Upper Sacramento River 5/3/18

Wonderful day on the legendary Upper Sacramento River!  The weather and river were perfect for early May.

I didn't find any of the big wild fish, despite hitting various spots covering some 25-miles, the action stayed steady for the youngsters.

Porch Light, Cinnamon (Euro) (Anchor Fly)

What night time insect isn't attracted to a glowing porch light?   This fly pattern attracts the fish... just like flying bugs to a porch light on a warm summer evening!

My Porch Light nymph is a solid anchor fly.  It brings a couple of materials fairly unique to Euro style nymphs to the table.  First, the body is made up of twisted micro Krystal Flash and Sulky.  This unique combination brings a subtle but fiery glow effect- even in low light   As far as the goose....I haven't seen but a handful of Euro style patterns that incorporates biots, but it certainly adds the "bite me" look to any pattern.

Switch out the color combinations of the body and collar!  I tie the Porch Light in black, brown, amber, gold, orange, red, purple as well as iridescent pearl (green) and ultra violet.

Materials

Hook:  Fulling Mill Czech Nymph, Sizes 10-16 (Size 14 pictured)
Thread:  UTC 70, Dark Brown
Bead:  Hot Orange (Size appropriate to hook) (2.8mm pictured)
Body:  Strands of micro Krystal Flash (cinnamon) and holographic Sulky (light copper) twisted. (Pictured is 4-strands of Krystal Flash and 2-strands of Sulky double and twisted tightly
Horns:  Goose Biots, white.
Collar:  Jan Siman UV Bronze Peacock dubbing picked out.

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: The Last 25

50 Shades of Hare's Ear

The First 25

Clicking on number will take you to the full page with recipe

#26

#27

#28

#29

#30

#31 

#32

#33

#34

#35

#36

#37

#38

#39

#40

#41

#42

#43

#44

#45

#46

#47

#48

#49

#50

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #44

#44   Skip Nymph

Notes:

(1)  The Skip Nymph was devised by master tier Skip Morris and designated as a mayfly nymph in the late 1980's.  In small sizes it is a hit.  However, in larger sizes and/or color changes the pattern fishes well for stoneflies, too
(2)  The original is tied with a copper wire ribbing, but I have tied and occasionally use gold wire, as pictured.
(3)   To tie the Skip Nymph:

A)  Place hook of choice in vise

B)  Tie in wire ribbing  and secure with wraps of thread to the end of the body area.

C)  Dub a tapered body of hare's ear and wind forward stopping at the 70-percent mark on the hook shank.

D) Select approximately 12 pheasant tail fibers and align tips.  (Smaller flies will require a less amount).  Remove from stem.

E)  With the tips aligned measure desired tail distance.  Secure pheasant tail fibers on top of the hare's ear with solid wraps of wire.  Secure ribbing in thorax area.  Do not clip forward pointing (over the hook eye) pheasant tail fibers.  These will be used for the wingcase. 

F)  Dub a thorax thicker than the body.

G)  Bring pheasant tail fibers over the top of the hare's ear to form wingcase and secure.

H)  Whip finish and trim thread.

I)   The last step is splaying 3 or 4 fibers tail fibers from each side.  Next is trimming the center fibers away.   You should have a "V" shape remaining.

Materials:

Hook:  2XL, 3XL or 4XL (Sizes 4-14)  (Pictured is a Firehole 839 size 12)
Weight:  To suit

Bead:  Optional

Thread:  6/0 or 8/0.  Dark brown or black

Tail/Shellback/Wingcase:  Pheasant tail fibers used a continuous piece.

Body:  Hare's ear.  Color of choice.  Raked directly from the ear.  

Ribbing: Gold, fine round  Four to eight turns turns.

Thorax:  Hare's ear.  Color of choice.  Raked directly from the ear.

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #42

#42   Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Filoplume Prince (Guide Version)

Notes:

(1)   I am revisiting the GRHEFP.   Pictured is my guide version (less hackle collar or beard) which speeds up the tying process.
(2)   This is a phenomenal pocket water/riffle fly where stoneflies reside.  The filoplume offers a ton of movement in the water.
(2)  Try different colors of wing biots.  Fl. Orange is my "go to" for the higher flows of winter and spring as well as dirty water.  Chartreuse is a great option, too!  White is the old summer standby color.  However, there are times when I desire little more color in the water.
(3)   I also tie the flashback in peacock mylar and normal pearl.
(4)   Weight to suit, but ensure you're in the rocks!
(5)   I have older step by step tying instructions HERE

Materials:

Hook:  TMC 200R (sizes 4 - 12) (weight to suit)

Bead:  Optional

Thread:  UTC 70.  Color to match body or black

Tail: Goose biots, brown or color to match body.

Body:  Hare's ear.  Color of choice.  Raked directly from the ear.

Ribbing:  X-small Lagartun oval gold tinsel (Copper wire if tied in olive)

Back:  Large opal Mirage tinsel for sizes 4-8.  Medium for sizes 10-12.

Thorax:  Ringneck pheasant or grouse filoplume feather from rump area.  Color to match body.

Collar/Beard:  (Optional)

Wings:  Goose biots.  Color of choice (Fl. Orange pictured)

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #37

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear

#37  Anderson's Rubber Leg Stone (Variant)

Hook:  TMC 200R, sizes 6-12 (Size 8 pictured)

Bead:  Size is dictated by size and style of hook (3.5mm coffee colored tungsten pictured)
Weight;  Strips of .030 lead tied parallel to the shank

Thread: Start with UTC 140, white.  Finish thread is UTC 70, brown

Tail:  Round white rubber, fine or medium (fine pictured)

Body:  DMC embroidery metallic thread #E898 (top) and DMC embroidery floss #842 (bottom) woven

Legs:  Same as tail

Thorax:  Mixture of natural hare's ear, grey squirrel, Sybai Fine Flash, UV, black deer hair and Fine Flash, brown
Feelers:  Same as tail and legs

Notes:

(1)  George Anderson's original rubber leg stone used woven brown wool (top) and burlap (bottom)
(2)  Weight heavily.  Best fished down bouncing along the stream bed.
(3)  Excellent early season golden stonefly pattern or searching pattern.
(4)  Experiment with different colors- black/orange, olive/chartreuse, gold/yellow.
(5)  Start with white thread to tie in strips of lead, build a slight taper and then to tie in DMC thread/floss.  The thread/floss should be tied in parallel to the shank. Use a brown indelible pen to color the top of the body.  This will keep the white thread from showing through if weave isn't tight.  Brown thread is used to complete thorax and fly.

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #36

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear

#36  Bead head rubber legs GRHE

Hook:  TMC 200R, sizes 6-12 (Size 8 pictured)

Bead:  Size is dictated by size and style of hook (3.5mm gold tungsten pictured)
Weight;  15-20 wraps of lead or lead free wire (15 wraps of .020 in use of this fly)

Thread: UTC 70,  tan

Tail:  (Original is white round rubber)  Flexi Floss, white.  Color with tan indelible ink

Ribbing:  Lagartun, small gold, oval

Body:  Natural hare's ear mixed with a small amount of tan, dark tan and clear Antron yarn.

Wingcase:  Natural pheasant tail or Ozark Oak mottled turkey
Legs:  Same as tail

Thorax:  Same as body

Notes:

(1)  Weight heavily.  Best fished down bouncing along the stream bed.
(2)  Excellent early season golden stonefly pattern or searching pattern.
(3)  Flexi Floss is an unique material in that it is wavy and can be split for smaller diameters.  It has a variety of uses from midges to big steelhead flies.  Not the prettiest material, but has more action than round rubber and takes indelible ink well.  I've used a tan marker to color match the hare's ear.  Note the mottled effect.
(4)  Experiment with different colors.  An unweighted to slightly weighted olive version in lakes and slow waters can be very deadly- especially on heavily fished waters.  Think dragonfly nymphs!

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #35

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear

#35  Rubber legs and marabou tail

Hook:  Hends BL554, sizes 10-16 (Size 12 pictured)

Bead: (Optional)
Weight;  Weight heavily.  

Thread: UTC 70, black

Tail:  Marabou, black.  Pinched to length

Ribbing:  Hends 0.1mm gold, doubled and twist tight 

Body:  Hare's ear. black with Antron added

Wingcase:  Goose, duck or dark brown portion of turkey
Legs:  Centipede Legs, color of choice (orange and black pictured)

Thorax:  Same as body

Notes:

(1)  Weight heavily.  I have doubled the body and tripled the thorax with tungsten sheeting cut into strips and wrapped the length of the hook (pictured).  Best fished down bouncing along the stream bed.
(2)   Tie in various colors and hook lengths to mimic stonefly nymphs.

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear: #21

50 Shades Of Hare's Ear

#21  Oversized dubbing brush or loop - impressionistic stonefly imitation

Hook:  TMC 200R, sizes 6-12 (Size 8 pictured.)
Weight:  Tungsten sheeting cut into a strip and wrapped around the shank.  Thorax area is doubled.
Bead:  (Optional)

Thread: UTC 70, brown
Tail:  Pheasant tail natural
Body:  DMC embroidery floss (#E301) and Hends 0.1MM gold wired double.  Add a small amount of hare's ear between the strands.  Everything is twisted together .

Wingcase:  Ozark Oak mottled turkey
Thorax:   Natural hare's ear taken from the ear.

Notes:

(1)  Twist the body materials counterclockwise.  This ensure each wrap lays snug against the previous one.
(2)  A very unique pattern that is quick to tie.  Fishes well in areas of brown and golden stones.
(3)  Black body and hare's ear is also effective.
(4)  I have caught several steelhead on this pattern in the Northwest.   Great Lakes angler should give it go!

Flies Of Yesteryear: Black Seal

This pattern is very representative of a period when a lot flies were tied with the thought of simple and impressionistic in mind.  As you can clearly see the Black Seal is impressionistic of a stonefly or possibly a hellgrammite.  These simple patterns were typically heavily weighted to reach the bottom quickly in swift riffles.  Therefore an accurate anatomical dressing was not required.

The recipe can be found in Randall Kaufmann's early published work on nymphs however, it doesn't list any helpful historical data such as originator or time period.

Tying notes:

(1) The original pattern was tied on tied on large(r) Mustad 3906B or 9671 hooks and heavily weighted (typically sizes 6 to 10).  I've have substituted the hook with a Daiichi 1260, Size 12
(2)  The fly pictured is tied loosely with seal.  If you are unable to locate good seal I would recommend angora goat or SLF in it's place.  These are excellent substitutions.
(3)  Reminiscent of this style is cutting the top of the hackle once wound and secured.

Materials (As pictured)

Hook: Daiich 1260, sizes 6-12, weighted
Tail:  Goose biots tied in a "V," dyed black
Ribbing:  Gold wire
Body:  Seal, dyed black and loosely dubbed.
Hackle:  Hen, dyed black and clipped on top.

JAB's Stone Jig

Notes:

(1)  My Stone Jig was converted from a similar, simple stonefly pattern I tied some years ago.  You'll find despite the small size fish react very well to this pattern.   If your waters contain winter stones give this on a go!  This is a "go to" if you fish the Upper Sacramento River!

(2)  Colors can be changed out to match the predominant species in your area.

Materials:

Hook:  Hanak H450BL, Sizes 12 - 16

Bead:  Size appropriate tungsten, black

Thread:  UTC 70 black.  Finishing wraps at collar is UTC 70, fl. orange

Tail:  Goose biots, black

Body:  2-strands of DMC metallic embroidery thread (#E310) and 2-strands of Midge Flash black spun to form a tight cord.

Collar:  Awesome 'Possum dyed back

Legs/Horns:  Goose biots, black

Rubber Leg Biot Bug

The Rubber Leg Biot Bug is intended to imitate stonefly nymphs in the 3/4-inch to 1-inch range. With a couple of color changes in the body and thorax an angler can cover any species of stonefly for their given waters.

The antenna is optional, but most tiers will add them to the pattern.  In order to achieve this the bead is moved to the rear of the hook and then the antenna are tied in place.  The bead is then returned to the eye.  The fly is then tied in the normal manner.  Since most of my fishing involves faster pocket water, I generally elect to dismiss the added tying step.

Materials

Hook:  Daichi 1260 (or any 3xl nymph hook), sizes 8-12 (Size 8 pictured), weight to suit

Antenna: Optional

Bead:  Choice (Gold 1/8-inch tungsten pictured)

Thread: 6/0 color matched to body/thorax

Rib:  Copper wire

Body:  Any dubbing.  (Peacock black Ice Dubbing pictured)

Sides:  Black goose biot

Wing case:  6-strands of rubber leg material

Thorax:  Same dubbing material as body

Legs:  Wing case material drawn over thorax and separated.

Step 1:

Pinch barb with vise.   Add bead to hook and secure in vise.  If desired, additional weight can be added.  Pictured is 8-wraps of .025 lead free wire.

Step 2:

Start thread behind lead wraps and tie in ribbing.  Build a thread taper.

Step 3:

Here's a great dubbing technique for tight, solid bodies (material dependent) or the noodle (segmented) look for natural furs.

Evenly apply dubbing to thread.

Step 3a:

Draw additional thread from spool and form a dubbing loop and advance thread forward.

Step 3b:

Twist dubbing loop.

Step 3c:

Wind dubbing forward to the 65-70 percent point.

Step 4:

Tie in goose biots one at a time even with the body.   Ensure tips are even as well as curve out and away.

Step 5:

Wind ribbing forward in even segments.  I prefer to take the first turn to the body.  This keeps the biots from collapsing together on the first turn. Biots should  ride evenly along the side of the body.

Step 6:

Tie in six strands of rubber leg material for the wing case at the 60-65 percent point.

Step 7:

Dub thorax.  Do not crowd the bead area.

Step 8:

Pull wing case/rubber legs over the top of thorax and secure.  Note thread base between thorax and bead.  Trim legs to 2/3 body length.

Step 9:

Add a little dubbing to thread and fill the void between legs and bead.  Apply head cement or super glue to the first inch of thread and whip finish.

Enjoy!