: Chartreuse UTC Ultra Wire size small

Abdomen: DMC Embroidery Floss, Dark Brown for top, Chartreuse Green for bottom, woven with an Overhand Weave

Thorax: Black Hare's Ear spun in split thread dubbing loop

Collar: Peacock Ice-Dub brushed out

"Crawl-Dad" Jig Pattern

The weather is heating up here in Maryland and so is the fishing for Bass and Carp. Around the time we're putting air-conditioners in the windows I know it's time to give the Trout a rest for a while and go visit my other finned friends in the lakes and reservoirs. I've already been out for Smallmouth and Largemouth with good results but Carp will be on my mind, and hopefully the end of my line, in the coming weeks. I developed this simple pattern with river Smallies in mind but I'll certainly be tossing in to the Carp as well. When water temperatures get in the high 60's and 70's these bugle lipped bonefish will start to make their way from the main reservoirs into the shallower outskirts to spawn. I've always had my best luck targeting the fish on their way to spawn,and then again after they've spawned. It's not worth fishing them if their in the middle of spawning however it is a sight to behold, imagine a mosh-pit in shallow water! So tie a few of these guys up in different sizes and colors and crawl them or hop them along the bottom.

Hook: Jig Hook ( Any make or model will do, use your favorite, but make sure it's strong and sharp!)

Thread: UTC 140 in Rusty Brown

Eyes: Lead Dumbell

Body/Head: Wapsi Buggy Nymph Yarn in Crawdad Orange

Hackle: Brown Schlappen

Tail/Wing: Crawdad Orange Zonker Strip

Legs: Barred Rubber