nymphs need not be fancy to catch trout. here is a Generic pattern with all the right elements to take trout. The key to this flies success is in the two tone body color.
Hello Jim: re weighting nymphs: I ordered .025 diam lead-free wire on line for fair money. When I got the stuff I cut a length of it and a piece of copper wire of equal length and diam. weighed each on a powder scale and discovered that the copper weighed more than the lead substitute wire. Conclusion: for extra weight on flies use salvage copper coil wire and save a lot of money.
Like your flies Jim. Try weighting only the front third of the hook.Cover wire with dubbing and thread building a taper.Apply head cement.Flatten wire with smooth jaw pliers.You can even flatten ribbing wire on abdomen.Makes fly move with a natural side to side motion in currents. Works better without bead.
These aren't too great for selective fish. BUT, the last few years I've been fishing this fly in relatively remote waters in Wyoming and Colorado. The fish absolutely nail it. Plus, it's a super easy easy tie. I can fish the entire summer with this fly, a Prince nymph and an Elk hair caddis.
Jim this looks a lot easier to tie than some Stoneflies. Something I could do. I'm going to try a couple and see how they work on our Ozarks streams. I like working with Pheasant tail. Thanks for posting.
It may be that you have more weight on the top side of the hook. It shouldn't matter if the eye is turned up, down or sideways. At least I have never noticed it. I do know if you tie weight on top as in a beadchain eye nymph the hook will ride point up. Normal beadhead nymphs with weight added should ride normal. At any rate it doesn't matter when it is fished in faster water, where trout are more likely to feed on them. The fly will be getting tossed around pretty good. Up down and sideways Jim
Hi Jim As always, and excellent video fly-tying tutorial from you. Have you noticed that with down eye hooks that are weighted that there is a tendency for the fly to travel through the water upside down? This is advantageous as the fly is less likely to hang up on bottom. However it would suggest that the flies weighted as in your video be tied with the pale aspect of the body on top of the hook and the shell back be tied underneath the hook. My 2 cents!!
In the beginning of the video I show hook sizes. basicly you can use any size hook, or type the that matter. One of the objects of my videos is to you to think and use your imagination. This is a basic design the purpose is to show a couple thigs, first the two tone effect (like the naturals) and the simplicity of the tie using just a few materials. I have a freind that catches trout on what he calls the string fly. It's made by wrapping thicker thread to make the shape of a mayfly, giving just a sillulette for the fish to see.
@@TheFlymanJim I much rather fish than tie. In lakes I use one fly. I call it the OCF (Orange or Olive Chicken feather). All I do is tie in a Marabou feather at the tail of the hook and wrap it foreword and tie it off at the eye. 20 seconds to tie and it works in every still water I've fished. I was shown this at Panguitch Lake in Utah 40 years ago. A man fished out of a small boat with these and he kept three of each color on his hat. That, some tippet in his pocket and a net is all he fished with the entire year. He caught as many or more fish that anyone.
@@williamklein6749 Great story thanks for sharing. I think the success of his fly was due to the amount of movement that is imparted by the water currents.