Approaching Stoneflies with spider patterns

[CreationBear]

Those sound like killer ties: I'll look forward to some photos if you get the chance.

[DUBBN]

I have been watching this thread closely. Years ago I ran out of Brown hackle for my Woolly Bugger patterns. In a pinch I threw a Pheasant Church Window feather on ala the "Spider". The Bugger, in my opinion, lost most of its streamer qualitys but gained as a Stone Nymph pattern. Eventually the Buggers marabou tail was replaced with goose biots. I used this fly for a few seasons. Eventually forgetting about it until now.

As some of you know, I fish "dead drift nymphing" the majority of the time. In doing so I feel that many of the patterns I use, even if they are Flymphs, Spiders, or Soft Hackles are not appropriate for this forum. This is not a problem for me. I enjoy trying to incorporate the gracefull flymph patterns of the past and present with the technique that I prefer to use to catch trout.

That being said here is the pattern. The collar was Pheasant (cock) Church Window feather. I dont carry Ringneck skins anymore so I substituted with a dark Rough Grouse feather.

Hook - Mustad 79580
Thread - 8-0 Uni in Black or Brown
Tail - Yellow Goose Biots
Rib - Gold Wire
Body - Peacock herl
Collar - Rough Grouse




One other thing. In my opinion the Prince Nymph is technically a Soft Hackle, and I believe it owes it's success to imitating Stone Nymphs.

[Old Hat]

Great suggestions everyone.

Flitrap and DUBBN - I like each of your patterns. The black and blue, Flitrap does sound interesting and DUBBN, I think that is a great fly for the larger stones and keeps in focus the simplistic nature of the wingless wet.

I agree the prince is a soft hackle until you add the tungsten head and 2lbs of weight on a size #6 hook like many enjoy around here. I always tease a good friend and fishing partner who fishes heavy nymphs all the time that he is bobber fishing. I have no issues with nymphing or any other type of fishing, fly or what have you, but when a Thing-a-ma-Bobber the size of a golf ball is used to keep your weighted nymph at a certain level call it what it is "Bobber fishing"

Donald- I believe you are right about the size of European stones that were the primary targets of the classic patterns being smaller. At least from what I have read.

Good thread. I'm enjoying the discussion and seeing how others are approaching this big soft hackle issue.

[hankaye]

DUBBN, Howdy;

Good thoughts, super nice tye, ..... what size hook is it 12, 10, 6 ?

hank

[DUBBN]

Sorry Mr. Hank. That is a size 10.

[hankaye]

Dubbn, Howdy;

Thanks, helps the mind find some sort of perspective.

Thanks again,

hank

[FliTrap]

Hey, guys!
I was looking through the posts on the fly dressings, and got to thinking that maybe, Dubbn's pattern titled "Sunday Olive" could be tweaked into a great stonefly pattern!
Here is my idea:
Using a 2x or 3x lg nymph hook, tie in the tale, and clear tubing and a yellow Wapse wire, as Dubbn noted! For the body, lay out a "under-body" of a white silk or floss, covering about 2/3 the length while building it into a slight taper as you would to form up a stonefly. Now, taking a yellow or maybe a tan/yellow tone, marking pen, to color up the belly area, followed by using a brown or darker shade of tan to darken up the sides and back. (see this pic for an example of the coloring: http://www.troutnut.com/im_regspec/pict ... _large.jpg ). You can color these out and select the wire to match your local Stoners!
Now, wrap the body with the clear tubing and rib through with the Wapse Wire! This gives you the segmented, two-tone body seen with most stone flies! Dub a Thorax, in a matching brown, then work your hackle through the thorax in about 2 1/2 open turns! Finish off!
If you are wanting a bit of wt. to the fly, build up the "under-body with the Wapse wire, covering this with the white floss and go on as noted before!
You can dress this up a bit more with a "shell back", over the thorax area but I'm not sure its needed!
Dubbn.... as you have the fixen's can you give it a try and post a pic?
I'm not set up to do so!
Have fun!
FliTrap

[FliTrap]

After looking at the other stone fly pics that TroutNut has on that site, I'm wondering, if a dubbing to match the belly of the stone fly could be built up and then accented with the darker color to bring up the two-tone look! Finish with the tubing as otherwise described!
The dubbing could be brushed out on the sides a bit prior to the tubing being wrapped, fibers showing through the tubing as the gills of a store fly!
Just an after thought!
FliTrap

[DUBBN]

[DUBBN]

I tryed to edit the post with the recipe but time ran out...Took me about 7 minutes to tye the fly after I read FliTraps post, and about five minutes to photograph. The sun was just going behing the mountain as I snapped my last shot