"The Stimulator"

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steely34
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2009/11/14 10:40:25 (permalink)

"The Stimulator"

    There’s been a bit of discussion lately on catching steel on dry flies. A couple of  springs ago, while I was fishing on Elk, I found a group of fish very early one morning and every now and then a few of them would come to the top and take something on the surface. Now I know that there are many of you who have fished the tribs a lot longer than I have and perhaps have seen this before but it was pretty cool to see. I sat there, watched for about 15 minutes and then started going through my gear looking for the half dozen stimulators that I always carry in a film canister but have never really used for steel. Whatever it was they were coming up for, I couldn’t tell – it was either very small or they were just porpoising.  Either way, I tied one on and after a few casts, one hit it without hesitation. It was a pretty cool experience – one I’ll never forget.  Then it all stopped and no matter what I put on they locked up. Never had this experience again. Here’s the pattern I used – one that’s been around for a long time now. It may pay to try and carry a few of these – just in case. Something different to try out when things get slow.
 
1. Materials:
Hook: Tiemco 200R size 10 – 14
Dubbing:           Caddis Olive – Body
                        Ice Dub UV Hot Orange – Thorax
Hackle:             Medium Natural Dun – Body
                        Medium Natural Dun, Light Ginger Dun – Thorax
Ultra Fine Wire
Coastal Deer Hair
** All of these materials can be substituted as needed.

 


1. Start thread on hook near hook bend:
 


2. Cut a small amount of deer hair and using a hair stacker – even the tips and tie in.
**Using a hair stacker – Depending on what type of stacker you use – every now and then static electricity may build up and the hairs will tend to stick to the sides. Try rubbing a dryer sheet through it to remove the static. Also when using short hair like coastal deer, it will help to slightly tilt the male end of the stacker up when you remove it from the female end so the hairs don’t fall out.
 


3. Trim off the butt ends.
**To close or tighten up the “flare” of the hair tips, take the bobbin and take a few wraps around the clump of hair only – not around the hook shank. This will bunch them up a bit more and eliminate some of the flare.
 


4. Tie in a 3 – 4” piece of ultra fine wire.
 


5. Dub on the thread, the color and type of dubbing you want. Wrap forward.
 




6. Prepare the hackle for wrapping:
** A common method for preparing hackle for tying –Strip the hackle stem more on one side than the other. This will eliminate any trapped hackles on the first wrap. Tie the hackle in so that the side of the stem that is stripped more than the other will be the first wrap on the hook shank.  

 


7. Tie the hackle in and wrap rearward to the tail:
 




8. Using the wire – take two full wraps around the hackle at the rear and while wrapping in the opposite direction of the hackle, bring it forward and tie in. Clip off the hackle tip.
**To avoid trapping hackle fibers while doing this, wiggle the wire back and forth as you come forward. Take a needle or bodkin and pull out any other hackle fibers that may have become trapped.
 


9. Take another small clump of hair, stack it to even the tips, and tie in. Trim off the butt ends.
**Again, if you want to eliminate too much of a flare, you can take a few wraps just around the clump of hair, snug it up slightly and tie in around the shank.
 




10. Prepare the two different hackles as described above and tie them in. Dub on the thread the color and type of dubbing you want for the thorax.
**You may want to slightly taper the dubbing on the thread – thin at the start and thicker at the end to make up for the taper of thread that was created when tying in the hair. This will give an even thorax.
 



11. Wrap and dub the thorax forward and palmer the hackle through it one stem at a time.
** To avoid trapping hackle fibers when you finished palmering it through the thorax – bring the hackle pliers up around the hook shank and follow this turn with the thread. Then tie off the hackle on top.
 




12. Trim and whip finish:
 


** A size 16 stimulator tied on a nymph style hook:
 


post edited by steely34 - 2009/11/15 18:54:56

"They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it..... you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore."

John Gierach

#1

5 Replies Related Threads

    byahn32
    Avid Angler
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    RE: "The Stimulator" 2009/11/14 11:33:18 (permalink)
    steely you are the man..i tried tying up these before just by looking at 1 that i bought. but that was a failure.. nice tutorial

    Mossy doesnt need more beer.. i need cherry juice.
    krott243 rivals Zonk for position of darth vader!!

    loopys unofficial group member lol (i peer through the window on meetings)
    #2
    steely34
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    RE: "The Stimulator" 2009/11/15 05:07:50 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: byahn32

    steely you are the man..

     
    Now that's funny! LOL

    "They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it..... you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore."

    John Gierach

    #3
    Flyguy638
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    RE: "The Stimulator" 2009/11/15 20:09:33 (permalink)
    Another very nice job on this step by step.

    Thanks bruce
    #4
    norm289
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    RE: "The Stimulator" 2009/11/16 00:14:04 (permalink)
    Nice tie!
    #5
    fishenfool46
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    RE: "The Stimulator" 2009/11/16 02:41:29 (permalink)
    real nice steely i will take 2 doz lol

    I didn't say these are the ten suggestions
    signed God
    #6
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