easy tie

 
Yesterday I helped a guy land  one in the 11 lb. range that he caught on a chartreuse fly and a split shot on a spinning rig. He asked me if I knew what the fly was called. I laughed and told him it was a caddis pupae. I kicked a rock closer to shore and reached in and pulled off one of the pyramid shaped cases attached to it. I squeezed the case and out popped a Ryacophila caddis pupae that was pretty much bright green like uh.... his chartreuse fly. He told me he had great luck with the fly and used it most of the time. He wasn't using much weight and the fish was hooked inside the mouth.  I know lots of ****, but can't catch SR  fish worth a crap so it gave me a good laugh. I had one in my box, but it was time to hit the road. I have lots for dinky trout, now I'll have plenty to try on the river in my box. This pattern takes about 3 minutes, uses thread, rubber leg material, peacock herl, and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails , known to most tyer's as just Sally.  It's durable and sinks quick.  If anyone wants a tutorial, I'll put one up.
 
Charlie

Charlie-
     Dont tie flies and probably never will- dont know their names either and really dont care to start a new thing at this point- However-
    This Fall ( a secret till now) started throwing a hot pink sparkly kinda short streamer in about a number 8 that the male Kings hated so much they snapped it regularly YIPEEEEE- wouldnt mention it during the season cause the store was buying them at only had a very few at any time and didnt wanna shoot the golden goose -so they say- it was on a light wire that straightened out with too much pressure and they didnt last long with some of those big males around.
     Also- recall a number of weeks  ago the color green came up in some posts and guys like myself were saying they had certain luck with it.
     With Winter Steel had mentioned luck with brook trout imitations in 8 or 10 last year but frankly had not mentioned enough  luck with GREEN that went out and bought a few dozen green stoneflys in a variety of sizes for this winter.
    Do ya think its the fly itself or for some reason the green color that is appealing to them???

Pink  bunny with pink estaz upfront was it for me with the kings.  Trevor, I think it's a combination of color and size. Presentation first (hook'em in the body somewhere- kidding-F... that) , other than that...
I liked the bunny flies I tied because they would pulse mid-current, the bunny skin being buoyant. I tied them on salmon hooks. Didn't bend but they got snapped off. These caddis flies I like because they head down quick. Variations include wrapping them with green wire and adding a chartreuse beadhead.  There's a very popular trout fly called the green weenie that is chenille wrapped around the hook with a little loop left in the tail. Just another variation. If I used the  chenille  caddis pattern on steelhead , I would wrap the shank with wire first. I thought alot about this fly on the drive home. Because it has a slim profile and no buoyant materials and is weighted with a coating of fingernail gloss, it can be fished with less weight to get down. If  I run into you this winter, I'll give ya a few to stick in your box. Some nasty day when the crowds are thin it would be great to experiment with some flies in the LFZ with you.
 
Charlie

I use life cycle dubbing or nymph skin. The nymph skin is pretty cool & it segments so sweet.

nice fichy -

another variation of the green weenie (a.k.a. trout crack).

but yours looks much purdier than the ones I tie.

Two questions:

1) Do you get upset when the lustrous Sally sheen gets scratched & nicked by river rocks?
If so, do you perform on-da-riva touchups?

2) Did you properly revive and release that little caddis critter that you made homeless?

ORIGINAL: draketrutta

Two questions:

1) Do you get upset when the lustrous Sally sheen gets scratched & nicked by river rocks?
No, only by steelhead teeth
If so, do you perform on-da-riva touchups?
Only on my own nails

2) Did you properly revive and release that little caddis critter that you made homeless?
I ate it to make sure I got the full experience.

 
Jack, I've been to this shop in Or. and have since used them through the mail. The online catalog  has good pictures, they have a good selection and good prices. If you call, you'll talk to a knowledgeable steelhead addict. There whole staff is nothing but. http://www.flyfishusa.com/
 
Charlie

Fichy - instead of the rubber leg material, have you ever tried using the small vinyl strips (about 1/8 in thick).

I forgot the name of the stuff, but it comes in various colors and looks good - riblike when wrapped around a hook that is weighted with lead wire. It comes attached to a paper backing - like a pack of matches.

p.s. - just bustin on the scratches - that is a very nice looking fly.

Dano, you are absolutely right. Ryacophila are a caseless caddis. I seemed to recall the green color and that name going together and just assumed I was recalling the correct info from years ago. I'll to try to find the correct name, just for my own lack of sanity.  Thanks for the correction.  Drake the vinyl d-rib works very nicely, but I don't have any at the moment. I do have tons of rubber legs from tying bass poppers and big nasty looking  rubber legged buggers. The vinyl is a little more expensive, I use to have a supply when I tied lots of midges. I think one trade name is Larvae Lace, you can find it in most shops and supplies.

On further study, I think they are Brachycentrus, the apple caddis making them a hatch I've fished many, many  times. Not important, but if you're wrong, might as well try to make it right.

Charlie

Clint, try tying up some flashback stones. They have a small area on thorax that is colored - gold,blue,green or red- whatever color you like - heck I would tie a few of each.

Pat Mahoney used to sell them in his shop years ago - they were very effective on the SR.

If you think you are in a fishy spot, just keep switchin colors, that usually entices them - depending on their mood that day.

That's some great advice, Drake. It has consistently worked for me. This past trip 8 out of 10 hookups were  on nymphs with some color in the thorax area.If I'm not changing nymph colors, I'm changing up with a different color in an egg.  I rarely go 20 casts without changing if no takers. It's great to hear how much you like tying Clint. I'm sure you're gonna hit on  some major winners and end up sharing them with us.  One thing though, I always pay attention to what everybody on the river is using. Plug colors, egg colors, how people are fishing them, all have a tale to tell. I've learned at least as much from non-flyfishers as I have from flyfishers, and up to this point it's all I've done. If anyone wants to do a fly swap this winter, I'll gladly run it.
 
Charlie

fichy nice topic and tie.. sometimes the simple flies work best and match the hatch.. a once highly public version was from a member here.. something about 10 seconds ..

I like Larva Lace or jelly (liquid) lace just because ? and see any material working equal.. The key touch that you hit on was the Peacock Herl.. Cant beat that.. ..
As for Sally,, Make sure it's not the Vinal coat.. Just Hard as Nails, gives it a nice gloss finish.. The wife hates when I tie...lol..

Now keep all quite about the weenie

Spot on w/ changing up--my fav winter spot I'm almost 100% certain holds fish EVERY time I'm there--finding what they want can b another matter---and no DT it's not a "choke" pt--fairly wide and deep w/ a distinct seam where 80% of my fish come from--miss it by a couple inches too close or far and u don't get bit.Not sure about how many casts r made(since some I KNOW don't have a chance),but I'll start at the top and cast--move down a lil and keep moving down to the tail--then I'll switch up and do it all over.prob change color/style of fly every 15min or so.

ORIGINAL: draketrutta

Only Choke Point that deserves complete ridicule is the one where the King Salmon Guru & his pack of Mo's takes up squatter rights in order to fling lead like a reincarnation of the O.K. Corral Gunfight.

p.s. - the Little Black is a close second...

You may be right about the snow fantasy this year - can't believe you folks up there have only a couple inches on the ground.

I don't want to have to plow my fat arse through waist deep snow, but I like the Norman Rockwell look of Poooolaski/Altmar area after a moderate white out that drops at least a foot of snow...

I'm up to my eyeballs in year-end beancounter work right now. I see light at the end of tunnel approaching in a couple of weeks.
Will let you know, and I won't skimp on the Jamison's.

..and if we score fish, the pictures won't be delayed by trying to make the feeshes look bigger via Photoshop - must be really hard to use that app via a smartphone,, ehh?